On Tuesday the Shasta County Board of Supervisors will be presented with a proposal from paid healthcare consultant Chriss Street. He was given a $40,000 contract in February to study the local shortage of physicians and investigate the feasibility of establishing a local medical school. A survey last month by Shasta County Health and Human Services pointed to the existence of a doctor shortage and suggested various reasons, but the costs of a medical school are enormous. Street’s recommendations will include seeking huge grants from state and federal government sources. A lawsuit by former public defender Jeff Gorder was filed in June against Shasta County, the Board of Supervisors and the CEO alleging that Street got the $40,000 contract because supervisor Kevin Crye owes him favors, and that the work could have been done better and cheaper by county staff. Street had tried for several county positions, and was turned down for CEO after his background check. Gorder’s suit is not likely to be back in court until next April
-Steve Gibson