CEO of Mission Hospitals Dr. Ronald A. Paulus, who for some reason has lengthened his name recently, said he was “shocked” that the state legislature sprung recommendations out of the blue. The recommendations are to handicap North Carolina hospitals operating under Certificates of Public Advantage. Mission is the only one. WNC’s healthcare system is dominated by three hospital systems, and, like a play-by-play taken from an Ayn Rand novel, lobbyists have a good track record for creating special laws to handicap Mission. With little or no reading between the lines, Paulus has been paid a very high compliment in that crony capitalists suppose his success must be broken by redefining right and wrong with funky legislation.