Mayor's Letter in Water Bill - I Got Mine
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:37 pm
Hi All,
I received my water bill today and enclosed was a one-page, double-sided letter from Michael P. This may or may not be the same letter others received. In my honest opinion, the version I received does not really sound like campaigning. However, it seems extremely biased and not completely truthful. Below are some highlights from the letter I received:
In the mayor's letter, he claims that the new family health center will include a 24/7 emergency room. However, he admits later in the article that patients in the ER will be transferred to nearby hospitals, such as Fairview Hospital, which is just 3.2 miles away.
If you have a serious, life-or-death issue (heart attack, stroke, etc.), I don't think the paramedics would even bother taking you to the Lakewood Family Health Center. They don't take you to Lakewood Hospital now if you have these symptoms. A lady on my street was taken to St. John Westshore recently because both Fairview and Metro were full. That was a 12.9 mile, 21-minute ride.
I'm not sure what point of reference is being used when calculating the 3.2 miles, but Fairview is 4.4 miles and 14 minutes away from Nicholson and Lake (driving directions time). Lutheran is 4.5 miles and nine minutes from Nicholson and Lake. MetroHealth is 7.2 miles and 16 minutes from Lake & Nicholson. Lakewood Hospital is three minutes and 1.2 miles from Lake & Nicholson. I won't bore you with other points of reference in Lakewood, but I think we can understand that the trip will be significantly longer, especially if you live on the northern end of town. Jim O'Bryan mentioned in one of his posts that Lakewood Fire answered 35 calls in less than 24 hours the other day. I don't understand how the mayor can justify saying that Lakewood doesn't need a hospital.
The bottom of page one also says "like me, you've used Lakewood Hospital at critical points in your lives".
Didn't the mayor say at one time that hardly anybody uses Lakewood Hospital? Which is it?
In the second full paragraph on the back of the page, the mayor says "In 2012, it became apparent to the trustees of LHA that the future of Lakewood Hospital was going to hold many financial challenges. As a result, LHA carried out a thorough, two-year deliberative process to review the long-term financial viability of Lakewood Hospital."
If Lakewood Hospital was in such financial danger, why was the public not made aware? Why could the citizens not have any input? Why was this sprung on the residents in 2015?
Another quote from the mayor's letter: "One way or another, change is upon us so I encourage you to be open to the exciting healthcare possibilities available for Lakewood".
Again, why is this being presented as a done deal? In my opinion, the citizens (who own the land and building) should have been included much earlier in this process and need to be taken much more seriously now. Everyone's opinion needs to count.
On the back of the page, the mayor states that MetroHealth submitted their proposal and then withdrew it.
This is not entirely true. The mayor neglected to mention that he completely ignored MetroHealth's proposal. Why would Metro leave a proposal on the table and just let it sit?
Finally, toward the end of the back of the page, the mayor mentions that city council has hired a law firm and a financial consultant to help determine the best course of action to take. I feel it may have been prudent to let the citizens of Lakewood know that their tax money is paying for these law firms and consultants, along with all of the other outside lawyers the city hires for separate lawsuits.
As much as some may feel the contrary, I don't intend this post to be a personal attack on the mayor. He has a right to his opinion like everyone else. However, I don't feel that he was completely truthful in the writing of this letter or in the entire presentation of this whole deal. All of the facts need to be put on the table and presented to the public, not just the mayor's side. This way, everyone can form their own opinions without just hearing one side. If the cost of the paper for this letter is being subtracted from the city treasury, I believe that it should be much less slanted and much more truthful.
I received my water bill today and enclosed was a one-page, double-sided letter from Michael P. This may or may not be the same letter others received. In my honest opinion, the version I received does not really sound like campaigning. However, it seems extremely biased and not completely truthful. Below are some highlights from the letter I received:
In the mayor's letter, he claims that the new family health center will include a 24/7 emergency room. However, he admits later in the article that patients in the ER will be transferred to nearby hospitals, such as Fairview Hospital, which is just 3.2 miles away.
If you have a serious, life-or-death issue (heart attack, stroke, etc.), I don't think the paramedics would even bother taking you to the Lakewood Family Health Center. They don't take you to Lakewood Hospital now if you have these symptoms. A lady on my street was taken to St. John Westshore recently because both Fairview and Metro were full. That was a 12.9 mile, 21-minute ride.
I'm not sure what point of reference is being used when calculating the 3.2 miles, but Fairview is 4.4 miles and 14 minutes away from Nicholson and Lake (driving directions time). Lutheran is 4.5 miles and nine minutes from Nicholson and Lake. MetroHealth is 7.2 miles and 16 minutes from Lake & Nicholson. Lakewood Hospital is three minutes and 1.2 miles from Lake & Nicholson. I won't bore you with other points of reference in Lakewood, but I think we can understand that the trip will be significantly longer, especially if you live on the northern end of town. Jim O'Bryan mentioned in one of his posts that Lakewood Fire answered 35 calls in less than 24 hours the other day. I don't understand how the mayor can justify saying that Lakewood doesn't need a hospital.
The bottom of page one also says "like me, you've used Lakewood Hospital at critical points in your lives".
Didn't the mayor say at one time that hardly anybody uses Lakewood Hospital? Which is it?
In the second full paragraph on the back of the page, the mayor says "In 2012, it became apparent to the trustees of LHA that the future of Lakewood Hospital was going to hold many financial challenges. As a result, LHA carried out a thorough, two-year deliberative process to review the long-term financial viability of Lakewood Hospital."
If Lakewood Hospital was in such financial danger, why was the public not made aware? Why could the citizens not have any input? Why was this sprung on the residents in 2015?
Another quote from the mayor's letter: "One way or another, change is upon us so I encourage you to be open to the exciting healthcare possibilities available for Lakewood".
Again, why is this being presented as a done deal? In my opinion, the citizens (who own the land and building) should have been included much earlier in this process and need to be taken much more seriously now. Everyone's opinion needs to count.
On the back of the page, the mayor states that MetroHealth submitted their proposal and then withdrew it.
This is not entirely true. The mayor neglected to mention that he completely ignored MetroHealth's proposal. Why would Metro leave a proposal on the table and just let it sit?
Finally, toward the end of the back of the page, the mayor mentions that city council has hired a law firm and a financial consultant to help determine the best course of action to take. I feel it may have been prudent to let the citizens of Lakewood know that their tax money is paying for these law firms and consultants, along with all of the other outside lawyers the city hires for separate lawsuits.
As much as some may feel the contrary, I don't intend this post to be a personal attack on the mayor. He has a right to his opinion like everyone else. However, I don't feel that he was completely truthful in the writing of this letter or in the entire presentation of this whole deal. All of the facts need to be put on the table and presented to the public, not just the mayor's side. This way, everyone can form their own opinions without just hearing one side. If the cost of the paper for this letter is being subtracted from the city treasury, I believe that it should be much less slanted and much more truthful.