Editor:c
How true that is and how proud it makes me to be a member of this community where non-profit societies, churches and citizens do indeed take care of one another.
Isn’t that the way it should be in a community?
Aren’t we, as members of the community, the ones who know best what services we need and how to provide them?
How astonishing it is to hear that IHA is not willing to listen to the voices of our community when it comes to senior care.
How arrogant it is to hear them say they will meet with the community to explain their decision but will not change the decision based on what they hear.
I think it’s time we put government back into its original role, where it supports the community to meet its own needs, rather than governing us according to its “one size fits all‚“ standards.
I’m referring, of course, to IHA’s decision to award the contract for assisted living to a company based in Cranbrook instead of to the facility owned by local citizen Rod Gustafson.
By rejecting Broadacres as not good enough for our seniors, IHA is telling us that government knows best.
By dismissing the voices of concerned citizens, IHA is alienating a group of people who could be strong allies in senior care. How have we allowed this to happen?
How did it get so turned around that civil servants hired to serve us have now become our masters?
What happened to the principle of subsidiarity which requires decisions to be made by those people most impacted by them?
The decision by IHA is outrageous and completely opposite to the original role of government in society.
I applaud the efforts of the newly formed citizens committee to address health care in our community and trust that IHA will come to these meetings to support local decisions.
As community citizens, we have the right and responsibility to expect nothing less.
Margaret Steele
Grand Forks