Update on Providence Park Naming Rights Payment

About 18 people from Health Care for All Oregon attended the City Council meeting on Wednesday, May 28, to tell city commissioners that we would like the city to let us disclose the amount Providence paid for the naming rights to Civic Stadium. During our visit to City Hall last month, when we attempted to meet with the mayor or arrange an appointment for this meeting, we were asked whether we had gone to city council. So we took this step.   Four people spoke to the issue, and Mayor Hales at one point directed us to see his aid to make an appointment with his office. Commissioner Amanda Fritz commented that the city did not have that information.   After we spoke, one of our group attempted to arrange to make that appointment with they mayor, but was simply given a card and told the city doesn't know, and this is not a priority issue.   Once again, we feel like we are being stonewalled by the city. We have written requesting a meeting with the mayor, gone to his office to request a meeting and to make an appointment (we just received an email saying the city doesn't know, but no opportunity for an appointment), and gone to city council. All with the same result. We feel if the city really does not know, as owners of Civic Stadium, the information should be available. We also feel under Oregon's open public records law, we are entitled to this information.   Health Care for All Oregon is concerned that the tens of millions of dollars spent for these naming rights and advertising is seriously impacting funds that should be used for patient care. The Affordable Care Act designates a percentage of health insurance income to go directly to patient care, and a certain percentage for profit/administration (ie, 80-85% of income must go directly to medical costs).   ​We will be planning our next steps, and do not plan to 'simply walk away' as the city is hoping. Providence's premium payers and the public have a right to this information.