Maligned Texas Hospital Gives Top Dollar To Senate Dems

The New York Times:

One of the largest sources of campaign contributions to Senate Democrats during this year's health care debate is a physician-owned hospital in one of the country's poorest regions that has sought to soften measures that could choke its rapid growth.

Read the whole story: The New York Times

Comments

[txfriend]

Doctor's Hospital is the best hospital in that area. My mother spent her last months of her life there. The nurse to doctor ratio is the best I've seen in any hospital in most regions of the country. Yes, people still need to advocate for their loved ones in a hospital, but all the doctors were very respectful and were very professional- giving my mom the best medicine and care possible- we know, WE researched everything they gave her and everything they told us. We are lucky to have the resources to do so. What Mr. Cantu was referring to is that, that region, there are so many poor people, and yes they are typically democrats. They are latino and poor and taken for granted by the Dems- and so like any other issue with politicians, money talks and everything else walks. Cantu has lobbied for healthcare, education, infrastructure and jobs. He was very poor as a child and young adult and is not a blue-blood. I think the reason doctor owned hospitals began in the first place was because other hospitals cared about the bottom dollar only- they are run like insurance companies. I'm not saying there isn't a conflict of interest, but there is very noticable difference between Doctors Hospital at Renaissance and say McAllen Medical Center or Rio Grande Regional- the latter two horrid places to be interned.

[Budokan]

I live in Texas. EAT IT, you ratpig RepubliKans!

[LiberalDemIda]

Folks this is how it really works, it is the true reason why political parties want to be "in power". It's got nothing to do with getting legislation done for the American people using a majority or super-majority. It is about cold, hard cash for the coffers.

The party in power gets the most and they rake it in as fast as they possibly can before they eff it up to let the other party 'win" the next time, so they could get theirs. There's a reason why they're all chummy-chummy outside the Senate and House floors. "My dear friend from Nebraska" this, "My dear friend and colleague from Georgia" that.

At least now we know why the Senate Dems, after passing the magical 51 vote count, weren't all fired up to help Al Franken in his struggle against the GOP in Minnesota. They got their 51+ vote, the dollars started pouring in, mission accomplished.

Now they're doing everything possible to ensure a Repub comeback in 2010, because it's their turn again.

[lwfky]

I don't understand how this works. I'm a doctor, and every time I sign up as a new provider for insurance companies I have to sign a statement stating that I do not have ownership in any facility that I might send a patient to for care. I thought that this story about this town in Texas was a lie because I didn't see how the physicians could have been making money off over treating, but if they own the hospital, they do have a financial interest in overdoing. This stinks!

[mazaza]

Mr Cantu has contributed a quarter-million dollars to campaigns since 1995. That money surely did not go into new equipment for the hospital or free health care to the poor. They're buying politicians like they're buying TV commercials... Way to go !

[mcantwell]

Quote: "Mr. Cantu helped bundle hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He was the only private citizen invited to accompany Ms. Clinton, now secretary of state, to El Salvador in June for the inauguration of its new president.

He gave $2,300 to Mr. Obama last October, after Ms. Clinton had withdrawn from the race. But like others here, he is not pleased about the president’s depiction of health care in McAllen.

“What’s so upsetting,” he said, “is that to make his case he threw McAllen under the bus.”

[tokenconservative]

So Democrats are beholden to special interests. What's new?

[serindipity803]

All the greed in this country -is breath-taking. Who could know the depth and breadth of the corruption we are facing just to get our country on even keel? So much donation to crime and so many in the position of power to take that money and screw us, the citizens of the USA!

[cyndeewi]

The can give them what they want. We don't have to vote for them.