Mayor Distancing Himself from Hospital Deal/Build Lakewood?

[Michael Deneen]

Tom Bullock wrote a very revealing PR piece in this week's version of the Observer.

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/read/20 ... or-another
It is a fluff piece, which is to be expected since Bullock is a big part of the Summers campaign.
I've written similar pieces myself, so I won't mock its fuzzy tone...or even the photo with a baby. That's standard fare.

However, I found a couple quotes to be very interesting.

"Let me tell you one issue this mayoral election is NOT about: it’s not about Lakewood Hospital. The hospital is a City Council issue for this year and not a mayoral issue for next year. As we know, it’s Lakewood City Council, together with public input from Lakewood citizens, that will make a decision about Lakewood Hospital, perhaps as early as this
year."

That is a real jaw dropper to me. Summers orchestrated the entire hospital mess, and served as its frontman all winter. So now he wants to distance himself?
That is NOT going to work.

This signals to me that City Hall knows it's losing the hospital fight. The rollout of "Build Lakewood" has been an epic disaster.
Their attempts to spin the issue on various online websites have been defeated by facts.
As O'Bryan points out, they have run from the discussion.
Their Facebook page is a desert, save for occasional visits by hospital supporters.
The "icing on the cake" was their laughable yard sign rollout last weekend.
Those signs are ridiculously outnumbered by SLH signs. The few BL yard signs that exist are in the yards of City Hall insiders.

Bullock threw in this line for good measure:
"It’s possible to support Mayor Summers, as I do, and still to ask tough questions about the proposal. As a community we can prefer keeping Lakewood Hospital as an inpatient facility, and reserve the right to consider alternatives. City Council has the hospital issue before it, and we will continue working on it in good faith and with all deliberate speed. We do not yet know what the outcome will be—only that City Council will make the decision with input from the public."

So basically he's asking hospital supporters to vote for Summers. Good luck with that.

You, Madigan, and Summers NEVER asked tough questions, Tom. That's why we're in this mess.

[Bill Call]

Nice analysis.

Will people fall for it?

[Bridget Conant]

Why wouldn't the mayoral election be about Lakewood Hospital? Summers orchestrated it and thought it was a great idea. If he's so convinced it's a good deal and we must move ahead, then they are inextricably entwined. If he isn't willing to make it part of his campaign, that says a lot about him and the deal.

Mayor Summers - OWN IT.

[Michael Deneen]

I found this quote from the PD Summers campaign announcement article on February 26.

"Summers said he decided about a week ago. One reason for another term in office is to see through a plan to change health care delivery in Lakewood, which includes replacing Lakewood Hospital with a family health clinic."

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... rs_12.html

In February he wanted to "see it through", but by August it became "a city council issue".

[Bridget Conant]

Oh I see - It's his issue if it's popular and winnable, it's City Council's if it's a failure

[Brian Essi]

"The problem with habitual lying is that it is hard to remember whether what you've said in the past is a lie or not" W. Wilson Caldwell

[Lori Allen _]

"with input from Lakewood citizens"?
I was never sent a health survey in the mail. Perhaps Summers could have enclosed them in with our water bills, just like he did with his campaign crap! By the way, does anybody know whether or not the cost for the water bill enclosures appears on his campaign finance report?

The issue of the hospital is INDEED the main topic of this election. Why else does it appear as if Summers lined up people to run in every ward so he could have someone on board to push through his unethical hospital deal? I find it interesting in ward three he appears to have three people running that are on board to see the destruction of the hospital.

We have a beautiful city here by the lake, with diversity, small local shops, biking, close to metro parks, etc.

We all need to really seriously research our choices for this upcoming election. Check the candidates out. You can google search and look at public records. I have had enough. I believe it is time for a change to save not only our hospital and 1,100 jobs, but our beautiful city as well!

[Jim O'Bryan]

Bridgette

I do not see how the Mayor distances himself from a plan he has said time and again,
he started, though that fact is becoming doubtful too, as it seems more and more that
the illustrious Mayor and Mayor Summers' mentor Ed FitzGerald helped open the door
to the Clinic that Mayor Summers.

He owns it, and according to what we are hearing from LHA, he worked hard to empty that
building and get it ready for his friend's new non-profit.

"The problem with habitual lying is that it is hard to remember whether what you've said in the past is a lie or not" W. Wilson Caldwell

Brian

It is amazing isn't it. I mean from adults, that were elected to office to represent and serve
the residents of Lakewood. As outlined here on the Deck for years. Residents getting lied
to and played by the very people there to tell them the truth, keep them in the loop, and
protect them.

Instead they close the curtain time and time again, they say anything bu the truth, and
lead those looking for the truth on treasure hunts, and waiting and waiting and waiting
for documents that should be available instantly. The LHA has put on their "We are a
Private Association," a tenuous description of a group that was formed through the vote
of the public, and whose soul job is TO RUN A HOSPITAL.

It is funny, over the years I have found you can tell just how bad something is by how hard
they work to keep the facts away from those that have a right to know.

This deal must, no is very bad, because the smoke and mirrors are just incredible, with
many more coming.

Let's make no bones about it.

This is theft of public assets, plan and simple.

(remember this date and post)

.

[Dan Alaimo]

I always liked Tom Bullock and think he is a gifted politician (which can be a good thing) with a bright future in public service. However, he has really backed the wrong horse this time, and the spin job does not become him.

[cameron karslake]

Amazing what 6 months will do to an issue, huh Mike? Your pet project has been turned into a hot potato and you passed the buck. Not surprising!

[Pam Wetula]

Mike

Thank you for your analysis of Bullock's comments in the Observer. It does appear that Mike Summers is distancing himself from what he has created.

I have to say that it is hard to watch a person go into the political arena as an intelligent, thoughtful, apparently honest human being and morph into "Politician - Standard Edition".



pam

[Dan Alaimo]

Another thought - to an organization like CCF, image is everything and those in charge of maintaining that image wield more power than they do in other types of organizations.
This debacle has given CCF a black eye, at least in Lakewood where they do a lot of business, so I wonder if the P.R. honchos have weighed in to try and calm things.
If so, that might be good for us. Good P.R. doesn't mean "crisis management" where the crisis is a citizen base that disagrees with a decision being forced on us.

[Marguerite Harkness]

My husband says, "Crisis management" is NOT the art of creating crises to manage!

[Michael Deneen]

I notice that in today's Observer, the Mayor's article makes no mention of the hospital.
Will he get away with distancing himself from the Hospital and Build Lakewood?

I wonder how Build Lakewood feels about this...they are being abandoned by their "patriarch".
I was on their FB page this evening and invited the BL followers to come to the Deck....my invitation was not warmly received.

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/read/20 ... ndorsement

[Michael Deneen]

This week's Observer issued featured another fawning love letter for Mike Summers.
This one was written by Celia Dorsch.

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/read/20 ... ke-summers

Once again, the hospital issue is not mentioned by Team Summers.

Will the Mayor successfully distance himself from the sinking "Build Lakewood" ship?