The Bully's at it again - Gov. Markell goes after another board ...

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, health board at odds over proposed hospital

He supports an $18.5 million Middletown facility, but a review group recommends it be rejected

Good God Jack! 

Let's talk any random market:  Take Housing:  The housing market has a glut of homes that aren't selling.  Builders are still building.  And homeowners are ending up in short sale or foreclosure at record rates.  Real Estate agents are out of work.  Mortgage offices have down-sized or closed.

Now let's talk the healthcare markert:  Delaware has a system that requires that a major medical facility receive a certificate of need before it can be built.  It's pretty straight forward.  If an area doesn't warrant "need" permission for construction/operation is not granted.  What constitutes need?  The Delaware Health Resources Board has been entrusted with the duty of verifying "need."  The committee assigned with assessing a recommendation for the greater board has not verified a need for the proposed facility even though the project would create temporary construction jobs and approx. 80 employment positions.

What happens when facilities are built where there is no discernable need?  Let's see? The type of healthcare facility proposed would likely accept health insurance and medicare/medicaid.  It would draw patients/residents from nearby facilities that already have open beds.  A gluttony of beds creates instability.  When a facility has a low census or patient population, employees work fewer hours. Sometimes employees are laid-off.  Regardless, fewer hours mean less pay per period, meaning less consumerism.  Employees that are under-employed run greater risks of being unable to provide for their families.  Employees would be forced to seek other employment options, perhaps jumping ship into one of those new 80 positions.  Since the census at their previous facilities would be lower, those positions are likely to remain unfilled/unneeded.

Jack - for all the political maneuvering you've injected into the process that you've deeply tainted, you will fail to create 80 new jobs.  In all likelihood, those 80 positions will simply be uprooted and transplanted into the new facility from other previously operating facilities.  That's not job growth.

And lest you are forgetful, in the last two decades, healthcare facilities have closed.  They have been unable to stay afloat financially.  I am reminded of a Wilmington nursing home run by the former-PUMH that closed in 2000.  When the market is diluted, closure happens.  Look at schools across the nation.  You'll find some shells that once housed learning and academics.

Here's an idea:  Jack, stop running your next campaign and start running the state's government.  It's time.