CHRISTOPHER PAVESE: Part II
Who will He Really Represent? You or Big Healthcare In Boone County?
NOTE: This version of CHRISTOPHER PAVESE: Part II has been revised to include donations from two more “Officers, Directors,Trustees, Key Employees, and highest Compensated Employees” (IRS Form 990) of St. Elizabeth Medical Center Inc. With the addition of those donations the amount donated to Mr. Pavese’s campaign from those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo in healthcare delivery in Northern Kentucky and Indiana represents more than 28% of his total contributions over the KREF reporting period. Minor editorial revisions have also been made.
Mr. Pavese, candidate for Kentucky Representative in House District 60 is trying to unseat fellow Republican Marianne Proctor in the May 21, 2024 primary election. Mr. Pavese is new to politics in Boone County and that is fine. But what is perhaps not so fine is who is financing his campaign and the extent to which his backers are willing to spend to unseat Marianne Proctor.
A review of Mr. Pavese’s campaign contributions reported to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (KREF) reveals some wide and deep ties to powerful members of the healthcare industry in Kentucky, important ancillary organizations, and powerful political figures that the health care industry relies on to bloom and grow.
Please keep firmly in mind that this is the same healthcare industry that forced its employees to be injected with the mRNA concoction touted to reduce hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19 or face termination. It is also the same industry that restricted your access to healthcare for two years. The policy of terminating employees who refused the so-called vaccine was enforced regardless of a person’s religious objections. This is an important point when it comes to Mr. Pavese’s candidacy since his stated qualifications include his “Jesuit education” and that he serves on the school board at St. Timothy Catholic Church. With those qualifications one would expect that Mr. Pavese would be a supporter of a person’s First Amendment right to religious freedom.
And so, who exactly is supporting Mr. Pavese?
KREF reports that as of March 16, 2024 Mr. Pavese had a campaign war chest of $42,270 and expenditures of $32,249.79 leaving a balance of $10,020.21. But between March 15 and April 20 Mr. Pavese added another $10,464.00 to his campaign coffers. Who are the generous donors to Mr. Pavese campaign?
Of the $42,270.00 that Mr. Pavese had on hand on March 16, 2024, $12,020 came from the following individuals and organizations:
Gary Moore, Judge Executive, Boone County $200.00
The Kentucky Assoc. of Healthcare Facilities $1,000.00
The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce $2,100.00
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce $1,500.00
Garren Colvin, Pres/CEO St. Elizabeth Healthcare $2,100.00
Susan Colvin, wife of Garren Colvin. $2,000.00
Julie McGregor, SVP Human Resources, St. Elizabeth HC. $250.00
Sarah Giolando SVP/Chief Strategy Officer, St. Elizabeth HC. $1,000.00
Anonymous $1,770.00
A mailer paid for by Kentuckians for Patient Access ?
This $12,020.00 ++ represents more than 28% of Mr. Pavese’s campaign contributions between January 1, 2024 and April 20, 2024. It should be noted that the total contributions to Mr. Pavese’s campaign include an $11,000.00 to himself. With more than $33,000.00 of Mr. Pavese’s war chest of $42,270.00 coming from special interests very little is coming from the people he seeks to represent.
Who are some of the groups supporting Mr. Pavese?
We all know that St. Elizabeth Healthcare maintains a monopoly on healthcare delivery in all of Northern Kentucky and in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
The Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities (KAHF) is essentially a lobbying organization or a political action committee operating for the express purpose of “representing skilled nursing and personal care homes”. KAHF has recently added a component called the Kentucky Center for Assisted Living to “represent assisted living communities”. Neither organization states that their purpose is to ensure quality of care.
It was the mailer paid for by Kentuckians for Patient Access that brought my attention to who is supporting Mr. Pavese and why. Kentuckians for Patient Access is a lobbying (PAC) group advocating for the continuation of the requirement of a Certificate of Need (CON) before additional healthcare facilities can be built. It is in short an organization designed to maintain the status quo of the healthcare industry in Kentucky. In other words the CON can be used to both expand St. Elizabeth Healthcare facilities and services while preventing The Christ Hospital, Mercy Health, and any other healthcare delivery system from establishing a strong presence in competition with St. Elizabeth Healthcare ensuring that their financial well being is served at the expense of yours.
It is in that mailer that Mr. Pavese added — for the very first time in any of his campaign literature or web sites or his FaceBook page — these words: “Expand quality healthcare.” I was an Officer in the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service for 30 years. I wrote national public health policy. I have no idea what “Expand quality healthcare” means. Perhaps Mr. Pavese can explain it.
The obvious question is this: What do these people and these organizations (including Anonymous) expect in return for their generous support?
The short answer? Something.
Other than a seat in the Commonwealth’s legislature what have these people and organizations suggested might come Mr. Pavese’s way should he win and chose to “repay” their kind and generous support?
Probably something.
Before you vote think very hard about who you will be voting if you are considering Christopher Pavese.
A final word. I am a resident of Union, Kentucky which is part of Kentucky House District 60 and I have previously endorsed Representative Proctor, however, I am not affiliated with her campaign nor have I made any contributions to her campaign in cash or kind. Nor has Representative Proctor participated in the development or review of this piece or paid for its production.
Union, Kentucky
29 April 2024