Ballots for the Aug. 1 primary election will be arriving soon, and I can hardly wait to vote (again) to approve the $10 million Ocean Beach Hospital bond.

Arguments and letters in favor of its passing have been plentiful, sincere and well-articulated, to be sure. But I’ve been waiting for someone to really point out the obvious, and with the right inflection: People, this is a bargain! We should literally be running to the ballot box to get this done!

A duly elected board of commissioners, responsibly steered and with earnestness and transparency, is presenting us with an opportunity to invest in our community healthcare to the benefit of all. And frankly, I’ve never seen a group of people come together with a plan that offers to do so much with so little. Compared to the price tags on most capital campaigns, $10 million feels like change you can shake out of the couch cushions.

I’m a widowed property owner, living on a single income. My budget, carefully managed, usually works out. But now and then it lands somewhere between a wing and a prayer, and even for me, this feels like a screaming deal. Despite the recent (and yes, outlandish) increase to the assessed value of my home and land, this bond will still only cost me about $60 annually. That’s less than the price of a once-a-month latte! And look at the returns: From the very least of the reasonable submissions in the package— wheelchair accessible bathrooms — all the way to that Golden Ticket of an urgent care clinic, I don’t see a scrap of fat in the whole thing.

“Better,” in terms of policy or taxation, almost never means, “better for everyone.” But this looks like the exception. Such an easy decision! And here’s a bonus: This time — this one blessed time out of so, so many, of late — it’s not a decision that will be informed by how you feel about candidates, or climate change or bodily autonomy. It’s not about masks, guns or government corruption. Mercifully, it’s not even about fireworks or driving on the beach. For this issue, it won’t matter if you’re wearing a MAGA hat or waving a Pride flag, because on this one, all of us can win.

If you’re used to thinking your voice doesn’t matter, it’s time to drop the cynicism and pick up your ballot. The April vote for this bond lost by five. Not five precincts, not five percent, but five votes. Five! Please, let’s not let that happen again.

This time, let’s say, “yes.” And let’s say it, resoundingly, unmistakably, and all together.

LYNETTE McADAMS

Ocean Park