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Incumbents, candidates oppose plan for hospital
They cite effects of a prison facility on the community
STORY TOOLS 
More from CamarilloMembers of the political arena participated in the Prison Hospital Action Committee's meeting Thursday, talking to about 100 people at the Ventura County Office of Education's Camarillo conference center. The community organization opposes the construction of a prison hospital near Camarillo.
Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long, 37th Assembly District candidate Ferial Masry and representatives of Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley; Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Moorpark; 19th District Senate candidate Hannah-Beth Jackson, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., were present.
The committee formed after federal receiver J. Clark Kelso announced his intention to build a 1,500-bed hospital for physically and mentally ill inmates at the current site of the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility.
The hospital is part of a plan to build seven facilities around the state to address the healthcare needs of inmates.
A federal court ruled that the quality of care currently given to inmates is so poor that it violates their constitutional rights, and Kelso is charged with carrying out a court order to bring the system up to standards.
Thursday's meeting began with Gerald Arcuri, vice president of the Hospital Association of Southern California; Camarillo City Manager Jerry Bankston; Prudential California Realty owner Bob Majorino, and CSU Channel Islands President Emeritus Handel Evans speaking about potential effects the prison hospital could have on the community.
Then Masry spoke, linking the problems in the prison system to the quality of education currently offered in California's schools.
Rondi Guthrie, district director for Strickland, told the audience Strickland intends to oppose bills that would fund the receiver's project.
She also said Strickland is working on an amendment to one such bill that would require the current Ventura County Youth Facility to be dropped from Kelso's list of prison hospital sites before the funds would be made available.
Brian Miller, district chief of staff for Gallegly, and Sandra Sanchez, a consultant on Jackson's staff, said the two also oppose construction of the prison hospital. Molly O'Brien, a representative from Feinstein's office, was present but did not speak.
Long spoke last, telling committee members their letter-writing and other campaigns could make a difference.
"I think (Kelso) is feeling that pressure," she said. "I think the pressure is going to serve all of us well."
Posted by JohnAlamillo on August 23, 2008 at 5:33 a.m.
(This thread was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by Rob_Dawg on August 23, 2008 at 8:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Rules of this forum: "You agree not to post comments that are off topic,..."
Where is the Star moderator?
Posted by cassandra2 on August 23, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As a compromise, how about north Ventura Avenue taking the hospital and Camarillo taking our traffic blocking, polluting, smelly oil industry?
Posted by KatieTeague on August 23, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Rob_Dawg, the hospital issue is a bit of a political smokescreen that all the candidates are hanging their hats on right now so why not through in another political issue?
The hospital issue should have been addressed years ago by our elected officials. Instead they focused on the Unification issue.
Posted by THESILKY1 on August 23, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How do you get 8 billion dollars to build prisons, when the State of California can't balance a budget with a 16 billion dollar shortfall (a fiscal nightmare mess)?
Well it's simple, we go to the folks in Sacramento and have them vote on a SB/AB bond measure to cover the 8 billion.
What does this cost the tax payer in the long run, well thats simple too? We the people, will pay off this bond over the next 30 years at the highest interest rate because we are so in debt and our dollar is worth nothing. Our 8 billion dollars now cost us double with taxes and interest. This is what we do when the State has no money, and everyone wonders why we are always broke, having an increased budget and a continuous shortfalls in the State's budget. This is really getting old.
How about this if you don't have the money, don't
spend it, and you will simply be amazed as to how much the State's broken budget and debt will decrease.
Think before you spend.
8 billion dollars would fund every child in this state with health-care insurance and education, so they do not end up in the system costing us $250,000 a year.
Follow the money!
The Silky one..........................
Posted by ironwoman on August 23, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This prison hospital proposal is not a hospital at all. The Receiver visions this more as a "skilled nursing facililty". NO medical procedures and no surgeries will be done at this "hospital". Therefore, the inmates will be transported to our local hospitals to have their procedures done.
Another FACT is the prison will need more like
3000 staff rather than 1200, as the Receiver first claimed. In a plan he recently revised in Stockton, the staffing pattern will rise to over 3000 and the inmate population to 1700, not 1500.
Camarillo is a nice City and the people in Sterling Hills, Spanish Hills, Las Posas Estates and other surrounding neighborhoods have worked hard for their homes and want a better environment for their kids.
Besides, isn't California is a serious budget crisis? 15 Billion dollars in debt. What sense is that to give convicted felons this kind of treatment when our school system and social welfare system is in need?
It will also cost California Taxpayers 640 million dollars per year for the next 25 years to pay this debt back for these prison hospitals.
Just some facts.
Posted by Rob_Dawg on August 23, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Rob_Dawg, the hospital issue is a bit of a political smokescreen that all the candidates are hanging their hats on right now so why not through in another political issue?"
No, quite the opposite. The violent inmate prison is a central issue of governance. The City of Camarillo and other municipal and State bureaucracies have been running roughshod over individual and property rights for so long that they know just how easy it is ti pervert the rule of law and representative democracy. Like it or not we are supposed to rely on politicians to reign in these abuses. This is politicos doing their most important job.
Posted by BigJake on August 23, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is news? The politicos lining up against the project, playing to the proletariat masses, in an election year?
Posted by BigJake on August 23, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Did I say "playing"? I meant "pandering".
Posted by JohnAlamillo on August 23, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cat and Katie-
The timing of Kelso's announcement has played well for those up for election.
The communities on the Oxnard plain and in all of Ventura county should rally against this proposal as well as the unification of Camarillo/Somis schools and their succession from the long standing high school district. Vote 'NO on MEASURE U.
Posted by THESILKY1 on August 23, 2008 at 7:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope the budget passes before Clark's so called hearing takes place in Sacramento. This would be a good thing, so when the Receiver does go to court there will be no money budgeted for Clark this fiscal year.
Next after Clark squeeels like a --- in the hearing and shows his might, he will be told the State has no money, and then in November there will hopefully be a new Administration in place and King Fed Judge will be fired for all the national attention this issue is bringing up.....
Either way I don't care one ioda about these folks. I have never seen in my career such a group of snibblers, when it comes to Clark and his Daddy T Henderson. I have never seen anybody in State Government getting away with what Clark Keslo is doing with the State's tax dollars. The checks and balances, and fiscal oversight is nonexistent.
Posted by capt_jack on August 23, 2008 at 7:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm trying to figure out how the heck these judges are to order this on taxpayers....let's start writing him letters to tell him that he's lost his mind.
Posted by THESILKY1 on August 23, 2008 at 9:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jack,
To answer your question there has been nothing like this in the history of California's Government.
A Federal Judge appoints a Federal Receiver who's salary is paid for with California's tax dollars. I guess you can call Clark a State Employee with clout backed by a Federal Judge and to include his 30 plus support staff.
As for the 7 proposed prisons they too, will be bought and paid for with California's tax Dollars right out of the budget.
So I guess Thelton Henderson the Federal Judge in the Ninth Circut now controlls the
State's Budget.
You are right this is crazy. I think those in the State Senate and Assembly alike, do not like the thought of the Judge and Clark controlling their money, which is our money by way of taxes. I do not like them having a blank check to the states budget without any fiscal oversight.
Where is the Atty. General, Inspector General, Audits, Finance, LAO, and the rest of the State's watch dogs?
The Silky one.......
Posted by THESILKY1 on August 23, 2008 at 9:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
P/S as I stated before, this new proposed prison will be over 2500 hundred beds, when it is all said and done.
Any of you nay-sayers on this one. I noticed at the meeting the population of this new prison seems to be climbing everyday.
Clark make it 5000 beds it sounds more becoming.....
The Silk.................
Posted by Angelito on August 26, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pretty soon it will be 150,000 beds and 1 million staff to care for the ill if we listen to the lies of the Prison Hospital Action Committe. They are just scaring the people with their lies. Prisons are very safe places for the community due to the severe security measures they take. They also provide rich tax revenues to local cities. this is on top of the excellent wages and benefits they give the local community.
Of course the rich and snubby people will find a way to complain about they back yards, their views, their lifestyle, etc....just look at paris hilton, and how immature her brain is and then you will understand the mentality of the herd of camarillo's PHAC. all it boils down is not in my back yard, because my house is worth millions of dollars, and it will block my view of the mountains. give me a break!!! time to focus on more altruist things, rather than superficial problems.
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