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Publication Date: Friday, March 09, 2001 Letters
Letters
(March 09, 2001) Doctors for LifeStyleRx
Editor,
Mr. Kim Fuller, owner of the Livermore Valley Tennis Club, is continuing to voice his opposition to and is planning to launch a newspaper ad campaign regarding the construction of the LifeStyleRx facility on ValleyCare Health System's Livermore campus.
LifeStyleRx is a model of the current trend in health care wellness centers and is a major new component in ValleyCare's continuum of service provided to the Tri-Valley. LifeStyleRx provides integrated wellness, fitness and rehabilitation support for individuals regardless of lifestyle, health status or physical conditions. The programs are designed to meet the needs of patients and members who need the higher level of expertise and service provided by a medically based facility.
While Mr. Fuller has a right to speak out against the project, we believe the real issue is that Mr. Fuller is concerned about competition. We, as physicians, fully support the LifeStyleRx project and need this program for the ongoing health maintenance of our patients.
A ballot was just mailed to ValleyCare Corporate Members who are being asked to vote to approve:
¥ Pleasanton acute care services expansion and renovation
¥ Livermore Medical Plaza Outpatient Services
¥ Valley Memorial building renovation
The Corporate Member vote does not include funding for LifeStyleRx.
Also, we want to be perfectly clear in response to Mr. Fuller - ValleyCare Health System will pay ALL appropriate taxes for LifeStyleRx.
The LifeStyleRx business plan was reviewed by four objective experts, including the owner of a prominent East Bay athletic club. They all concurred that the concept is sound and the project is viable for the Livermore/Pleasanton areas. ValleyCare Health System will not allow any of its business ventures to jeopardize the well-being of the health system and its ability to provide quality health services to the community.
As physicians, we support ValleyCare Health System and LifeStyleRx as an investment in the health of the community. We ask your support as well.
Ralph Camacho Jr., M.D.
Bruce Gach, M.D.
Michael Kazemi, M.D.
Calvin Lei, M.D.
John Louie, M.D.
Robert Malstrom, M.D.
Anthony Musni, M.D.
Robert Santos, M.D.
Bernd Schmidt, M.D.
Jeffrey Wherry, M.D.
Stephen Williams, M.D.
Bill Wong, M.D.
John Yee, M.D.
Sustainability is 'claptrap'
Editor,
Sustainability is unadulterated claptrap. If Pleasanton's elected officials are not "meeting the needs of its citizens today and in the future," then they and their professional staff should resign.
Sustainability is not entirely environmentalism as it implies. Proponents outside of "progressive" San Francisco, where the plan originated, cleverly fold their political agenda into extremist energy and environmental positions because they know that busy, uninvolved suburbanites will not object if it sounds good or feels good.
It's the "broader issues" that proponents suggest that are most odious. They argue that in addition to environmental concerns, we must have "economic development, environmental justice and public education," all pretty benign sounding propositions.
But, what exactly does a sustainability plan add to our economy? Not income, that's certain. A vastly expanded redistribution of wealth is the only answer. Besides our current subsidy programs, what other forms of redistribution would proponents suggest? Free housing for "targeted" groups?
Environmental justice? That's right out of the '60s. Does this mean lock-up for the bullfrog, a predator of the endangered Red-Legged Frog?
Finally, "public education" really means propaganda. And what greater propaganda machine could be assembled than the public education system that has already bought the sustainability concept hook, line and sinker? Is it possible that "facilitators" will insist on communist blue uniforms while the wearers get educated?
Jennifer Hosterman, Matt Sullivan and Mayor Tom Pico might feel better about themselves if Pleasanton adopts a sustainability plan. It's sure all three will use their embrace of such drivel as a reason for election and re-election in 2002. This Dream Team is a bigger nightmare than the first dream team that gave us no short- or long-term energy plans, no flood control plans, no interchange decisions, no golf course, traffic gridlock and no mass transit plans.
Jim JordanMarigold Court
City should help those who help themselves
Editor,
I wanted to thank Stephanie Ericson for her comprehensive article about the economic situation for those in the lower income brackets, such as myself. For those of us who struggle not to be on welfare or other government programs it is hard not to feel as though we are part of P-Town's "riff-raff" in light of the rental and property prices.
I truly love Pleasanton and have been here since the late '80s but realize that my time is quickly expiring financially. More than 50 percent of my take-home income goes to rent. If I had a car payment, credit cards, a student loan or a major car repair or other catastrophic bill I would quickly become at-risk for being homeless. God knows I couldn't qualify to live in my current apartment if I applied for it today!
I truly hope that Pleasanton will consider using its vast resources to help those who are helping themselves, and those aspiring to help themselves, to remain a vital part of this great little town. I SOOO don't want to move to Manteca (I'd sooner go to Dallas!).
Taylor RhysPleasanton
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