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Dear Mr. Peterson;
I am a resident of District 7 and am writing to you as my elected representative regarding the closing of the Bloomfield facility. I have three issues with the current position taken by the Iowa County Board of Supervisors regarding the aforementioned topic.
I feel that the stance taken by the Board is wrong for a number of reasons:
Moving forward with a decision on the closing of the facility now after indicating that a public referendum regarding this issue would be held this coming April, takes away the voice of the public on this important issue. This, in essence, is betraying a promise to gather public opinion made to the constituents that elected this Board.
We, you and I, have neighbors in our district who rely upon this facility to care for their loved ones, when in home care or more costly nursing home care alternatives are just are not an option for them. In conversations I've had, a suitable low cost county alternative is proving to be unavailable in our surrounding area and people are looking to house their loved ones as far away as Milwaukee. This makes frequent visits with their wives, husbands or family members unrealistic.
I, as a resident of this county, feel that a significant portion of our tax dollars should go to taking care of our fellow citizens including those who are less fortunate. The Board, whether it means to or not, gives the appearance that it has no sense of compassion for the people by whom you are elected to serve.
To correct this situation and to remove any thought that the Board is acting in way any other than the interests of the residents of Iowa County,I believe three things must occur.
First, the impending closure of the Bloomfield should be put on hold.
Secondly, in the importance of garnering public opinion, the referendum regarding the future of the Bloomfield facility should be held in April, as originally planned.
Thirdly, representatives from the Board should renew discussions with those at Upland Hills to determine how best we can move forward to keep this most important nursing care available in Iowa County.
Thank you so much for your attention in this matter,
James L. Puralewski
Dodgeville, WI