Dear Editor:
In Daniel Garcia’s letter about CALSTAR (The Dispatch, Thursday,
June 3), he talks about the taxpayer’s being
”
ripped off
”
by CALSTAR. Garcia is right about one thing; the taxpayer’s are
being ripped off, but not by CALSTAR.
Dear Editor:
In Daniel Garcia’s letter about CALSTAR (The Dispatch, Thursday, June 3), he talks about the taxpayer’s being “ripped off” by CALSTAR. Garcia is right about one thing; the taxpayer’s are being ripped off, but not by CALSTAR.
The taxpayer’s are being ripped off by people like Garcia who believe that everything, housing, food, transportation, medical care and yes, ambulance service, should be somehow free.
My response to Garcia is that if he was so concerned about the taxpayers’ getting ripped off, perhaps he should have refused medical care and refused the CALSTAR air ambulance service.
I will assume that Garcia’s comments are out of pure ignorance. CALSTAR is a “Not For Profit” 501(c)(3) private organization. That means that substantially all of the money generated by the provision of their service goes directly to cover the costs of equipment, pilots, mechanics, and flight nurses, etc.
Those of us who pay for medical insurance out of our own pockets, pay for people like Garcia who don’t pay for their own care. I must say it is quite refreshing however, that someone who is obviously taking free taxpayer paid services, is actually concerned about the cost of that service. A simple thank you would be nice.
I know of many lives that have been saved by CALSTAR.
Several years ago, a family I know had a terrible auto accident at Day and Monterey roads in Gilroy. The adult female in that accident had critical injuries. During the CALSTAR flight to the San Jose Medical Center’s Trauma Center, her heart stopped at least one time and was resuscitated. Thanks to God and CALSTAR’s ability to transport her inside the “Golden Hour” she survived and is now well.
On Memorial Day, CALSTAR was at Christmas Hill Park showing off their beautiful Bell 222 helicopter. They also had a booth there to provide information about their equipment, personnel and mission. They were also selling foundation memberships, $45 for individuals and $55 for your whole family.
One of the benefits of a membership is that CALSTAR will accept whatever your insurance pays for emergency transportation as payment in full. That, my friends, is a huge bargain. I joined on the spot. If you want to learn more about this excellent organization, on the Web, go to: www.calstar.org.
Mark Zappa, Gilroy
Submitted Friday, June 4 to ed****@****ic.com
