COUNTY GETS ANOTHER TOBACCO FUND REQUEST.Byline: Jennifer Klein Staff Writer VENTURA - Entering the debate on how Ventura County should use its $250 million tobacco settlement money, the American Heart Association American Heart Association (AHA), n.pr a national voluntary health agency that has the goal of increasing public and medical awareness of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and thereby reducing the number of associated deaths and disabilities. will ask the Board of Supervisors today to devote 25 percent to education and enforcement. The association's proposal comes as the county is fending off a November ballot initiative that seeks to divert di·vert v. di·vert·ed, di·vert·ing, di·verts v.tr. 1. To turn aside from a course or direction: Traffic was diverted around the scene of the accident. 2. the funds to seven of the county's private hospitals. In a letter to the supervisors, the Heart Association, a co-plaintiff in the national lawsuit lawsuit: see procedure; tort. against major tobacco companies that resulted in the record settlement, encourages the county to ``tie the 'bounty' of the lawsuit with the original vision.'' The county had been considering using $7 million from the expected $10 million annual allotment A portion, share, or division. The proportionate distribution of shares of stock in a corporation. The partition and distribution of land. ALLOTMENT. Distribution by lot; partition. Merl. Rep. h.t. over the next 25 years to help balance next year's budget. However, in the face of the Nov. 7 initiative sponsored by Community Memorial Hospital, the county is trying to balance its budget without the tobacco funds. County officials did not return phone calls seeking comment. The Community Memorial initiative would allocate money to a smoking prevention program directed at children in grades seven through 12. However, that money would come only from what remains after other health care programs are funded, and would be significantly less than the 25 percent the Heart Association wants. Jim Lott, who is representing the private hospitals, said if the initiative passes, the Heart Association could negotiate to increase the amount to be spent for prevention and enforcement programs, but for now, the nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. is ``a day late and a dollar short.'' The county and the seven private hospitals remain in talks about the ballot initiative. The county has not taken a position on the group's offer last month to share the funds with Ventura County Medical Center Ventura County Medical Center is a hospital in the city of Ventura, California, USA. It is a 208 bed acute care hospital. The county also operates a 49 bed campus in Santa Paula. , said Lott, who is also executive vice president of The Healthcare Association of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . Last month, private hospitals in the county said they would support the Community Memorial Hospital-sponsored initiative if Ventura County Medical Center also received part of the money. |
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