Demand accountability with your vote on May 18

A couple of recent letters indicate a state of panic among the liberal crowd in Sandpoint that the entrenched status quo on the library and hospital boards is being questioned. 

These trustees, who have served for years, even decades, touted for their experience, qualifications and “honorable service,” have come under the spotlight for their policies during the past few years, and especially the past 15 months.

The Pend Oreille Hospital District and the East Bonner County Library District are taxing districts. Your property taxes fund them, but they are not accountable to any government agency – only to you, the voters. 

The POHD board is the definition of a self-dealing entity benefitting a for-profit hospital. They collect millions in taxes and pass them straight on to BGH – and only to BGH – because these same board members also sit on the BGH board. The vote is always unanimous, except for one lone trustee who has brought attention to this. BGH then spends your taxes not only here but also in Boundary County and in Montana.

The two EBCLD candidates tout years and decades of experience in libraries and academia. So much for diversity of background. Which explains why they can’t seem to relate to the public when it comes to policies that make it difficult or impossible to use the library. Recalcitrant doesn’t begin to describe their attitude.

Demand accountability with your vote on May 18. Elect challengers Kathy Rose and Jalon Peters for the library board and Julie Berreth and Jessie Peters for the hospital board.

KATHY BEARD

Sandpoint