There have been many endorsements on why we need to vote for a hospital district. All the reasons are TRUE! If the vote for the hospital district fails, we will be asking ourselves how could we have done this to ourselves and what do we do now. It will take a while before the ramifications are critical. We could still work and have fundraisers. We could still solicit people for money, and beg and chug along somehow for a spell. But most of us are tired of this method of plodding along. Any success we might have with this old style approach is not going to be the best solution — even for a short time, let alone for the long term!

I say let’s do it right this time and in a way where all islanders contribute so we can have a sustainable medical facility and doctors. It is time we ALL stepped up to the plate for the benefit of our island and stopped expecting someone else to take care of the situation!

Thank you to the coalition for getting us this far. Thank you to all who have filed and are willing to do the hard work of being a commissioner if elected! For a terrific slate of commissioners, please vote for Dr. Diane Boteler and Art Lange. They are the best of best to complement Richard, Patty and Peggy. A horrific task of putting all the pieces together awaits them. If anyone can do it, this combo can! With your vote in support of the taxing district and having Diane and Art part of the team, we will have a much brighter future for medical care on Orcas!

Velma Doty

Orcas Island