Temecula’s City Council met on February 8, to again consider the long awaited hospital construction, which has been in the works since 2006. Representatives from Southwest Healthcare System were there to request yet another extension of their contract to build. Oh, it was a contentious meeting, with Naggar and Comerchero raking the penitent hospital execs over the coals. The back and forth was riveting, with our hard driving councilmen laying down the law and hammering out deals and deadlines even tougher than the ones that SHS ignored last year. It was drama worthy of a Lifetime Channel movie. After several threats of a “no” vote, our noble representatives relented and approved the extension by 4-0. Ground has yet to be broken. Meanwhile, Murrieta has somehow managed to build and open the Loma Linda University Medical Center within the past couple years.
The following conversation was overheard in line at a local Exceptional Diner.
KID: “Dad, can we get a hospital?’”
DAD: ”NO! Your mother and I just bought you a $70 million Civic Center to play with.”
KID: “But I don’t like the civic center, it’s ugly and it’s too big for me.”
DAD: ”We’ve been through this before, You’ll grow into it when you get your new programs.”
KID: “I don’t want new programs.”
DAD: ”Why don’t you ride your bike over to Murrieta and play with her hospitals? She has two.”
KID: “I can’t. Traffic sucks. and you said you were getting me an Ultimate Interchange.”
DAD: I told you, we can’t get the Ultimate Interchange until our lawsuit against the Native Americans winds its way through Federal Court. By the way, what did you do with that expensive traffic light software that I bought you?”
KID: “Dunno, never saw it.”
DAD: ”You’re getting on my nerves. Why can’t you just play with all those things you got for your birthday, like the auto dealership sign and the Mosque? They weren’t cheap and you never use them.”
MOM: “Stop annoying your Father. He needs his rest so that he can craft a strongly worded letter to that knucklehead Governor who is trying to steal his redevelopment piggy bank. Next, you’ll want term limits and salary caps. We can’t afford that, Son!”
KID: “Whatever…..”
DAD: ”Don’t you take that attitude with me! I know what’s best for you, and furthermore, you’ll do what you are told mister!”
KID: “I guess I’ll just go to the water park.”
DAD: ”We don’t have a water park.”
KID: “We don’t have a hospital, either.”
