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Crucial Point Lost
In the continuing dispute over the lease of Grossmont Hospital to Sharp HealthCare (March, San Diego Metropolitan) a very crucial point is being misrepresented by our opponents. The allegation that the Grossmont Healthcare District is suing Grossmont Hospital is completely incorrect. We own the hospital. The district is, suing Sharp HealthCare to void the lease as it now stands for four reasons.
- Public assets were essentially given away. For $1 a year for 30 years, Sharp has a profitable hospital generating $150 million in annual revenue.
- Public oversight and accountability were stripped away.
- The public hospital is part of a debt-laden obligated group. Grossmont Hospital is part of the collateral against Sharp's $240 million debt.
- This is a bad deal because it was struck by people with illegal conflicts of interest.
We are moving forward to protect a public hospital on behalf of the public that built it, paid for it and elected us to assure a healthy hospital and healthy communities.
Armand J. Wohl, M.D.
Board president
|Grossmont Healthcare District
Editor's Note:
In late March a Superior Court judge ruled it’s too late for Grossmont Healthcare District to break the 1991 lease with Sharp. The district's attorney, however, dismissed the ruling as a "speedbump" on the road to victory.
That Writer's Got Style
I have never written to an editor before, but I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy the food reviews and gossip column written by Terryl Gavre. I look forward to them each month and find her sense of humor and no-bull approach extremely refreshing.
The review of El Bizcocho (February 1998) was excellent. Having just dined there, I was especially interested in Terryl's comments, which, by the way, were completely accurate.
In the future, I would like to see you run more stories like the Thanksgiving article Terryl wrote. Other than that, you are doing a great job.
Robert Schwarts
San Diego
The Importance Of Being Sea World
Sea World San Diego is recognized throughout the United States and the world as an outstanding attraction, the presence of which results in increased tourism in San Diego.
CIC Research, Inc. an independent research firm, determined the economic and fiscal impacts of Sea World to be nearly $1 billion annually. The park provides approximately 10,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
In recent discussions regarding Sea World's negotiations for an additional 16.5 acres of land along Mission Bay, some have compared the rent Sea World pays the city to land purchases a century ago, to market rates for high-density commercial buildings, and to the Yosemite and Raging Waters agreements. Economic studies suggest the government gets zero franchise fee income from the Yosemite lease. And half of the lease income from the Raging Waters park is mandated for reinvestment in the water park, leaving only 6.5 percent for the government. In contrast, all improvements to the Sea World property are paid for by Sea World, not the city of San Diego.
Sea World ranks among the top corporate taxpayers in the county. In 1997, the park was directly and indirectly responsible for $35 million in city lease payments and taxes. Every additional San Diego visitor attracted by Sea World results in a direct economic impact of nearly $300. The park continues to be dedicated to doing its part to improve the economy and welfare of the city of San Diego.
Bill Davis
General Manager
Sea World San Diego
Everything we know about Sea World is wrong. At least if you've been getting your information from talk radio and the major daily newspapers.
Yet some self-appointed activists are trying to convince us that Sea World is getting a sweetheart deal on its lease. Not true.
This is especially galling when you look into some of their claims, i.e. that other parks in California are getting a better deal. In fact, the one park they cited on a local talk show was Yosemite. They said that the Yosemite leaseholder pays $19 million rent on gross revenues of $90 million.
Not true. Yosemite leaseholders pay their rent into an account that is used to improve their facilities. The federal government gets no money from this lease.
As a lifelong resident of the beach area, I find that this issue is of extreme importance and the true facts must be presented.
Brian P. Devine
San Diego
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