Hospital Board blasts proposed surgical center - 2004-01-18 Members of the Territorial Hospital Board spoke publicly against the planned privately owned ambulatory surgical center, saying that such a venture would deal a devastating financial blow to Schneider Hospital and the territory as a whole.
The board held its first meeting of the year Friday at Divi Carina Bay Casino and Resort, and during Finance Committee chairman Dr. Marc Jerome's report, he said permitting the development of a privately owned surgical center in the territory would leave the hospital solely with non-lucrative procedures to perform. Read the full story at Virgin Islands Daily News
Proposed gambling initiative wouldn't help state budget - 2004-01-18 A proposed ballot measure that could expand casino gambling in California would generate a minimum of $1 billion a year, but none of that would go to help decrease the state's massive budget deficit, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office.
The initiative targeted for the November ballot asks all of the state's Indian casinos to give 25 percent of their gross earnings to the state.
If any tribe refuses, a select group of horse racetracks and cardrooms would get to divide 30,000 slot machines. The tracks and card clubs would pay a 33 percent tax on their slot winnings. Read the full story at San Diego Union Tribune
