The Observation Deck

We need to clear up the alleged money laundering, alleged HUD fraud and housing fraud that is going on in the city. Perhaps when talk to Mike next time, you could ask him to post here on the Deck along with documentation to clear up these alleged scams.

Having followed this thread for a few days, it appears to me as though there is remarkably little definition of this foundation. At any rate, remarkably little that is public (I imagine most persons reading this forum have their own beliefs about whether more specific definition of the foundation already exists, undisclosed).

At the moment, a perusal of onelakewood.com turns up only:

A "Wellness Foundation" section on the "Healthcare in Lakewood" page, which includes

• A one-page PDF of a Microsoft PowerPoint diagram, which is mostly structural information. It suggests that the foundation will make grants, but includes no details about them. Otherwise the phrase "Needs, ideas, proposals" seems to confirm an information vacuum. http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... -Point.pdf
• A 47-page "Building and Maintaining Strong Foundations" handbook published by the Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. and Community Catalyst, Inc. The intent of its inclusion is unclear, though it may be worth returning to later. http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... ations.pdf

A solicitation for Foundation Planning Task Force Member applications.

The "Healthcare in Lakewood" page also references "a unique community health foundation forging a long-term partnership of elected officials, civic leaders, health care providers and others to ensure appropriate and innovative health services." I'm not sure that there exists meaningfully informative content anywhere in those 27 words. http://www.onelakewood.com/community-vi ... /hospital/

As we know, the Wellness Foundation Planning Task Force is now selected. The announcement for this informs us that “This new foundation will be yet another tool to be used to reach our goal of becoming the healthiest community," etc., etc. Beyond that, "the task force will be charged with… determining the structure of the foundation; establishing the mission as well as the criteria for selecting trustees; and creating and adopting its bylaws." http://www.onelakewood.com/members-sele ... ask-force/

• Still don't see much about why Lakewood ought to have this foundation.
• The suggestion that the Task Force will determine mission, structure and processes—basically everything?—would imply that there is no answer at present.
• The suggestion that the Task Force will determine structure leaves me unclear about the significance of the PowerPoint diagram.

Resorting to a search turns up one more snippet, titled "Tell us more about this new community health foundation. What makes you so convinced it’s a good thing?" I'm not sure where this is published on the site, and based on the reference to "getting started in 2016" it may be obsolete information that someone overlooked. Still, what did make the author so convinced this foundation is a good thing?

"We’ve heard from experts about some of the transformative changes those foundations can achieve in improving a community’s health. We have a great deal of faith in our own citizens’ abilities to shape a foundation that truly addresses our own health care needs. It’s also well funded; there’s a $32.4 million commitment in this agreement — with the possibility of more. We haven’t yet engaged the right mix of leaders, consultants and health care professionals to help us put shape to that foundation and we are looking forward to getting started in 2016." http://www.onelakewood.com/accordions/t ... ood-thing/

So, expert testimony on the impact of foundations on a community's health. No details are provided.

Hm.

I confess that I have, to date, focused the majority of my attentions on other issues involved in the healthcare transformation project. It nonetheless appears to me that, based on public information — and regardless of whether you believe it's complete or accurate the City of Lakewood has published a lot of information about this topic online — the very concept of this foundation is almost literally supported by nothing more than some money and repetition of the term "foundation."

And, I guess, a great deal of faith in citizens.

That is one phenomenal amount of faith, it seems to me. I wonder where it was when citizens asked for, e.g., the right to judge a plan to close Lakewood Hospital before such plan went into effect?

I believe the foundation is just the name for the group of these folks, but "foundation" appears to be nothing more than a name.

I mean, the mayor's alleged friend Nick's property on Madison is $89,000 tax delinquent and also owes $60,000 to City Hall for demolition charges. I would like to see the mayor tackle this before entrusting him and a few of his alleged friends with millions of foundation funds. Makes me wonder why the mayor is so worried about this foundation. Lots of really weird stuff going on, like why did our tax dollars go to pay to demolish Nick's property that had a tax lien on it already? City Hall would have to know if the money wasn't paid,the property would go back to the county, not the city.