Affectionately known by most Lakewoodites as "The Big Black Hole In The Middle of Lakewood" a name that reflects the same lack of creativity and forethought plagued the flawed "The Big Black Hole In The Middle of Lakewood" from 2010.
We published letter after letter, document after document, all underlining that the FitzGerald/Summers administration was not just wrong in their numbers, but lying about them from day 1. We went and talked with one of the people in the deal from day one and he wrote, "There is no $120 million in development coming into the city, that figure is wrong." Ken Haber. We published the letters where Summers and sycophants were told time and time again, "Do not use that number, it is not true."
It was pointed out for 4 years by professionals and accredited people that the plan would never work, and that it would break the city. Before the first vote by the residents of Lakewood even happened it was proven with their own documents that it was all bullshit. That it had zero chance of happening and that the only people coming out ahead of the game were a small handful of the Mayor's supporters and friends. Again and again this was pointed out.
What was City Hall's answer? An all out war on the truth. Starting and feeding as many "fake news" media and FB pages as possible. Political papers designed to look like news, delivered to every house filled with misleading stories and even misleading ads. All paid for by Donations to Mayor Summers political campaign, and published by Ed FitzGerald and Lakewood Law Director Kevin Butler and their "publishing firm." All of this was propped up with a whole bunch of groups working together to get Lakewood Hospital torn down, and all of the millions into a private account they alone could manage. The very money raised to preserve Lakewood's health and future. The very money that had reached the amount needed to completely update the hospital for the next 20 years, gone in a flash. Vanished under a bed of lies and deceit.
Well, Lakewoodites should never forget the good screwing our elected officials and civic leaders gave us. We should never forget a single one of the names that broke and destroyed this community possibly forever. The group that lied their way to the riches, while leaving Lakewood in a real lurch, at one of the most critical times in Lakewood's history.
So the plaque would read something like...
"The Ed FitzGerald/Mike Summers Big Black Hole In Lakewood's DowntowN Park"
The Name of both Mayors, all Council Members that voted for it. All the members of LHA, and LHF Law Director, Finance Director, Members of BuildLakewood, Live Well Lakewood, Lakewood Healthy Task Force.
Maybe another list of those that pushed for it knowing none of the truth.
Followed by a list of names we have been compiling of everyone that had a hand in this death blow. So we can both cleanse our souls, and make sure that generations to come read the names of the people that caused this. Maybe an * for each award they gave themselves while fleecing the city of Lakewood.
Please remember these people assured us they had a plan that was better for Lakewood than the current Hospital that was in the Black and serving 52,000 people very well. Of course we found out later after their Rec Center plan, the one they all said never existed, all the other plans were vapor and bullshit. All they ever wanted was the millions for themselves.
I guess they are half way to the money needed. I mentioned if they have any left over, maybe they could rename Old Sinagra Park as "Lucy Sinagra Park" at least Tony and Lucy Sinagra left Lakewood better off than when they got elected.
I see where many are blaming Mayor George, funny thing is, she said the deal was really bad and would never work. Not because she was against it. But because ALL of the professionals she spoke to said it was nonsense and the city could never afford it. In the end, it will be the deal that could possibly kill the city.
Of course you would expect them to lie and spread misinformation as they slowly move out of the city they killed.
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