Private-public partnerships make government programs more efficient

Bonner General Health spent some of its funding on a clinic in Noxon, Mont. They also sent staff to Bonners Ferry, where they billed for services. Those were the decisions of a private entity operating in North Idaho. If they chose to stop these efforts due to a lack profitability then I think that they are showing a good stewardship of a non-profit’s funding. They receive a very small amount of funding from the Pend Oreille Hospital District to help provide for services in our community. I don’t see how we can blame BGH for operating at their discretion unless someone can show that the Pend Oreille Hospital District funds were not pent in our community. I would personally much rather see a private entity managing our tax funded mandates than create another bureaucracy to operate public clinics in the usual inefficient government manner.

One letter claimed that funding BGH was “corporate welfare” and pointed fingers at liberals. To me corporate welfare is the bail out of GM and AIG as well as the Wall Street giants that needed help after pocketing billions in profit. I thought that private-public partnerships were what we are looking for to make government programs more efficient.

JASON HAUCK

Sandpoint