Last week Jill Meyer asked that the $50,000 that the San Juan County Public Hospital District Commissioners removed from the PeaceIsland subsidy be used to help fund a large variety of worthwhile services in our county. However, we must remember that this money was removed from PeaceHealth to fund those services which that Catholic hospital has refused to cover, namely reproductive services such as contra-caption and abortion referrals, as well as services that derive from the implementation of the Death with Dignity Act.

What Ms. Meyer wants to do is throw as many red herrings onto this as possible, probably with the thought that any dollar used for these other purposes is another dollar diverted from Mount Baker Planned Parenthood.

This county needs the services provided by Mount Baker Planned Parenthood and that is where the entire $50,000 should go. I trust the Hospital District Board of Commissioners to do what is right for this county. Thank you.

Rita O’Clair

San Juan Island