The Observation Deck

I've been responding to facebook comments about Buildlakewood and their plans.

The BuildLakewood web site states that the Foundation would be Lakewood's very own Gund Foundation. I stated in one of my responses that the proposed New Foundation would be controlled by the Cleveland Clinic and that the Foundation would spend its money all across Northeast Ohio.

A list of services to be provided by the new Foundation from Buildlakewoods website:

• Senior transportation to medical appointments both inside and outside Lakewood.
• Park improvements, playground construction, and other improvements to community spaces.
• Art, literacy, music education, and other programs that increase our quality of life.
• Adult and youth recreation leagues and other active lifestyle programs.
• Existing non-profits such as Lakewood Alive, Lakewood Community Services Center, and Northcoast Health

Also from their website:

"Make no mistake about it, what is being proposed by the Cleveland Clinic and the Lakewood Hospital Foundation is a hospital under Ohio law."

Sounds impressive doesn't it?

Councilman Juris responded by writing that the Foundation would serve the people of Lakewood and that the Clinic would only have two members on the new foundations board. He went on to write that the new foundation would also serve surrounding areas because they supported the Lakewood Hospital Foundation in the past.

You could drive a truck through that last statement and I'm sure they will.

The new Foundation will be supporting Avon and the new Avon Hospital, building parks in Fairview, supporting the arts at Gordon Square and more. Think of it as one big slush fund for the well connected. In short order the new Foundation will become a creature of the Cleveland Clinic.

The last statement, "Make no mistake about it, what is being proposed by the Cleveland Clinic and the Lakewood Hospital Foundation is a hospital under Ohio law" is very revealing.

The Cleveland Clinic doesn't call any of its other Family Health Centers hospitals and under Ohio law the proposed family health center IS NOT A HOSPITAL. Why the need to call a medical building a hospital?

As I recall the original founding documents of the Lakewood Hospital Foundation the assets of the Foundation become the property of the City of Lakewood if the Hospital no longer existed. If the new health center is not a hospital then the unrestricted funds become the property of the City of Lakewood.

And that is what should happen.

The mention of Northcoast Health is also very revealing.

Bill Call wrote:The Cleveland Clinic doesn't call any of its other Family Health Centers hospitals and under Ohio law the proposed family health center IS NOT A HOSPITAL. Why the need to call a medical building a hospital?

Because they feel, the only "lie" the Mayor and Madigan were caught in was "The Hospital
is not closing." Of course that was just the first of what has become dozens of "misstatement"
they hate hearing them called lies.

As long as they use hospital, they can look people in the face and say, "The hospital is not
closing, healthcare is changing."

A friend of mine in healthcare with one of the largest hospital in the county, not UH or Suma,
said, "They are total buffoons." I am not sure if he was qualified to make that judgement.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Because they feel, the only "lie" the Mayor and Madigan were caught in was "The Hospital is not closing." Of course that was just the first of what has become dozens of "misstatement" they hate hearing them called lies.

I vaguely remember some scandal where one of the participants was called out on some contradictions and responded by saying, "I'm trying to remember the story". Someone pointed out that if you were telling the truth you wouldn't have to try to remember the story.

This is all so sad. I could actually support the demotion of the Hospital in exchange for a real medical center and a realistic development plan. Of course I would still hold a grudge about the incompetence and deceit but I could get over that.

Bill Call wrote:?
Councilman Juris responded by writing that the Foundation would serve the people of Lakewood and that the Clinic would only have two members on the new foundations board. He went on to write that the new foundation would also serve surrounding areas because they supported the Lakewood Hospital Foundation in the past.

This is a very interesting way of thinking. In charitable giving the donors either give with or without restrictions. In either case, the donors can only expect and insist that the money is used responsibly for the general or restricted cause. Any attempt to get something more different than that in return would bely that it is a gift in the first place.

Ken Haber has made public statements that the funds solicited by LHF do come from outside Lakewood. So I think I get Councilman Juris' statement, but....

An LHF administrator told me that LHF has received significant gifts restricted for only the hospital. If the hospital ceases to exist, LHF will need to seek the Ohio Attorney General approval to divert them to different cause. I've also heard that the City of Lakewood would have the inside track on that struggle since the City owns the hospital and it is the intended beneficiary of that money.

So it is more complex than simply spreading the money around in communities where it might have come from. But having CCF in any way involved in how LHF restricted money is used would seem to me to be unwarranted in the future since it will not be operating a hospital--only an urgent care/medical office building--this will not be owned by the City---CCF already has plenty of money and has said that it will accept sole financial responsibility
for it.

It appears that every so called deal this mayor and council come up with must always include Cleveland Clinic. Why! The only possible thing I can think of is that it appears as though our mayor has made, what I believe to be, one hell of a deal for himself. I also believe that should this deal be made public, it might not be 100% legitimate. Just my opinion.

Lori Allen _ wrote:I also believe that should this deal be made public, it might not be 100% legitimate. Just my opinion.

It's interesting the Councilwoman Madigan and Councilman Juris have both declined to run for re-election to defend their actions.

The people of Lakewood should be very concerned about this new Foundation.

A few years ago I had a short conversation with an LHA member. I expressed my concerns about the transfer of Hospital services to Avon and other areas. He responded by saying a lot of people live out that way. When I replied that Lakewood had more residents than Avon and Avon Lake combined he walked away on a huff.

Expect the same behavior from the members of the new foundation.

A reasonable interpretation of the Lakewood Hospital Foundation governing documents is that if there is no hospital THERE IS NO FOUNDATION. If there is no foundation the money reverts back to the City of Lakewood.

The money in the Lakewood Hospital Foundation should be deposited in a separate enterprise fund to support the City of Lakewood and not "surrounding areas". Surrounding areas can look out after themselves. When Mayor Summers asked Avon's Mayor about revenue sharing he was told to go to hell. Where is the Lakewood politician willing to tell those looking at Lakewood with greedy intent to go to hell?

I suspect that there might be some other communities or entities that would fight the transfer of Foundation money to the City of Lakewood. Any Lakewood politician worth his salt would relish that fight.

Who will stand up for Lakewood?