Bill would raise Gorge tickets by a dollar to cover public cost
The Royal Register News
OLYMPIA - The cost of a ticket at the Gorge Amphitheater could go up by $1 if proposed legislation is passed into law. However, the way the bill is written gives it no teeth.
The Senate Government Operations and State Security committee heard public testimony last week regarding Senate Bill 5000. If passed, the bill would allow small rural counties to add an emergency medical services surcharge of $1 or less to all amphitheater tickets sold.
"Sixty-five cents could go to the hospital, 30 cents, or the remainder, could go to the fire protection district," said Sen. Linda Parlette, R-Wenatchee, the primary sponsor of the bill.
Five cents of the surcharge would go back to the amphitheater to cover the cost of complying with the bill.
Administrators from the Quincy Valley Medical Center spoke in favor of the bill. Alicia Shields, the chief nursing officer at the QVMC, said the hospital sees a significant increase in the number of patients during certain festivals.
"It depends on the concert," Shields said. "A Bruno Mars concert, we may have one or two patients come in. Sasquatch or Paradiso, we're going to have 50 or 60 patients come in."
This extra demand puts a burden on the hospital, QVMC administrator Mehdi Merred said, a burden that would be lessened with the help of the surcharge. Shields added that QVMC must care for patients regardless of whether they are insured.
"We can't tell people no," she said. "They come in and get quality care regardless of whether they can pay for it or not."
Chris Marr, a representative of Live Nation Entertainment, spoke in opposition to the bill. Live Nation Entertainment operates the Gorge Amphitheater. Marr said the financial difficulties QVMC faces are a result of mismanaged funds and not concertgoers.
"If you ask the state auditor, or look at recent audits, they'll tell you the way they manage their funds leaves a lot to be desired," Marr said.
Merred disagreed with Marr's claim.
"State auditors didn't show any mismanagement," Merred said. "They pinpointed some issues that are common among hospitals."
Gorge General Manager Danny Wilde said the surcharge could result in fewer paid hospital bills if concertgoers believe the Gorge is going to cover their medical costs.
"If you want to impose a $1 tax on our concertgoers, I think you may take away some incentive from those folks to pay those bills," Wilde said.
The surcharge is voluntary, meaning that, even if the bill is passed, the surcharge might not necessarily go into effect. It would be up to county commissioners whether or not to enact the surcharge.
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