There are a number of people interested in participating in the oversight of Measure U funds. It’s heartwarming to see the interest of Hemet citizens and their desire to serve. That’s how things get done! There is a closed session just prior to the public meeting. The closed session involves sensitive legal issues and for the most part, are not available for public review until the matters are resolved. There was one item of interest that we have reported on previously.

You may recall that during the 2020 election, there was a particularly contentious race for Council District 4, the Seven Hills area of Hemet. Ken Graff’s candidate, Miguel “Mike” Madrid was out-voted by Mayor Pro Tem Joe Males. According to court documents filed on behalf of Madrid, Males wasn’t living in District 4 when he filed his papers and he also filed outside the time limit. The city of Hemet posted an announcement on its website, stating the city was giving some additional time to file and Males took that opportunity. He was able to verify his residency despite allegations made by Graff. You will note the attorney arguing on behalf of Graff and Madrid is Patricia Madrid! This has been an ongoing dispute on the part of Graff and it’s anyone’s guess as to why. This lawsuit is a waste of city time and resources. Mayor Pro Tem Males has stepped confidently into his new role and it appears he will be a productive council member.

The court is not disposed to revisiting this now stale event. If Hemet is to move forward, all former candidates must also move on, for the good of the city. As City Council meetings are a matter of public record, anyone wishing to do so, can make comments, with a 3-minute limit. Anyone sitting in the council chambers can hear comments. There are no secrets. There were several comments addressing items not on the agenda. Roy McDaniels spoke passionately on behalf of the Diamond Kings Baseball Team. McDaniels, a Hemet resident, is head coach of the Diamond Kings.

According to the team’s Facebook page, McDaniels has an impressive resume, including being a retired Marine, MCMAP black belt martial arts instructor, minor league/college baseball background and a BA/MBA in business administration. He is a middle school teacher. You know the Diamond Kings have to be successful with that kind of leadership. He spoke of developing the team and working with the city to correct some issues resulting from past poor management. Hemet parent Ken Prado shared with the council the problems being encountered with Hemet Unified School District and the fact that the ACLU has joined in a fight to protect the rights of parents. In addition to being in violation of what’s known as the Brown Act, HUSD has defamed some of the parents who are acting on behalf of their children. The Brown Act requires local government business to be conducted at open and public meetings, except in certain limited situations.

According to Prado, “If the ACLU is involved, then there has to be something going on (or not going on) that requires legal remedy.” Prado has been active in many areas of city affairs and Mayor Meyer thanked him for his bold efforts. Food truck owner, Matt Gordon, expressed his frustration with the city for lagging in issuing him the necessary permit to conduct his business (grilled cheese sandwiches!). He can be found Saturdays at the Hemet Farmer’s Market. Gordon has all the necessary permits for the entire county of Riverside but as has been the case for years, Hemet is dragging its feet on issuing a permit. Why is that? Over the years, there have been multiple complaints by entrepreneurs about the lengthy wait time when it comes to permitting. Are employees simply dragging their feet or is this a management issue? Gordon will be doing a monthly giveaway at Valley Restart.

Food trucks are a favorite in Hemet. As promised, when she was running for the office of City Treasurer, Sue Savage gave an impassioned report on the state of the city treasury. She stated that she felt the city council did not allow her to make an appropriate report previously and wanted to go on record in that regard. She is looking forward to working with the council in the future. From Savage’s previous reports, the city treasury is in good shape. Pat Gregory expressed her frustration and disillusion with the city as she has been unable to obtain explanations of discrepancies in Measure U money. It is significant that there are so many candidates for the Measure U Oversight Commission. Perhaps we will see more transparency with new commissioners. Fireworks! There appears to be some confusion on the part of those who are illegally shooting off fireworks.

The city is attempting to double down on these activities by imposing fines and making it very clear that continued use of illegal fireworks will not be tolerated. Most of the problems take place around July 4. In some cities, the property owner where illegal fireworks are shot off are being penalized for the activities.

There was one public comment addressing fireworks. The council unanimously voted to pass a motion clarifying the penalties. Retired police officer and councilman Russ Brown stated that holding property owners responsible is one way of addressing the problem and he supports it (even if it is a renter that is creating the problem). A resolution will be read at the next council meeting and voted on at that time. Finance Director Lorena Rocha made a public request for an adjustment to the budget (Draft Community Development Grant-Coronavirus). This draft was titled “Substantial Amendment to 2020-25 Consolidated Plan and 2020/21 Annual Action Plan.” This is a multi-faceted plan to address public safety, homelessness and generally, underserved residents in the community. Councilmember Brown commented on the fact residents will benefit greatly from the passing of this Community Development Block Grant. Councilman Lilienthal further commented on the need for additional grants.

In previous council meetings, there has been discussion on hiring a grant writer for the purpose of acquiring additional funds. Having gone through the budget (which can be viewed at the city website in the agenda), it is a welcome sight to see underserved residents having some of their needs met. Mayor Pro Tem Males commented affirmatively on the CBDG monies available. This appears to be a council that is dedicated to quality-of-life improvement for the betterment of underserved residents. A vote was taken by all present council members, passing unanimously.

One of the more tedious presentations involved a General Plan Amendment (involving the Page Ranch Specific Plan Amendment, Rancho Diamonte Phase II). Councilman Brown had a concern regarding traffic on Warren Road (part of the plan). Altering the Warren through the way may affect current traffic trends. There have been proposals in the past that would have affected Warren Road, many of which have never been seen completed. Nothing in the presentation made appeared to address traffic concerns. The city clerk read the ordinance into the public record. All voted yes on this.

A moment of congratulations came when Councilman Malcolm Lilienthal made a special presentation on behalf of Black History Month. Prior council minutes and treasurer reports were approved. There were a number of other items to be discussed; it was close to eleven before the meeting ended. Some of the other items not reported on here will be followed up on.

Ann Smith • Contributor

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In recent days, several tweets shared ominous news about the state of health insurance in the country. One tweeter said she bought an Affordable Care Act policy for a $1,200 monthly premium and a $7,500 deductible. By May, she said, she could no longer afford that premium. 

Another tweeter said her 59-year-old friend would be paying $900 a month in premiums with an out-of-pocket maximum of $8,150. The friend has assets, but the insurance restricts where she can get care, a common policy feature.

A third tweeter was disgusted with his job-based coverage, which he told the world was his fifth insurance plan in four years. That’s not an uncommon complaint among workers with employer-based coverage. The man’s daughter has Type 1 diabetes, and the constant switching of doctors and plans was disruptive and hardly optimum for her health. It’s time to disconnect health insurance from the job, he tweeted.

The tweeters were fed up with the price of coverage and were having trouble either paying for it or accessing care. Millions are in the same pickle. At the crux of their dilemma is the relentless rise in medical prices along with America’s inability or unwillingness to provide health care to all its citizens and to establish a mechanism that can finally put the brakes on relentless price increases.

As Americans grow more dissatisfied with their insurance arrangements, public discussion about the wisdom of switching to a system sometimes referred to as Medicare for All has grown. There’s more press attention to this topic than I have ever seen. What’s not been discussed, however, is how providing health care for everyone and controlling prices are interrelated.

New U.S. spending data show that the U.S. spent $1 trillion more on personal health services in 2018 than in 2008. Hospital care accounted for 44 percent of the increase, physician services 23 percent and retail prescription drugs only 9 percent. With increases like those, dissatisfaction is bound to increase.

But in the current discussion of Medicare for All, which a few columnists are beginning to say should be put aside – one New York Times columnist argued that the moral and political case is now stronger for focusing on issues other than health care – the discussion has focused on why such a change won’t work: how it will harm the big stakeholders; how much it would cost; and that Americans are satisfied with their current arrangements.

It is the fear of controls on prices, which other advanced countries have, that has kept the U.S. from changing its system for decades. If every American were in the system, including the 30 million who have no health insurance, it might make it easier for federal regulators to control prices, which is what big stakeholders fear. It is the primary reason the idea of Medicare for All, or an equivalent plan, has never advanced very far.

(Making Health Care Accessible)

There’s another question that must be tackled before we can reach the point of providing coverage for everyone: Should America provide health insurance for every citizen?

The concept of solidarity – which loosely means a unity based on a community of interests, objectives, or standards – is the basis for the health systems in most European countries. It also undergirds our own Social Security retirement and disability programs, workers’ compensation, and, of course, Medicare. 

When it comes to health care, there is still no universal embrace of the concept of solidarity. But unless Americans agree that every citizen is entitled to medical care and a way to pay for it, this round of discussion about Medicare for All is as likely to fail as all the previous proposals.

But what about Obamacare, you might be thinking? Remember when the former president told us his health plan would bring “affordable, quality care for all”? The Affordable Care Act established the principle that everyone should be able to buy health insurance regardless of preexisting health conditions, but it did not take the further step of guaranteeing everyone the right to medical care and a way to pay for it.

“Winning the argument about universal coverage first is really important,” says Joel Kutzin who heads the health care financing team at the World Health Organization.

It’s the prerequisite to solving the insurance cost and service problems the three unhappy tweeters shared with the twitterverse. 

Should every American have the right to affordable health care? Write to Trudy at trudy.lieberman@gmail.com.

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