Remember the TV show Truth or Consequences? Hosted by non other than Bob Barker. The show was a combination trivia game and stunt show. Contestants were asked silly questions and had to answer correctly before "Beulah the Buzzer" sounded. If they failed to give the "Truth," they had to face the "Consequences"-- usually a funny and embarrassing stunt.

I bet you did not know that the show was revived last Thursday evening at the Columbia Health board meeting located at the Public heath building on Gable Rd. St Helens. Although he public spoke the truth and still had to face the consequences, but the health board are the embarrassed ones. (Go to channel 2 news and see for yourself).

There were about 10 people who attended the meeting; they were all retired folks from the age 50 to over 80. People wanted to know why if there was no hospital project why the taxpayers were still paying for a spokesperson for the hospital project, that the district seemed to have a huge payroll for a project that was canceled. One question to the board was if they were going to stop the misleading statements being made by the hospital spokesperson that the people voted for a rural community hospital. False the voters voted for a critical access hospital a huge difference. The answer was a smirk from the chair Jay Tappan, letters from the board said that I and the rest of the girls who are running for the hospital board will shut public health down, I stated publicly once again that I was for public health and that they knew full well that public health was state mandated and that a new board could not do away with public health and it was a lie to tell the public otherwise. No statements came from the board that they would stop the misleading letters and comments in the local papers; again there were only smirks on their faces. Other statements I made was to address the point that the board wanted to reduce the tax to 6 or 8 cents per thousand, The people voted to stop the tax, I said that the board was running on either their egos, arrogance or ignorance. Things proceeded when finally I had enough, and I called bullshit to one of their continual lies.

This is where the consequences come in; the board made a motion to call an end to the meeting, they did and adjourned. Us old retired folks put a away a few of the chairs and then we shuffled out, when Karen Ladd came back and said the police have been called, I said so what, we haven't done anything and we continue to make way to outside of the building, they called 911 and said there was 10 unruly people at the meeting. At that point a county sheriff came, two state patrols and two city cars. The cops went into the building we chatted out by Gable Rd. one cop stopped and asked what happened we told him the truth that Tammy said bullshit and the next thing we knew they called the meeting and then said they had called the cops.

Nothing happened there are no police reports because there is nothing to report. All this was was a move of the health board to try and intimidate 10 senior citizens who wanted to know where 6 million dollars went and try and put a stop of the spending of more tax money when the hospital project was abandoned, but the board wants to continue to collect the money and spend it elsewhere and not where the original ballot measure said the funds were to go.

If having the cops called on us because we support the vote of 72% of the voters then I say I will continue to speak the TRUTH and take the Consequences here in River City USA.

I will attend the next health board meeting and I hope you do too. You need to address this board and let them know you are not happy with them, and you want ballot measure 5-209 enforced.

Next meeting Feb. 3, 2011 at 5:30 PM at the Public Health building located on Gable Rd right behind Safeway and across from the high school.