MEDICALCENTERBEATSBERNIE

BURLINGTON

B  urlington Mayor Bernie

Sanders reacted withdisappointment this

week to Superior Court Judge

John Meaker's decision inwhich he declared the Medi-

cal Center Hospital of Ver-

mont (MCHV) is indeed a

"charitable" institution andshould not have to pay a S2.8

million property tax bill the

city sent out in June.

Tuesday afternoon, sbortly

after the decision was released,t h er e w a s a m i x tu r e o f d i s ap -

pointment and disbelief 

among city officials, qualified    CABLE TV D·" 'ES TO SKYROCKET? by a feeling that "it ain't over    nII"ll •till  it's over" and the view thatthe city had faced a difficult

battle when   it   set out to chal-

lenge the hospital's tax-exempt

status.

At the hospital, President

James Taylor offered re-strained ecstacy, and MCHV's

attorney. Spencer Knapp,

 breathed a sigh of relief. Be-

fore the court's decision wasreleased, Knapp joked he

would need to buy either cham-

p a g n e o r r a z o r b l a d es .

With City Attorneys Joe

McNeil and John Franco Jr.looking like they just got

 bopped on the head with a

 baseball bat, Sanders com-

mented with restraint. But healso expressed disbelief that

the judge bad declared that

the institution, whicb bas been

at the top of Sanders' political

hi t   J i s t ,  was in fact "charitable,"

"From a common sense

 point of view.   DO l  a legal   p o i n t

of view, I lind it very hard   tou n d er s ta n d w h at t h e w o r d

cbaritable means," said Sand-

ers, wben the hospital provides

f ree care that equals I percent

o f p at i en t r e v en u e s , p a y s t o p

salaries and spends, he said, a

" g r e a t d e a l o f t i m e h o u n d i n g

 people" for payment.

Sanders described Meaker's

r u li ng a s " f ri g ht en in g " b e-

c a u s e, h e s a i d , a l m o s t e v er y

institution probably dedicates

a p or t io n o f i t s re v en u es t o

c h a r i ta b l e c a u s es .

WI LLISTON   b i g t h e y c a n f i n an c e i t i n t er -   n y,   an d   to  fi n d o u t w h y t h e   McGill   said   Adelphia, whichnally" without having to break    e n t ir e c i t y , i n c l u d i n g s ec t i o n s   ha s  been in business since 1952T   he sale of Vermont's larg-   th e   back   o f r a t ep a y er s , P r es s   of Church Street, still has not   a n d o w n s s y s te m s w i t h a to t a l

e s t c a b l e t e l e v is i o n c o m -   added.   b e en w i r e d f o r c a b l e   relevi-   of 500,000 customers. should p a n y t o a n   out-of-state   A d el p h ia a nd M o un t ai n   sion serv ice.   b e   a b l e t o l i m i t t h e a m o u n t o f  

company for a whoppingSI 17   C a b le m u s t a l s o s h o w , P r e s s   M o u n t ai n C ab l e P r es i d e nt   rate incr eases becaus e they  a rem i l l i on h a s r a is e d c o n c er n s a t   s a i d , th a t t h e p u r c h as e i s i n   Robert McGill, who said he   a l a r g e c o m p a n y t h a t c a n b u ythe Public Service Department   t h e " p u b l i c   good"   a n d t h a t " i f     w i l l s t a y o n w i t h t b e n e w  com-   p r o d u c t s l i k . e p r o g r a m s i nthat rates for cable subscr ibers   t h e a c q u i s it i o n r e s u lt s o n l y   in   party,   s ai d M o u n ta i n C a b le ,   bulk.will skyrocket.   a   c ha n ge o f o w n er s h ip a n d   w h i c h h a s 59.000   customers

McGill described Adelphiaincreased   rates.I don't see  h o w   t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t a te , n e ed s a

 A de lp hi a Co m m u n ic at io nsthat 's in   the   publ ic in terest ."   r at e i n c re as e r eg ar d l es s o f  

  as   a   family- run   c o m p an y l e dCorp., which is headquartered 

While the PSB must approve   w h e t h er t h e c o m p a n y i s s o l d .  b y c ab l e p i o n e er J o h n Ri g a s ,

in Pennsylvania   an d   alreadyt h e s a le , i t n o l o n g er h a s t he   " W e ' v e g o t s o m e f i n an c i a l

  w h o m   he described as a "bene-o w n s   a   n u m be r o f c ab l e s y s -   volent   an d   honest Godfather"terns along the East Coast,

  power to contro l ra te increases   s t r ai n s n o w . W e n ee d   a   ratei n th e co m m u n it y w h er e h e

since the US Congress ordered    i n c r ea s e, " M c G i ll s a i d .agreed last week to buy Moun-

in 1984thatthe cable industry   Not only did the market for   lives   in   northwest Pennsyl-

tain   Cab le fo r alm o s t th ree v an ia.

times the $44.5 million it sold   b e f r e e f r o m   regulation.   c a b l e s y s t e m s " g o c r a zy "   1 0 1 -

for in 1984.  That order from Congress   l o w i n g f e d er a l d e r e g u la t io n , The sale had been in the

was made crysta l c lear ear l ier     M c G UJ s a i d , o t h e rs i n v o l v ed   w o r k s s i n c e e ar l i er t h i s s u m -T h e c o n c er n a t th e P u b li c   t h is y e ar , w h en S up e ri o r Co u r t i n t h e i n d us t r y, l i k e t h o se w h o   'mer.   M c Gi l l s a id t he M o u n-

S er v i ce D e pa rt m en t , w h i ch   Judge Matthew Katz declared    sell programs to the cable com- tain  Cable inv estors requestedadvises   the   P u b l ic S e rv i c e   a s e c t io n o f a n a g r ee m e n t   panies,   a ls o h i k ed t h e ir r a t es . t h e c o m p an y   b e   p u t o n t h eB o a r d o n u t i l i t y c a s es , i s t h a t   b e t w ee n M o u nt a in C ab l e a n d   McGill said he did not know   m a r k et a n d s a i d t h a t, w h i l e" b e c au s e o f th e h i g h p r i c e   t he c it y o f B ur li ng to n t hat h ow m u ch rat es w ou ld   in-   t h e p u r c ha se p r i c e i s  enor-p a i d , t h e r e c o u l d b e f in a n c i al   w o u l d h av e r eg u l at ed r at e i n - c r ea s e a n d s a id   determining   mous,   i t w o u l d   be   whi t t ledp r e s s u r e t o i n c r e as e r a t es t o   c r e as e s t o b e i l l eg a l a n d   con-   t h a t i n v o l v ed " a l o t o f   number     down by S30 million in deb ..c a r r y t h a t i nv e s t m en t ," a c -   trary   to federaJ in tent .   c r u n ch i n g a n d r ea d in g t ea   and at torney   fees .

c o r d in g t o P SD a tt o rn e y   K a tz 's d ec i s io n i s o n a pp e al l ea ve s ." R at es w e nt fr o m   Still, McGill, who was one

Samuel Press. The PSD has   t o t h e V er m o n t S u pr em e   SIO.5O to S12.5O per month   of six partners and   l a o   in-

n o t t a k en a p os i ti o n o n t h e   C o u r t , a c c o r d in g t o A s s i s t an t   f o r b a s ic s e r v i c e i n J a n u ar y .   vestors when Cox Cable sold 

sale, but Press said the depart-   City Attorney John Franco Jr.,   H o w e v er , h e a l s o s a i d t h a t   the system to Mountain Cable

m e n t w i l l r e q u e s t t h e c o m p a ·   w h o s ai d t h e c i t y w o u l d i n t e r -   " n o o n e w h o ' s s er i o u s a b o u t   i n 1 98 4. a d m i t te d , " I ' m n o t

n y p r o v i d e f i n an c i a l   informa-   v en e o n t he P SB a pp li c at io n t hi s b u si ne ss   is   g o in g t o p u s h   g o i n g t o a r g u e t h at I w o n 't

tion   t o g a ug e " w h a t s o r t o f     t o m a k e s u r e t h a t o t h er    parts   t he e nv el o pe " a nd tr y t o   h a v e t o w o r r y ab o u t t u i t io n

I f inancia l I pressures there are.   o f t h e a g re em e n t w o u l d b e   c h a r g e m o r e t h a n t h e m a r k e t   money for my kids."

"They may say they're so   h o n o re d b y t h e n e w   ccmpa-   will   bear.   • M.rk Johneon

decision, the judge   used   strong   m a r k et r a te s f o r i ts e m p l o y -   Iy, referring to the court battle,   palms have been sweating.   Did

language to shoot down some   e es m a y o n l y r e s u l t i n a t tr a c t-   t h e u n i o n d r i v e a t t h e h o s p i t al   I t h in k i t wo u l d c om e o u t   th i s

of the city's argumen   ts.   i n g m e d i c al p r o f es s i o n a ls w h o   a n d n u m e r o u s a p p ea r an c e s   way? Yes."

The city claimed, for exam-   value thei r serv ices  at less   than   before the Hospital Data Coun-  A tt o rn ey Fr an c is Mu rr ay , pie, that there   w a s   doubt about   p r e v ai l i n g m a r k e t r a te s . T h i s   cil.  " I m a y e v en   a s k :  for a raise," who represented   the city  ,saidthe hospital's tax-exempt sta c o u r t i s n o t pr ep a re d t o   con- he added. he was "surprised because I

c h a r i ta b l e c a u s es .

" H o w m a n y   attorneys don't

 provide pro bono work?' heasked.

M e ak e r 's d e c i s io n w a s c a t -

egorical. Not even the parking

garage was declared    to be sub-

 ject   to taxation. In his  36-page

the hospital's tax-exempt sta-   c o u r t i s n o t pr ep a re d t o   con-   he added. he was "surprised because Itus,   because state statutes refer     e l u d e t h a t i n o r d e r t o   be  char-

Asked if he expected that   t h o u g h t o u r c a s e w a s c o m p e l -only to hospital property that   itable,   a n i n s t i tu t i o n m u s t   pro-

t h e de c is i o n w o u ld q u i et t h e   ling, but that's what this busi-is   leased out as liable to being   v i d e s er v i c es t h a t a r e s e c o n d

m a y o r , T a y l o r s a i d , " I b e l i e v e   ness is a l l about . "taxed. The city's argument was   best." the mayor has been consis tent   Said Sanders: "Of courset h at o n e c a nn o t a s su m e b y N on e o f    the   ci ty 's   argu-   i n w h a t h e b e l ie v es a n d w h a t   I'm disappointed," adding, "Iimplication that property that m e n ts -f r om a ll eg a ti o n s th at   he has said before the trial   think   o u r a t to r n e y s d i d a f an -is not leased out should be tax t h e h o s p i t a l " d e f l ec t e d "   pa -   a n d d u r in g h i s e n ti r e t i m e in   tastic   jo b a n d I t h i nk t h eyexempt. tients   an d t h a t h o s p i t al t r u s -   office. My guess is he's not   m a d e t h e c a s e. W h a t w e   also

B u t a s f o r t h a t a r g u m e n t ,   tees improperly benefited   from   g o i n g t o c h a n g e h i s a p p r o ac h   u n d e r s to o d f r o m   the   v e r y b e -

Meaker,   in language   reminis-   t h e ir s er v i c e o n t h e   board   of    t o h e al t h c a r e a n d o u r    institu-   g i n ni n g i s y o u d o n' t g o in t o a

cent o f Sanders ' po l i t ica l   rhet-   t r u s t ee s t o t h e c o n t e n ti o n t h a t   t i o n b e c au s e o f    this decision."   court   a n d a s k a j u d g e t o s e t

o r i e , s a i d " s t a t u t e s s h o u l d n o t   t o p a dm i n is t r at o rs p r o fi te dKnapp said he was "thriUed"

  aside I00 years of precedent

b e   c o n s tr u e d i n s u c h a w ay   when the hospital did well-b y t h e r u li n g . " T o g i v e y ou a

  a n d m a l ee a d e c i s io n w h i c h

that   will   l ea d t o i r r at i o n al o r     a p p ea r ed t o c a r r y a n y w a t er     h a s n o t o n l y s t a te w i d e   impli-

absurd consequences."   with Meaker .  candid response, 1tbnught that

c at i on s b u t a l s o p r o b ab l ythe law and the facts were very

 A s fo r th e ci ty 's ar gu m en ts  Taylor, whose salary of ap- m u c h i n o ur f av o r a n d t b at

  n a t io n a l i m p l i c at i o n s . I m e a n ,

 proximately 5140,000 per year  the great weight of legal au-  y o u d o n 't g o i n t h e r e a n d s a y

t h at t o p ad m i n is t ra to r s a re you have a sure thing. I think o v e r p ai d , M e ak e r n o t e d, " I n

  w a s a n i ss u e d u r i n g t h e t r ia l , ~hority was on the hospital'ssaid he was happy for the hos- side and 1 would have been

  w e k n e w fr o m th e b e g i n ni n go u r s o c i et y t o d ay w e m u s t

 pital's patients and those in very surprised by any other   this would be a difficult case."

expect people to be compen-other hospitals throughout the   decision,"   said   Knapp.   "O n   the   Sanders said he believed 

sated for their labor. Theys t a te , w h o m , h e s a id . w o u l d   other hand, this [judge] has   " h i s to r y w i U   b e   o n o u r s i d e . "

have basic needs for food,

clothing, shelter, and other h a v e b e en " a t r i s k " i f t h e c i t y   been   deliberating for  s ix   weeks   T h e n, tu m i n g t o t h e c i t y   attor-

aspi rat ions   commensurate  had won.   and you do get nervous as t ime   neys, added, "It may well be.

with their earnings. To require   " I feel some of us have real -   passes, wondering what the   shall I say, that this case   is not

a m aj o r m ed ic al c en te r t o   Iy earned our salaries   th is  sum-   judge is thinking.   So   bave I   over yet . "

operate by peyins I...   duIII •   mer,"   Taylor said   haltseri" ...   had any anxiety? Sure, my   • M.rk John.on