Corridor could kill local businesses

Dear Ms. Miller and Mr. McEvers (Kiki and Woody), Ms. Evans, Dan English, Dan Gookin:

I do not know many of you personally (well enough), but have met several of you in the past, so I am writing this note both personally and officially.

I have owned and operated Medicine Man Pharmacy on Ironwood Drive since November 1978. I am the originator of this group, which now has 10 stores and we have served over 200,000 patients in these stores over the years. My store has filled over 3,000,000 prescriptions.

I have studied the proposed Coeur d’Alene Health Care Corridor and would like to share some thoughts as to what is being proposed. Many of these issues are close to my heart.

The thought that my building on Ironwood Drive (1114 W. Ironwood) could be deemed “too old” and “not fitting in to a couple developers’ new concept” and the city could declare eminent domain and could take it from me is not acceptable.

The process of giving people (city) the right to decide what the “value” of the property and buildings are and taking it from me and my employees is wrong. Include the value of the business and guarantee my employees their right to keep their jobs and income when the time comes, and perhaps I would have compassion.

The state of California took (via eminent domain) from my grandfather 250 acres because they wanted a state park built. They paid him 1/5 of the value per acre of what the rest of the ranch was sold for to Gallo Cattle Company three years later (1954).

Ask the Coeur d’Alene Tribe if they were compensated fairly for what was taken from them and see how they feel.

There are two families that are pushing for all this to be done … these families are already multi-millionaires and now expect to use taxpayer monies over the next 20 years to become perhaps billionaires.

These individuals do not care about the 10 families that work for me and their well-being and jobs.

These individuals do not care about the customers we serve and the importance of our location to our customers (all Coeur d’Alene residents). They just want to make sure everyone knows how powerful they are.

Presently, Kootenai Health has proposed to buy out Interlake Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy located in the Oncology building. The purpose of this is to force Kootenai Health employees (biggest employer in Kootenai County) to do business at the Kootenai Health-to-be-owned pharmacy. Taxpayers’ money is being used to eliminate competition in the name of better health care. This as well as the hospital being able to purchase pharmaceuticals for approximately 1/10 what retail establishments have to pay — yet the prices charged are not discounted to the public or insurance companies.

If the corridor were being placed on 2,000 acres currently undeveloped out on the Rathdrum Prairie, in a central location to population density as it is projected for 20 years for now, perhaps it would be good for the general public.

To allow a couple individuals to “do what they want” because they “know what is best for everyone else,” to eliminate privately owned businesses, to destroy the Senior Center and remap the Ironwood Area to suit their own needs, is wrong.

Who is going to provide all the individuals who currently have jobs in the “Progress Zone” with new, comparable jobs? Or is the city just going to take care of their families with taxpayer money?

Please keep in mind when you vote for or against this project: This is Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and the United States of America. This is not China, Russia, or any other socialistic, communistic/fascist country where a few (big business and government) dictate the well-being of the populace.

Thanks for your time and understanding.

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Brian Jorgensen is owner of Medicine Man Pharmacy, 1114 W. Ironwood Drive in Coeur d’Alene.