VOTER ALERT: Hospital System With Ties to Bain Capital Opposes Travis County's Prop 1
According to today's Austin American-Statesman, St. David's Healthcare, the second-largest hospital system in Central Texas, announced Tuesday that it opposes Proposition 1 -- the effort to keep Austin's family healthy. Normally putting stockholders ahead of the citizens of Texas is revolting enough -- but in this case, it is far, far worse.
After looking into the corporate structure of St. David's Healthcare, we learned that St. David's Healthcare is owned in part by Bain Capital LLC. St. David's Healthcare has even more ties to conservative groups. The controlling stockholders today are Bain, KKR, and members of the former Republican U.S. Senator Bill Frist and his family. The conservative network propping up these systems can be found here, and is rooted in HCA Holdings Inc - a group which, through it's PAC, has spent $387,000 this election cycle, 66% of it going to Republicans.
St. David's Healthcare, in addition to its Republican corporate ownership, was recently criticized by the Austin American-Statesman for questionable emergency room billing practices. It makes sense that they would oppose quality, affordable health care - just like Mitt Romney opposes the Affordable Care Act. They are more interested in their boardroom bottom lines than better care for the people of Texas.
Make your voice heard. Do not let Mitt Romney's Bain Capital or Republican Bill Frist's company prevent Travis County from keeping families healthy and planning for the future. Don't let Bain Capital influence our elections and outsource our economy.