epcounty.com - Commissioner Precinct 2

El Paso County Commissioner Pct. 2
Veronica Escobar

Proposed children's hospital: the pros and cons
By Erica Molina Johnson / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 04/03/2007 12:30:20 AM MDT
Commissioners Court on Monday made big changes to the structure of the nominations to the El Paso County Hospital District Board of Managers.
The court also filled the first of four vacancies at the regular meeting.
Monday's action gives each member of the court one nominee to Thomason's seven-member board. The remaining two board members, which until now have been nominated by the county judge and the commissioner of Precinct 2, will now be at-large and nominated by anyone in the community. The vote was unanimous to make the change after a long and heated debate.
The court now has 20 days to review applications from those interested in serving. To be considered, candidates are asked to submit résumés to the court members and fill out an application.
"From my perspective, we have a county judge who wants to amass as much power as possible at Thomason ... Why would one person want to have so much control over Thomason," Commissioner Veronica Escobar said, referencing County Judge Anthony Cobos' previous interest in having three board appointments.
Cobos said the move to make the two seats at-large was Escobar's response to the recommendations that made her second nomination at-large last week.
"It's obvious Commissioner Escobar was bitter from the recommendations from the governance reform committee and she doesn't respect the fact the judge is at-large," Cobos said.
The court also voted Monday to appoint Cobos' nominee, Kirk Slusher, to the Thomason board in the seat occupied by board chairwoman Rosemary Castillo.
Slusher is a consultant for a company in Juárez that manufactures medical equipment. He holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology.
"I've lived in El Paso 10 years and I want to help El Paso," he said. "I'm not going to put up with lies and innuendo about who I am and what I've said."
Slusher's nomination was also met with polarized discussion, and Escobar cast the lone vote against the appointment.
"He's looking at it with fresh perspective," Cobos said, then moved on to the opposition expressed by Escobar at the meeting. "Why don't they want new people on there. I think they're hiding something and we need to investigate, analyze and audit."
Escobar said she would have liked the opportunity to be able to interview Slusher before the meeting.
"Mr. Slusher has made comments about his desire to privatize Thomason and be kept in its place in caring for the indigent," she said. "When someone goes in with an agenda to dismantle the hospital, you better believe I'll vote no."
Slusher was asked about his views on Thomason before the vote was taken.
"There's something it's supposed to do: provide access to health care for people who cannot afford health care," he told the court. "It should provide to the public what it's supposed to and should be accountable to the taxpayers."
He said he would ask questions once on the board, including whether it makes sense to instead spend on health care the the millions of dollars designated for expansion.
After his appointment, the court discussed Escobar's proposed reappointment of Castillo to the board. She tried to make the move last week, but was blocked so the court could first hear the recommendations of a governance reform committee about the board.
Castillo's appointment was again defeated in a 3-2 vote. Cobos and Commissioners Luis Sariñana and Miguel Terán voted against the appointment.
Escobar said she did not hear a single good reason why Castillo should not be reappointed.
She said the explosive and tense meeting exemplified the current state of the court.
"This meeting demonstrates to me there's very little trust and very little communication," she said. "A good leader promotes communication and trust, and that's not happening on this court."
Cobos said his vote for the two at-large seats was an attempt at a compromise.
"I'm tired of the bickering. The taxpayers deserve a more functional board," he said.
Commissioner Dan Haggerty said a solution must be worked out.
"We've got to do something to mend some fences on Commissioners Court," he said. "We've been here over three months and it's time to stop and move forward."
Erica Molina Johnson may be reached at emolina@elpasotimes.com; 546-6132.