Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

TexasTowelie

(111,322 posts)
Wed Jan 5, 2022, 04:18 AM Jan 2022

Are the poor subsidizing the University of Texas?

In November 2012, Austin voters were asked to approve a proposition that promised to expand health care for the poor. They approved a ballot measure creating a pool of $35 million in tax money each year for the nonprofit Central Health, an agency charged by the state with funding indigent health care and hospitalization in Travis County. Voters were told that the money would go to a new medical school at the University of Texas, where the poor would be treated.

But in 2017, Travis County taxpayers filed a lawsuit claiming that voters had been duped and that little or none of that money had been spent for clinical care; instead it was funding UT administration, research and support salaries. That lawsuit is ongoing. A short documentary, called “Inquest: An Examination of Central Health,” has now been released on YouTube. The Observer spoke with attorney and activist Fred Lewis, who with Austin filmmaker Steve Mims and Brian Rodgers, co-produced the 30-minute film that raises tough questions about whether liberals in the state capital broke laws and sold out the poor in a quest for economic development.

This interview has been edited and condensed for publication.

Texas Observer: The documentary alleges that $280 million intended by law for the care of the poor in Austin already has been transferred to UT’s Dell Medical School for administrative salaries and other expenses that are not directly related to care of the poor. You’re involved in a lawsuit, why did you and others put together a documentary?

Fred Lewis: Civil lawsuits are very complicated. This has been slowed down by the pandemic, a lawyer’s death, illness and then it’ll be appealed. So, the legal system is a slow remedy. The public needs to be aware. They need to know what their officials have done. They need to decide if this comports with their values. And then, the Travis County commissioner’s court has financial oversight over Central Health, and they could replace the current board members or require an audit of Central Health such that we would know exactly how much health care they’d gotten for poor people for $280 million.

Read more: https://www.texasobserver.org/are-the-poor-subsidizing-the-university-of-texas/

1 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Are the poor subsidizing the University of Texas? (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jan 2022 OP
absolutely Javaman Jan 2022 #1

Javaman

(62,444 posts)
1. absolutely
Wed Jan 5, 2022, 12:52 PM
Jan 2022

here's a little story.

UT pleaded poverty when they wanted to build the UT/Dell med center school of med.

they claimed they didn't have the money

so in steps the corrupt or gullible or both city to propose a bond to pay for it. one billion dollars...

after it passed (I voted against it. I knew better)

suddenly, (about 2 weeks after the bond passes) UT magically finds (through creative accounting) close to a billion dollars that somehow got "overlooked". UT is a legacy school they are rolling in dough, the billion they magically "found", is small change to them.

we are the fucking suckers.

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Texas»Are the poor subsidizing ...