Myths, Misinformation … and Facts About Prop. D

Prop. D opponents refuse to address facts, hoping to distract voters with myths and untruths.

Various scare tactics are being foisted on San Francisco voters, residents, taxpayers, and Laguna Honda residents and employees.  For more on the scare tactics, and the truth dispelling the myths, please see the letters and other materials at the left side of this web page.

MYTH:  “Prop. D will change Laguna Honda’s current admission policies regarding psychiatric patients.”
FACT:  This is false.  Prop. D merely seeks to enforce LHH’s existing admission policy; it uses the same language as in LHH’s current admission policy, which has long prohibited admitting patients with mental illnesses “requiring ... active psychiatric intervention” who can't be adequately cared for; those with primary psychiatric diagnoses, but without coexisting dementia; and those with unmanageable behavior endangering others. Prop. D opponents know that Prop. D does not change any inclusion or exclusion criteria currently in place at LHH for patients having either primary or secondary psychiatric diagnoses.

MYTH: “Prop. D will evict 300 Alzheimer’s, AIDS, and dementia patients.”
FACT:  Because the “Purposes” section of Prop. D clearly states AIDS and dementia patients (including those with Alzheimer’s) will continue to be served at Laguna Honda, and because UCSF’s Neurology Department and the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California have documented that these patients don’t pose a danger to themselves or others, this claim is completely untrue; they won’t be "evicted.” (See the materials at the left side of this web page.) And as opponents know, Federal laws prohibit such evictions. More info …

MYTH:  “Prop. D will prevent patients with gunshot wounds, AIDS, AIDS-related dementia, HIV, head injuries, and substance- or alcohol-abuse from admission.”
FACT:  Completely untrue. Again, the “Purposes” section of Prop. D provides that Laguna Honda’s medical specialty programs, including AIDS and physical rehabilitation, among others, will continue. That addresses AIDS and AIDS-dementia patients. Gunshot- and head-injury victims will continue to be served by Laguna Honda’s rehabilitation programs. There is nothing in Prop. D to suggest that either HIV patients or those with substance abuse problems will be denied admission. Each day, Prop. D opponents keep falsely tacking on new categories of patients in order to frighten voters, patients, and staff. Don’t believe any of“ these wild exaggerations; they’re completely untrue!

MYTH:  “Prop. D will cost $27 Million annually.”
FACT:  This myth is calculated on the previous two 300-patient discharge myths. In fact, Prop. D may save money by reducing regulatory fines and penalties, expensive damage caused by violent patients, and security costs.

MYTH:  “Prop. D discriminates against psychiatric patients.”
FACT:  Laguna Honda is licensed as a medical “Skilled Nursing Facility.”  State law prohibits admitting patients whose primary diagnosis is psychiatric. Laguna Honda does not have the license, specialized staff, training, or architecture to care for these patients. Likewise, psychiatric facilities can’t admit patients whose primary diagnosis is medical, and this certainly isn’t seen as discrimination. Nor are programs that qualify eligibility only to people with HIV considered discriminatory. Many medical specialty facilities serve very specific patient populations; that’s not discrimination, its focused, specialized care. More info …

MYTH:  “The Zoning Administrator will make healthcare decisions.”
FACT:  Skilled medical professionals will continue making healthcare decisions because Prop. D requires it. At Kaiser Hospital’s Special Use District, the Planning Department hasn’t been involved in healthcare decisions for 12 years; nor will it at Laguna Honda.

MYTH:  “There’s no ‘violence’ at Laguna Honda.”
FACT:  The state’s 274-page investigation of a 10% patient sample in 2006 documented 10 “Actual Harm” violations, many violent, far exceeding the four Actual Harm violations found in 2005.  More info …

MYTH:  “Prop. D is a Residential Builder’s Association “land grab’.”
FACT:  Vilifying an opponent is the easy way out. The RBA has no financial incentive to build skilled nursing healthcare facilities (nursing homes), which have distinct ADA, seismic and other requirements that make them unattractive investments. Building these healthcare facilities requires substantial public subsidies. Importantly, the state’s independent nursing home ombudsman for San Francisco has said it isn’t economically feasible to build any more nursing homes in San Francisco, even those that are private pay only and don’t accept Medi-Cal patients.  More info …

MYTH:  “Prop. D opens development of healthcare facilities on private and public lands.”
FACT:  San Francisco’s Planning Code already permits “hospitals, medical facilities, board-and-cares, rest homes, and homes for the treatment of addictive, contagious or other diseases or psychological disorders,” in residential districts, subject to obtaining a Conditional Use permit. Skilled Nursing Facilities are already included permitted in the existing Planning Code.

    Prop. D applies only to a single public district: Laguna Honda’s current location. There’s absolutely NO change. Moreover, even if P“rop. D opponents’ claims about public land were true, someone who wanted to develop and operate a nursing home on public land would have to reach an agreement with the City for a long-term lease, paying a high rent to do so. But the Mayor and the Supervisors simply wouldn’t agree to lease land for this purpose, especially not on the site of parks, government offices, schools, City College, and open spaces. Control would remain in the hands of the Mayor and the Supervisors.

MYTH:  “Public schools and 1,600 public parcels are part of the ‘land grab’.”
FACT:  Almost all of the “public” space Prop. D opponents point to on their map of San Francisco is not at all “public” in this context. Much of it is federal land (e.g., the Presidio and the coastal Golden Gate National Recreation Area), which cannot be taken for any reason. The Presidio land is owned by a special trust with its own set of stringent controls; it isn’t subject to City control. Coastal areas are subject to separate controls by federal and/or state agencies. More still is designated “Public Open Space," which also cannot be used for anything else. That leaves some City buildings and schools. Prop. D opponents falsely assert t’he City could convert recently closed elementary schools into nursing facilities, but fail to acknowledge that State law requires that any closed school buildings can only be re-opened as schools. They also ignore a City law that requires any City buildings declared “excess property” must first be converted into housing for homeless people.

MYTH:  “Prop. D will eliminate current specialty programs and prohibit assisted living units from being built at Laguna Honda.”
FACT:  Prop. D will preserve at Laguna Honda specialized care for AIDS, Hospice, and Dementia patients, as well as physical rehabilitation, respite programs (temporary care for dependent adults), future medical specialty programs, and assisted living. Prop. D will protect San Francisco residents who deserve safe, unprejudiced nursing care from being sent to out-of-county “senior mills,” including women, Chinese Americans, and LGBT community members.