Breach of Faith

With Northwest Texas Hospital’s indigent care program “facing a possible financial crisis” due to shortfalls in its investment portfolio the Amarillo Globe-News has sounded the alarm ("Hospital district needs remedy" AGN June 8, 2007).

Only 11 years into a 25 year program to keep the tax burden off the citizens of Amarillo, the Amarillo Hospital District board is discussing a cut in programs, reinvestment, or a possible tax to keep the indigent care program on life support.

What is interesting about this looming debacle is that the AGN has not given credit where credit is due. The sale of Northwest Texas Hospital was decided, without consultation or discussion, by none other than Mr. Jim Simms, now City Commissioner, whom the AGN has, naturally, always endorsed.

Mr. Simms has taken a father’s beaming pride in the sale of Northwest. It was always first on his campaign list of personal triumphs. When the sale was imminent many back then saw this day coming but were, for some reason, ignored in the glorious stampede to fulfill Mr. Simms’ dream. Now that dream has turned to folly it may be quietly dropped off at an orphanage.

More interesting still is the AGN editorship’s reaction to the hospital board’s discussions. Let us remember that the most important part of the sale of Northwest was a promise to take care of the indigent. But what is more important to the AGN, the indigent or possible taxes?

Before answering remember that this is the same editorship that thinks the separation of church and state is nonsense, that our laws are based on the Ten Commandments, that our nation was founded on Christian principles. We must assume that for the editorship this is a Christian nation and our government is guided by the moral authority set forth by Jesus.

So when it comes to breaking a promise the editorship actually invokes a “breach of faith” with its spiritual overtones. Here is our little quiz:

For the Amarillo Globe-News it is a “breach of faith” to:

A) cut programs for the care of the indigent
B) impose taxes

If you picked “B” you are correct. Even though it is our Christian -- our moral -- obligation to take care of the sick and poor, for the avowed Christians at the AGN there is no problem breaking our promise to the indigent. The breach of faith occurs when we dare think of burdening the taxpayer once again.

Maybe we can, however, divine some Christian charity in the editorship’s first impulse to cut programs. At least they didn’t say we should send all the indigent packing with a bus ticket to Tucumcari.