Trish. Yes the money for marketing has to come from some where. Either the township's budget or the shared services or outside grants, but I agree with you. We can't sacrifice absolutely essential services like Fire and EMS and the health center. We have to give them what they need, not blindly, but intelligently. We also have stop making mistakes that cost us money that we need for our future.
Brad
Candidate for Peaine Township Clerk
Moderator: Gillespie
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Trish Scott
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:05 pm
If Drummond has more residents, their millage level could be lower and still produce more revenue to fund emergency services, etc., there may be several differences between the two islands that affect their respective infrastructure costs. Drummond is one mile from the mainland as opposed to 32. Drummond's ferry runs year-round also. Students attend school on the mainland which lowers costs considerably, I am sure. Careful, detailed comparisons need to be made.
As a taxpayer, I would much rather see tax proceeds used to fund basic needs such as emergency services than used to fund marketing efforts.
As a taxpayer, I would much rather see tax proceeds used to fund basic needs such as emergency services than used to fund marketing efforts.
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sbsp
- Posts: 443
- Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:06 pm
- Location: Beaver Island, Kalamazoo, Fripp Island, SC
Ken -
You know the number of wasted tax dollars with no accountability or responsibility better than I do and the list is shocking. If those dollars had not been wasted, the Island would be able to fund emergency services, other services and market the Island for sustainable growth without a millage increase or services competing for tax dollars.
It might be very revealing for taxpayers to see a published list those wasted tax dollars, where the dollars went and who was responsible. Good information to know before election day.
Kirk D. McBride
You know the number of wasted tax dollars with no accountability or responsibility better than I do and the list is shocking. If those dollars had not been wasted, the Island would be able to fund emergency services, other services and market the Island for sustainable growth without a millage increase or services competing for tax dollars.
It might be very revealing for taxpayers to see a published list those wasted tax dollars, where the dollars went and who was responsible. Good information to know before election day.
Kirk D. McBride
Last edited by sbsp on Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jlafreniere
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:01 pm
- Location: Beaver Island
Sorry I could not respond sooner I was at more mandatory training, looked for more way to cut back but of the 11people there for two hours no one was paid, I suppose we could have pushed the ambulance to save the $10 in fuel.
Comparing Beaver Island and Drummond Island
boat ride for ambulance $5000 the only time it was possible Vs, Appx. $20 round trip available to EMS 27/7 year around 10 min ride. They did fly one person off several years ago but had been to long ago to be sure when.
Beaver Island EMS, Advance Life Support. Drummond Island, Basic Life Support
Dose not sound the same to me.
Not sure about health center on Drummond Island but if your only minutes way from mainland I would be willing to bet there missions are different.
Comparing Beaver Island and Drummond Island
boat ride for ambulance $5000 the only time it was possible Vs, Appx. $20 round trip available to EMS 27/7 year around 10 min ride. They did fly one person off several years ago but had been to long ago to be sure when.
Beaver Island EMS, Advance Life Support. Drummond Island, Basic Life Support
Dose not sound the same to me.
Not sure about health center on Drummond Island but if your only minutes way from mainland I would be willing to bet there missions are different.
Gerald Lafreniere
The whole point in pointing out other situations is to try and learn from others to make our situation better. Here is another situation that has Advanced Life Support situations where patients are heli-ported off Washington Island
http://washingtonisland-wi.com/ems-on-w ... or-county/
Here is the whole island budget, they are a little smaller than us in geography but from their budget it appears that a strong emphasis on recreation exists
http://www.washingtonisland-wi.gov/uplo ... -09-13.pdf
Very nice community website too!!
http://washingtonisland-wi.com/
http://washingtonisland-wi.com/ems-on-w ... or-county/
Here is the whole island budget, they are a little smaller than us in geography but from their budget it appears that a strong emphasis on recreation exists
http://www.washingtonisland-wi.gov/uplo ... -09-13.pdf
Very nice community website too!!
http://washingtonisland-wi.com/
Krys you sure did a great job on Peaine Townships website. When comparing the two townships websites side by side it is pretty stunning how superior ours is as a result of you hard work as administrator. It is very important for all of us to have free and easy access to all data and information pertaining to our local governments and other tax funded entities here on the Island.
Krys's work
http://www.charlevoixcounty.org/peainetwp.asp
and St James
http://www.charlevoixcounty.org/stjames.asp
Great job Krys!
Krys's work
http://www.charlevoixcounty.org/peainetwp.asp
and St James
http://www.charlevoixcounty.org/stjames.asp
Great job Krys!
AE Wirth
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sbsp
- Posts: 443
- Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:06 pm
- Location: Beaver Island, Kalamazoo, Fripp Island, SC
Ken -
Thank you! You are correct that the thread started out with the qualifications of an excellent candidate for Peaine Township Board but then shifted to EMS funding and costs. The Island is fortunate to have such a dedicated EMS team to support in times of critical health issues. I would never have anything but praise for the EMS, having been a recipient of their services.
My point, to be perfectly clear, is that there have been so many wasted tax dollars as a result of bad or negligent decisions. Tax dollars that could have been used for Island services to include additional assistance to the EMS. I'm sure everyone can think of a better use for the $324,000 that was wasted. I know that the EMS could use it. The Island should not be put in a position having to cut or limit EMS funding and support. Jeff is correct that searching for best demonstrated examples of providing services in relation to cost should always be explored.
It's time for a change and I'm encouraged to see new and concerned citizens running for public office. That was the original purpose of this posted thread. We need accountability and responsibility by everyone in public office.
Kirk D. McBride
Thank you! You are correct that the thread started out with the qualifications of an excellent candidate for Peaine Township Board but then shifted to EMS funding and costs. The Island is fortunate to have such a dedicated EMS team to support in times of critical health issues. I would never have anything but praise for the EMS, having been a recipient of their services.
My point, to be perfectly clear, is that there have been so many wasted tax dollars as a result of bad or negligent decisions. Tax dollars that could have been used for Island services to include additional assistance to the EMS. I'm sure everyone can think of a better use for the $324,000 that was wasted. I know that the EMS could use it. The Island should not be put in a position having to cut or limit EMS funding and support. Jeff is correct that searching for best demonstrated examples of providing services in relation to cost should always be explored.
It's time for a change and I'm encouraged to see new and concerned citizens running for public office. That was the original purpose of this posted thread. We need accountability and responsibility by everyone in public office.
Kirk D. McBride
Really Interested in this topic
Just a few facts here and a few questions. Do any of you think that BIEMS hasn't already investigated EMS on other islands to compare? Do any of you think that the experience of twenty-five years of EMS on Beaver Island means anything?
If you are truly interested in finding out about this, then you should ask those that have done the investigation and not just throw things out there in sound bites or links to agencies that you truly know nothing about. Washington Island has only the lowest national level of EMS stationed on their island, first responder. Washington Island gets its advanced life support services flown in to their airport to pick up the patient. Some of us have visited their medical center, talked to their residents, and spent some time figuring out why their system wouldn't work on Beaver Island. We did this years ago, and then we worked to become the level of service that Beaver Island needed then and needs now.
Beaver Island is the most remote inhabited island in the Great Lakes. We visited most of the inhabited islands in Northern Michigan. Those that we couldn't visit, we talked to those who provided the services on those islands. We determined almost fifteen years ago now that this island needed advanced life support, and we worked to get the agency equipped, the EMS personnel trained, and the vehicles prepared for Advanced Life Support. This included more than 1000 hours of education for volunteers with 250 hours of clinical in off-Island clinical sites. These volunteers raised the money for this education, managed the money for these purposes, and successfully completed these programs at 100% pass rate. This dream of advanced life support became reality in 2000 when the community greeted the successful paramedics at Welke Airport with a very special Beaver Island Welcome Home.
BIEMS responds to every emergency call on Beaver Island including fire calls and soccer games. They respond about 100-110 times per year. Some patients are transported to the BIRHC and some are transported off the island.
This agency has been run on a shoe-string very lean budget for years and it is still running on a shoestring budget. For those that don't know, Beaver Island EMS had to begin paying people during the summer season because all of the volunteers needed to work during the summer to be able to stay here. Most employers during the summer months wouldn't allow these dedicated individuals to walk out of their business to respond to the emergencies at any moment. In 2000, we started paying people gas money to respond and a below minimum wage amount for being available for 24 hour shifts of coverage in the amount of $2.16 per hour. Over the twelve years these dedicated people have seen their wages doubled for ten weeks in the summer to $4.33 per hour. There has been no increase from this sub-minimum-wage page since its inception. So, you can see that they are overpaid?
Throughout these twelve years, BIEMS has had to increase the amount of administration of the business side to meet federal, state, and local requirements including Medicare, Medicaid, and State of Michigan changing EMS requirements. In order to keep up with these requirements certain parts had to be hired to be completed. Why did BIEMS hire a billing company? This was done because there was no way to complete these same mentioned requirements without spending even more and more hours of completely volunteer time, and no one could continue to keep up with the changing requirements or the recertification requirements for this billing. The current program to become certified to do this billing certification is in the neighborhood of $2500 plus time away from family and home. Why would someone do this as a volunteer? Do you think anyone would do this billing work for $4.33 per hour? Of course not!
BIEMS has employed a management company to help meet these above mentioned requirements of bookkeeping. BIEMS has hired a billing company that bills for the largest volume EMS agency in the state, the smallest volume EMS agency in the state, and several air ambulance agencies in the state. Why would BIEMS not go to those who are experienced in billing and in accounting procedures to meet these requirements?
Because BIEMS was providing the highest, most professional, advanced life support, the patients, who are residents or visitors to the island, have benefited from advanced levels of patient assessment and advanced levels of patient treatment. Because BIEMS is at this advanced level, EMS personnel can work alongside BIRHC providers to help compliment the emergency services on Beaver Island when help is needed or when the patient can't be transported.
The major difference between Beaver Island and all the other inhabited islands in the northern Great Lakes is that the weather doesn't prevent emergent transport of patients on those other islands. Contact the people providing the service on those other islands and sit down and talk to them. Have they ever had responsibility for a patient for more than 12-24 hours because they could not transport a patient due to weather? Have they ever had to relocate a dislocated shoulder with conscious sedation of the patient with the doctor providing instruction over the phone because the patient couldn't be transported? This simply isn't going to happen on Drummond or Washington or St. Joseph Islands. Why? Because these have the ability to transport their patients no matter what the weather is. Delayed transport to them means waiting an hour for the ferry to run.
Beaver Island EMS has always paid for the training for the volunteers that volunteer the time to be trained, volunteer the off-island clinical time, and volunteer to help their friends and neighbors. This last training for needed replacement paramedics has cost these two individuals approximately $20,000 in total. Why? Because the State of Michigan has changed the requirements of advanced life support paramedics. To be educated to this advanced level, the candidate must attend a State of Michigan certified program at a two year college or at a two year hospital program. When Beaver Island EMS was paying the instructor and able to offer the programs right here on Beaver Island, the Island had a right to ask these people to stay on the Island and provide services. So I will ask you this simple question: If you had invested $10,000 and more than 1500 hours of time out of your life, would you agree to volunteer or work for $4.33 per hour on Beaver Island if you knew that you could work for three to four times that amount on the mainland? Why would you stay?
There are many statements being made about the need to provide jobs on Beaver Island for the younger group of Islanders. Do you think cutting the pay or making negative comments about their volunteer organization or implying in some way that the organization has been mismanaged is going to keep these two people here on Beaver Island? Do you think throwing out website links and other island's information in a sound bite type of forum will help keep these two people here working for below minimum wage?
Here is a message for all of those who running, speaking without knowledge, and basically trying to tear apart a volunteer organization that took twenty-five years to build. This twenty-five year veteran of BIEMS wants to sit down and talk to you one on one about what ideas you have, what methods you suggest, and what changes you think need to be done. Unless you make more uneducated comments about BIEMS, I, for one, am done writing on this forum, trying to inform the uninformed and getting more angry with every minute.
When you are willing to get educated about BIEMS, give me a call. After all, I am the one that has the most knowledge of the history and the accomplishments of Beaver Island EMS over the last twenty-five years. In this case, experience is important, and should not be ignored. My phone number is 448-2416. My email is: medic5740@yahoo.com My address is: P.O. Box 50, Beaver Island, Michigan 49782. Oh, and by the way, until these two new paramedics are licensed, you will be quite likely to have me in charge of your emergency when you call for help. Maybe then you will appreciate the experience.
I believe Gerald asked a question in his post of Krys Lyle. It remains unanswered by her. I, for one, would like to hear her answer.
Joe Moore
EMT-P/IC, ACLS, PALS, PEPP, BLS, BA, AHA and Academy of Pediatrics certified, State of Michigan licensed and instructor of these additional education requirements.
Retired BICS teacher, paramedic, paramedic instructor, and twenty-five year veteran of BIEMS' emergencies.
If you are truly interested in finding out about this, then you should ask those that have done the investigation and not just throw things out there in sound bites or links to agencies that you truly know nothing about. Washington Island has only the lowest national level of EMS stationed on their island, first responder. Washington Island gets its advanced life support services flown in to their airport to pick up the patient. Some of us have visited their medical center, talked to their residents, and spent some time figuring out why their system wouldn't work on Beaver Island. We did this years ago, and then we worked to become the level of service that Beaver Island needed then and needs now.
Beaver Island is the most remote inhabited island in the Great Lakes. We visited most of the inhabited islands in Northern Michigan. Those that we couldn't visit, we talked to those who provided the services on those islands. We determined almost fifteen years ago now that this island needed advanced life support, and we worked to get the agency equipped, the EMS personnel trained, and the vehicles prepared for Advanced Life Support. This included more than 1000 hours of education for volunteers with 250 hours of clinical in off-Island clinical sites. These volunteers raised the money for this education, managed the money for these purposes, and successfully completed these programs at 100% pass rate. This dream of advanced life support became reality in 2000 when the community greeted the successful paramedics at Welke Airport with a very special Beaver Island Welcome Home.
BIEMS responds to every emergency call on Beaver Island including fire calls and soccer games. They respond about 100-110 times per year. Some patients are transported to the BIRHC and some are transported off the island.
This agency has been run on a shoe-string very lean budget for years and it is still running on a shoestring budget. For those that don't know, Beaver Island EMS had to begin paying people during the summer season because all of the volunteers needed to work during the summer to be able to stay here. Most employers during the summer months wouldn't allow these dedicated individuals to walk out of their business to respond to the emergencies at any moment. In 2000, we started paying people gas money to respond and a below minimum wage amount for being available for 24 hour shifts of coverage in the amount of $2.16 per hour. Over the twelve years these dedicated people have seen their wages doubled for ten weeks in the summer to $4.33 per hour. There has been no increase from this sub-minimum-wage page since its inception. So, you can see that they are overpaid?
Throughout these twelve years, BIEMS has had to increase the amount of administration of the business side to meet federal, state, and local requirements including Medicare, Medicaid, and State of Michigan changing EMS requirements. In order to keep up with these requirements certain parts had to be hired to be completed. Why did BIEMS hire a billing company? This was done because there was no way to complete these same mentioned requirements without spending even more and more hours of completely volunteer time, and no one could continue to keep up with the changing requirements or the recertification requirements for this billing. The current program to become certified to do this billing certification is in the neighborhood of $2500 plus time away from family and home. Why would someone do this as a volunteer? Do you think anyone would do this billing work for $4.33 per hour? Of course not!
BIEMS has employed a management company to help meet these above mentioned requirements of bookkeeping. BIEMS has hired a billing company that bills for the largest volume EMS agency in the state, the smallest volume EMS agency in the state, and several air ambulance agencies in the state. Why would BIEMS not go to those who are experienced in billing and in accounting procedures to meet these requirements?
Because BIEMS was providing the highest, most professional, advanced life support, the patients, who are residents or visitors to the island, have benefited from advanced levels of patient assessment and advanced levels of patient treatment. Because BIEMS is at this advanced level, EMS personnel can work alongside BIRHC providers to help compliment the emergency services on Beaver Island when help is needed or when the patient can't be transported.
The major difference between Beaver Island and all the other inhabited islands in the northern Great Lakes is that the weather doesn't prevent emergent transport of patients on those other islands. Contact the people providing the service on those other islands and sit down and talk to them. Have they ever had responsibility for a patient for more than 12-24 hours because they could not transport a patient due to weather? Have they ever had to relocate a dislocated shoulder with conscious sedation of the patient with the doctor providing instruction over the phone because the patient couldn't be transported? This simply isn't going to happen on Drummond or Washington or St. Joseph Islands. Why? Because these have the ability to transport their patients no matter what the weather is. Delayed transport to them means waiting an hour for the ferry to run.
Beaver Island EMS has always paid for the training for the volunteers that volunteer the time to be trained, volunteer the off-island clinical time, and volunteer to help their friends and neighbors. This last training for needed replacement paramedics has cost these two individuals approximately $20,000 in total. Why? Because the State of Michigan has changed the requirements of advanced life support paramedics. To be educated to this advanced level, the candidate must attend a State of Michigan certified program at a two year college or at a two year hospital program. When Beaver Island EMS was paying the instructor and able to offer the programs right here on Beaver Island, the Island had a right to ask these people to stay on the Island and provide services. So I will ask you this simple question: If you had invested $10,000 and more than 1500 hours of time out of your life, would you agree to volunteer or work for $4.33 per hour on Beaver Island if you knew that you could work for three to four times that amount on the mainland? Why would you stay?
There are many statements being made about the need to provide jobs on Beaver Island for the younger group of Islanders. Do you think cutting the pay or making negative comments about their volunteer organization or implying in some way that the organization has been mismanaged is going to keep these two people here on Beaver Island? Do you think throwing out website links and other island's information in a sound bite type of forum will help keep these two people here working for below minimum wage?
Here is a message for all of those who running, speaking without knowledge, and basically trying to tear apart a volunteer organization that took twenty-five years to build. This twenty-five year veteran of BIEMS wants to sit down and talk to you one on one about what ideas you have, what methods you suggest, and what changes you think need to be done. Unless you make more uneducated comments about BIEMS, I, for one, am done writing on this forum, trying to inform the uninformed and getting more angry with every minute.
When you are willing to get educated about BIEMS, give me a call. After all, I am the one that has the most knowledge of the history and the accomplishments of Beaver Island EMS over the last twenty-five years. In this case, experience is important, and should not be ignored. My phone number is 448-2416. My email is: medic5740@yahoo.com My address is: P.O. Box 50, Beaver Island, Michigan 49782. Oh, and by the way, until these two new paramedics are licensed, you will be quite likely to have me in charge of your emergency when you call for help. Maybe then you will appreciate the experience.
I believe Gerald asked a question in his post of Krys Lyle. It remains unanswered by her. I, for one, would like to hear her answer.
Joe Moore
EMT-P/IC, ACLS, PALS, PEPP, BLS, BA, AHA and Academy of Pediatrics certified, State of Michigan licensed and instructor of these additional education requirements.
Retired BICS teacher, paramedic, paramedic instructor, and twenty-five year veteran of BIEMS' emergencies.
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sbsp
- Posts: 443
- Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:06 pm
- Location: Beaver Island, Kalamazoo, Fripp Island, SC
Joe -
Your first question: NO, my point was that we can all learn from best demonstrated practices on a continuous basis, not that the EMS hasn't.
Your second question: YES, experience counts and both your professional service to the Island and years of service are appreciated by me.
Kirk D. McBride
Your first question: NO, my point was that we can all learn from best demonstrated practices on a continuous basis, not that the EMS hasn't.
Your second question: YES, experience counts and both your professional service to the Island and years of service are appreciated by me.
Kirk D. McBride
Joe, We are lucky to have you and everyone else in EMS looking out for us. I don't think you are over funded, but you made a comment at a township meeting that got me thinking. It was that EMS sets their budget based on the mileage. I'd rather see EMS determine their needs, present it to the townships in a joint meeting and the townships set the mileage according the needs of EMS. Put the horse back in front of the cart.
Brad
Brad
Reply to Gerald
Hello Jerry,
Thank you for your much needed and appreciated service to the Beaver Island community and with your passion and concern for EMS and itsâ?? viability. Our fire department must also be counted at the top of the list of necessary services to the Island.
No one is suggesting we cut Fire or EMSâ?? budgets.
You express that EMSâ?? budget is inadequate, has that been discussed with St. James and Peaine Township? No one would disagree that EMS and Fire are basic essential services. Iâ??m surprised that this has not been discussed at township meetings since the budgets of both townships were passed in September. As I understand it, Peaine and St. James Township share the cost of our EMS service on a 50-50 basis. St. James sets the millage rates that determine how many tax dollars will be contributed by both townships to support EMS services. Traditionally, by agreement, Peaine then matches whatever is requested.
I feel it is incumbent on all township officials to examine budget spending from all the shared township entities. This should be presented in joint township meetings with Peaine and St. James Townships present as stakeholders along with all relevant parties in the discussions where millage benchmarks are being established. As it stands historically and presently, budgets are set by St. James Township and then sent to Peaine to be matched. There should be responsible oversight that usually results in savings to both townships. This savings can then passed on to our taxpayers.
I would also like to say thank you to all who have such passion for this community and have taken the time to express your opinions and concerns. I am encouraged with the dialogue and if elected, I pledge to bring together all interested parties so that we can all come together with decorum to discuss the many concerns relevant to island life and make the best decisions for our community. Cooperation is the essential element that has been missing. I am hopeful we can all join in and work together for the common good of everyone.
On a personal note, I have the highest regard for Joe and his team when I dislocated my elbow on the tennis court a few years ago. In the fog of pain I was impressed by the professionalism and efficiency of all those who saw me through the ordeal. I will always be grateful for your service to this community.
Thank you for your much needed and appreciated service to the Beaver Island community and with your passion and concern for EMS and itsâ?? viability. Our fire department must also be counted at the top of the list of necessary services to the Island.
No one is suggesting we cut Fire or EMSâ?? budgets.
You express that EMSâ?? budget is inadequate, has that been discussed with St. James and Peaine Township? No one would disagree that EMS and Fire are basic essential services. Iâ??m surprised that this has not been discussed at township meetings since the budgets of both townships were passed in September. As I understand it, Peaine and St. James Township share the cost of our EMS service on a 50-50 basis. St. James sets the millage rates that determine how many tax dollars will be contributed by both townships to support EMS services. Traditionally, by agreement, Peaine then matches whatever is requested.
I feel it is incumbent on all township officials to examine budget spending from all the shared township entities. This should be presented in joint township meetings with Peaine and St. James Townships present as stakeholders along with all relevant parties in the discussions where millage benchmarks are being established. As it stands historically and presently, budgets are set by St. James Township and then sent to Peaine to be matched. There should be responsible oversight that usually results in savings to both townships. This savings can then passed on to our taxpayers.
I would also like to say thank you to all who have such passion for this community and have taken the time to express your opinions and concerns. I am encouraged with the dialogue and if elected, I pledge to bring together all interested parties so that we can all come together with decorum to discuss the many concerns relevant to island life and make the best decisions for our community. Cooperation is the essential element that has been missing. I am hopeful we can all join in and work together for the common good of everyone.
On a personal note, I have the highest regard for Joe and his team when I dislocated my elbow on the tennis court a few years ago. In the fog of pain I was impressed by the professionalism and efficiency of all those who saw me through the ordeal. I will always be grateful for your service to this community.
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Trish Scott
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:05 pm
Thank you Joe Moore for your invaluable input. Your leadership is integral to the health and well being of every resident and visitor. Bless you for all you have done and co tinue to do for all of us.
The idea to prepare a budget to meet the needs of emergency services rather than live what is given seems basic. Can't imagine it hasn't already been tried.
I, for one taxpayer, would wholeheartedly support the reimbursement of tuition for successful new paramedics based on years of service to B.I. For example, for every year they serve as paramedics on the island, a percentage of the tuition is reimbursed, with full reimbursement within five years say. All past paramedics have had their tuition paid before they completed their studies. Perhaps a compromise to reimburse tuition based on years of service makes
sense. The personal sacrifices made during the year-long study and internship on the mainland cannot be fully compensated, but reimbursing tuition makes great business sense as you have an incentive to retain this talent, Student loans are never forgiven, even if someone declares bankruptcy. Let's not force our paramedics to leave in order to pay their student loan debt. With the pay scale being discussed, it doesn't appear that a paramedic on B.I. can afford to repay their loans. I hope I am wrong.
They have my full support as they approach their final exams. God speed to them. ( for our sakes). Peace Out!!
The idea to prepare a budget to meet the needs of emergency services rather than live what is given seems basic. Can't imagine it hasn't already been tried.
I, for one taxpayer, would wholeheartedly support the reimbursement of tuition for successful new paramedics based on years of service to B.I. For example, for every year they serve as paramedics on the island, a percentage of the tuition is reimbursed, with full reimbursement within five years say. All past paramedics have had their tuition paid before they completed their studies. Perhaps a compromise to reimburse tuition based on years of service makes
sense. The personal sacrifices made during the year-long study and internship on the mainland cannot be fully compensated, but reimbursing tuition makes great business sense as you have an incentive to retain this talent, Student loans are never forgiven, even if someone declares bankruptcy. Let's not force our paramedics to leave in order to pay their student loan debt. With the pay scale being discussed, it doesn't appear that a paramedic on B.I. can afford to repay their loans. I hope I am wrong.
They have my full support as they approach their final exams. God speed to them. ( for our sakes). Peace Out!!
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Jlafreniere
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:01 pm
- Location: Beaver Island
The two townships have agreed to split the costs equally. When St. James had a higher assessed value they paid less per person. Now Paine has a higher assessed value so they pay less per person. A bigger issue is actually looking at what all the shared services , EMS, Fire, Health center, transfer station and airport, really require to do their jobs and setting the mileage in each township to meet the needs. In some ways I do think that each tax payer on the island should pay the same for the shared services, but that's a difficult proposition to get Peaine tax payers to pay more unless we can reduce taxes over all.