Detail from an Athenian black-figure clay vase, about 510 BC. Mus'e du Louvre, ParisToday's trivia question to prepare you for the “Clash of Civilizations”.
What was the Erymanthian Boar?
Click here and Scoll down to "Interests" for the answer.
I would like to nominate 2 local entities for the “Teats On A Boar Award”:
Terry Turner’s NewsHawk
The Starke Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees
The NewsHawk’s 12/20/06 front page story, ‘Roush “Guilty” in 2nd lab test cover-up trial’, gets my nomination for Teats On A Boar Award because of worthless reporting and for what was intentionally left out of the story. Terry Turner knows that the guilty party, Christina Rousch, is the daughter of Roger Braman. Terry Turner knows that Roger Braman, of the eponymous funeral home, is a member of the Starke Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees. THIS IS NEWS! Roger Braman’s daughter Christina Rousch was employed by the Starke Memorial Hospital. In her capacity as a lab technician Christina Rousch came into work on her day off and tried to cover up a felony Homicide. A public official gets his daughter hired (a clear case of nepotism) and the public official’s daughter is guilty of a horrible crime related to her employment. THIS IS NEWS! There is more. Mr. Braman asked the hospital to pay his daughter’s legal costs. THIS IS NEWS ! Someone in the law enforcement community gave Roger Braman advance notice of his daughter’s arrest. This allowed Christina a little extra time to evade the warrant to prepare for questioning. I should think that this matter is of interest to the Starke County Prosecutor and THIS IS NEWS! Because the Newshawk’s news coverage is so very deferential to those in power I think this newspaper is worthless as TEATS ON A BOAR. So the NewsHawk is my first nomination for the new Teats On A Boar Award.
Why is there such a thing as the Starke Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees? After all our hospital is leased to Lifepoint Hospitals, Inc. Lifepoint operates 52 hospitals nationwide LifePoint Hospitals is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol "LPNT." The local Board of Trustees has little or nothing to do. They are as worthless as TEATS ON A BOAR. According to Indiana Code 16-22-2 the Board of Trustees is entitled as follows: “Each governing board member may receive annual compensation not to exceed three thousand six hundred dollars ($3,600) with compensation to be fixed by the board.” (I don’t know but I’ll bet this board takes the maximum.) And “A board member may receive group health and life insurance benefits paid by the hospital. Health and life insurance benefits are not considered compensation.” (I don’t know but I’ll bet this board gets a nice insurance package.) And “A board member may attend meetings and seminars for the benefit of the hospital with the cost of the meetings and seminars paid by the hospital. A payment made by the hospital under this subsection to a board member is not considered compensation.” (I don’t know but I’ll bet this board gets some nice vacations.) The Starke Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees is as worthless as TEATS ON A BOAR. So they are my other nomination for the new Teats On A Boar Award.
The following email inquiry was sent to Brian Dietz - Chief Executive Officer Starke Memorial Hospital:
Please provide the following information.
Who are the members of the Starke County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees?
What are the duties of the Starke County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees?
What is their annual compensation?
Do they receive health insurance benefits?
If yes, what is the value of those benefits?
Does the Board of Trustees attend seminars and meetings at the expense of the hospital?
If yes, please list and describe these seminars and meetings, members in attendance, and the cost underwritten by the hospital.
Marian Cross
Author knoxindiana
http://knoxindiana.blogspot.com/
*Note:Some may spell it tits not teats. However a tit (short for titmouse) is a cute little bird. Illustrated below. I have never seen tits on a boar.
prior blog posted on this subject: Knox Blues, Part 1: Nepotism 101
1 comment:
This is news! I wish a REAL newspaper would come to town and do some investigative reporting and put the others out of business. I appreciate the things you write about. If some of these corrupt people with power had something to fear I think that they would be hesitant in some of the decisions they make. I know in a small town it would be hard not to have some family or friends applying for jobs that are in the same line of work. In the case of Harold Welter and Roger Braman it is totally different. It is not their family's fault because they are not even following in their profession. If Welter's family were all working in the investment business or Braman's in the funeral business it would be different. There is no need for the parents to be involved in the school or hospital board. Are they that worried that someone else will get a job and have to be in power to help them get hired? Do they need the extra $300 a month? Do they need the power and their family just happen to be in the line of work they chose? Are they on these boards to do the community a favor and help make morally correct decisions? I doubt the last question, they have already proved they can't do that.
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