Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Voter's Guide

Proposition 3, or the Children's Hospital Bond Act of 2008, would authorize the state to sell $980 million in bonds. The money the state raises must be used to fund the construction, expansion, remodeling, furnishing and equipping of the state's children's hospitals. According to the California Secretary of State, 80 percent of this money will go to hospitals that focus on children with life-threatening illnesses, such as leukemia, cancer, heart defects, diabetes, sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis. Twenty percent would go to general acute care hospitals in the University of California system. The California Secretary of State's office estimates that the bill would cost California about $2 billion dollars over the next 30 years, with payments of about $64 million a year to pay off the principal and interest.

John Galbraith, director of communications for the California Children's Hospital Association:

"Proposition 3 is a sound investment in our children's future. Children's hospitals provide critically important specialized care not available anywhere else, and the number of children needing care is growing, but the space and the equipment to treat them are not," he said. "All the children's hospitals around the state are operating at capacity, and without additional investment, they will not be able to keep up with the needs of these special kids."

Ted Costa, chief executive officer of the People's Advocate, one of the groups opposed to Proposition 3:

"The money doesn't go to children's hospitals; it just goes to hospitals, because by the definition of children's hospital, anyone who goes to the emergency room and takes their child there to get treated - all of a sudden that's a children's hospital. They already have funding for those hospitals, and they don't need more because they already have money from the last bond."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools