Updated: Friday, August 8, 2008 2:17 PM PDT

Doctor should know rules of campaigning

In response to Mr. John Cheney's letter to the editor published Aug. 1, “Doctor, group did not deliberately break the law”:

Dr. Simpson may be a dedicated, life-saving doctor, making sure that he understands “the rules” of medicine; however, if he is going to use his good reputation to step into the political arena, he should make equally sure that he understands “the rules” behind the campaign and election processes - if for no other reason than to keep his reputation intact and abide by the law. That's not “a vicious statement”; it's just common sense.

Mr. John Cheney states that Simpson and HDL are trying to “save the hospital” from private, for-profit owners. Yet it's Prem Reddy behind the scenes who is exactly that: a backdoor bankruptcy buyer, financing these expensive, divisive, anti-hospital campaigns fronted by Simpson and HDL, so that he can snatch up the hospital and privatize it for huge profits for himself - at the expense of the residents of Hemet Valley. That's not “a vehement attack”; that's reality.

Saying that Dr. Simpson and HDL made “oversights” in their campaign statements makes them look like hapless scapegoats. Ignoring the fact of Prem Reddy's financial involvement behind the scenes is deliberately misleading. That's “what gives.”

PATTI HASBROUCK

Hemet