Tag: divided

Can this Michigan county, deeply divided on politics and policy, reach a truce?

Adeline Hambley’s employees at a county health department in Michigan saw her as their protection from political interference by conservative Christians on the county board. Then the board offered her $4 million to quit.

Adeline Hambley has been the health officer in Ottawa County, Mich., since December 2022. Shortly after her appointment, new conservative members of the county board began an effort to remove her. (Kristen Norman for The Washington Post)

WEST OLIVE, Mich. — All year, the new conservative Christian majority on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners had been searching for a way to get rid of Adeline Hambley, who ran the west Michigan county’s health department. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

They had discussed firing Hambley, whom they saw as an instrument of government tyranny. But her job came with protections, written into state law, that were intended to insulate her from political influence or retribution.

They had proposed paying Hambley $4 million to leave. She accepted in early November. But the commissioners backed out a few days later when they learned that the payment could damage the county’s bond rating and tank its finances.

Now it was Nov. 14. The commissioners huddled with their lawyers in a windowless conference room at the county’s boxy, brick government complex. Hambley and her lawyer waited anxiously in a small room just down the hall. The two sides were stuck.

All over the country, deep partisan divisions were making it harder for American government to function and its citizens to coexist. The number of intractable disputes seemed to grow by the day: climate change, racial equity, gender-affirming care, guns, immigration, abortion. The battles were paralyzing Congress and pitting red and

Canadians divided on privatizing wellness care, survey finds

A new Angus Reid poll reveals 39 per cent of respondents nevertheless staunchly oppose paying for medical care even though the relaxation either aid privatization or are careful but curious about the plan.

The non-revenue firm polled just around 2,000 Canadians in early February and uncovered they fell into one of 3 groups: community wellbeing purists, non-public care proponents, or curious but hesitant about likely improvements.

30-nine per cent of Canadians slide into the very first classification, that means they see “tiny to no place for privatization” and think any movement in that course would only “exacerbate current problems” in the health and fitness-care process.

On the other close of the spectrum, non-public care proponents accounted for 28 for every cent of respondents, and this team thinks improved privatization or hybrid versions are a “vital evolution” for optimum treatment.

The curious but hesitant crowd (33 for each cent) say they see the likely worth in contracting for-financial gain medical professionals and spending for operations but are deeply anxious about obtain for very low-money Canadians and possible team shortages.

Toronto surgeon David Urbach problems a ramp-up in personal clinics could entice medical doctors and nurses absent from the public sector seeking better pay out, top to longer clinic wait occasions and lessened high quality of care.

“I really get worried that people don’t entirely recognize the extensive-expression impacts of some of these alterations,” stated Urbach.

The poll results occur as the federal government and Canadian premiers hash out the particulars of a $46-billion wellbeing treatment transfer offer, which is staying pitched by Ottawa as a generational repair for an ailing system.

Ontario is the most up-to-date province to publicly fund surgical procedures at personal

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