The Observation Deck

http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2015/0 ... ood-health

The Mayor finally talks about the possibility of a Rec center after the public records requests shine line on the subject. He decides to praise this idea and uses the UH Health and Fitness Center as an example.

The concept is not new in forward-thinking communities: it has been successfully employed by Akron General after the health system determined that a dedication to wellness, exercise and nutrition education could help people achieve and maintain better health. Decades ago, University Hospitals created a fitness facility on its campus, an idea considered revolutionary at the time and enjoyed by staff and community alike. Now, UH has a thriving Center for Health & Fitness in Avon Lake.

http://www.uhhospitals.org/avon

IF A HEALTH AND FITNESS CENTER WITH ER IN AVON WERE ENOUGH FOR A CITY OF 22,000 WHY WOULD THE CLINIC NEED TO BUILD A NEW STATE OF THE ART HOSPITAL THERE?!?@?

Ryan

As much as it pains me to say this, I really do not care what he says anymore.

If a Mayor elected by the people sees fit to lie and mislead his constituents for
over 3 years on the single biggest change in the city in 50 years...

... he simply cannot be trusted.

When a Mayor cannot be trusted, he is useless to the community he was to lead.

So the City now should ask itself, do we build the temple the liars DEMAND for themselves?

I really hope the city thinks long and hard about their vote this fall.

Do we reward bad leadership, lying, mistrust, scheming, backroom deals with friends?

Yesterday, I had a great glass of Scotch with a longtime friend who appears on the
Build Lakewood list*, and is a key holder to the City of Lakewood. He asked if I was voting
for Mike this year. He knows Mike and I have been friends for a long time, and knows that
despite some of the talk, I still saw Mike with potential. "I said no, 6 weeks ago I decided
I could no longer support him.

While being Mayor, he not only helped but headed the plan to run Lakewood Hosptial into
the ground, though it was always in his power to stop the plan. He has lied and schemed
behind every Lakewoodites back for a Rec Center that he knows the City cannot afford or
support, but pushed on to please a few misguided friends. He has worked behind our backs
to sell off some of the most valuable property in Lakewood for a loss to the citizens, but a
big enough gain for friends to set up "a new unnamed non-profit dedicated to active
living**." He worked to run out our largest employer, that had roughly 1,000 good jobs.
He has squandered hundreds of thousands of our dollars, nearly $1 million if you count the
LHA's study on documents to back up and underline, HIS PLAN, not their findings. Then
hires "Crisis Management" to deal with us, the citizens. And this is just the tip of the
iceberg. Oh yes, more proof of the scam is coming. He has not just failed, and might
possibly be our worst mayor, he might be one of the most corrupt in thought.

I cannot figure out how anyone can support this level of dishonesty.

It is embarrassing when I'm talking to people who know the truth, and I say, "Why the blind
support?" It is easily as embarrassing as when Ed FitzGerald blew up, and the county
thanked us for dumping our trash into their backyards.

I turn to the "Build Lakewood" friend and he says, "Well Skindell seems a little
opportunistic, a career politician." Opportunistic?! The man, who has NEVER been involved
in a scandal, and has always stood for democratic values, is walking away from the last
3.5 years as the State Senator, because he was so outraged over the bullshit. He could
have easily waited and waltzed in at the next election. But no, the deal is so bad he jumped in.

Opportunistic is stepping in, running a city institution into the ground, while plotting to
get friends and others into cushy jobs handing out our money selectively to their friends.

* This person was not asked to be on list, but did not care that he was listed, and genrally
supports the idea that IF THE DEAL IS LEGIT, something needs to go there.

**At a going-away party last December, a woman said to one of her co-workers, "I am
stepping down to run a new non-profit dedicated to active living in Lakewood." I have
written that name on a double sealed registered letter to one of my lawyers, to be
opened the day after the announcement.

Lakewood, we are getting played. Wake up.



.

I just got banned from posting on Build Lakewood... Obviously they have the same mindset of the City. If they were pushing truth they wouldn't be afraid of debate....

Wellness is a new buzzword employed by insurance companies to imply that they are looking out for your health, when in reality they are a way of shifting cost, and blame, to those with disease. There is no hard scientific study that proves wellness programs increase the health of the population, or that many diseases are, in fact, preventable at all (with the exception of the smoking population.)

Rec centers are primarily used by only 1 in 5 residents, a small minority who also happen to be the more highly educated and higher income socioeconomic group, which is inherently healthier and could afford commercial or private gyms. Muni recs are a nice "freebie" for that demographic, but we all pay for them.

To be fair, I reached out to Jeff Rohrs about my posts being blocked and he stated he hasn't blocked anyone and is looking into why my post are blocked.

If I had to guess, someone else has admin rights and likes to ban people just like our city officials do...

I am back on. Wonder who blocked me in the first place...

“Rec centers are primarily used by only 1 in 5 residents, a small minority who also happen to be the more highly educated and higher income socioeconomic group, which is inherently healthier and could afford commercial or private gyms.”

(1) If 20% usage is not enough to justify a municipal or other quasi-public offering, especially if “commercial alternatives are available,” then Lakewood Hospital would be gone by now. So would our pools, pocket parks, Winterhurst and a whole lot more of our amenities. Probably even our July 4th fireworks.

(2) If municipal or other quasi-public offerings should not be developed just because they might be used predominately (but certainly not exclusively) by “higher income socioeconomic groups” here in Lakewood, then Lakewood will become the last failed inner-ring suburb.

Not that I am in favor of a rec center (which BTW is not what is proposed as a successor to Lakewood Hospital). But the implications and tone of the above, I don’t think it serves Lakewood well. One of Lakewood’s strengths is its diversity, and presumably that includes economic diversity, which works both ways….

Tim Liston wrote:Not that I am in favor of a rec center (which BTW is not what is proposed as a successor to Lakewood Hospital). But the implications and tone of the above, I don’t think it serves Lakewood well. One of Lakewood’s strengths is its diversity, and presumably that includes economic diversity, which works both ways….

Tim

I have not the ability to say if the hospital to family health center is a good thing. I am going
through one next week. Still, my opinion is nothing more than an opinion.

Yes a Rec Center has been planned for the land longer a "family health center" I believe
we will uncover documents with precise plans pushing the start-up of this to 2012 and earlier.

What I do know for a fact is - If the City will not tell the truth about it, what chance does
the community have to decide for themselves if it is needed? Viable? and how much it
will raise our taxes. A less than truthful City Hall with an agenda is not a nice thing.

Tim, you ran Bike Lakewood, you talk with these people, do you remember "The open and
honest long discussion" the mayor has been having with the residents on a rec center?

His words, not mine.

We will need to fill a gap, IF the hospital closes.

But the city needs to stop, take a breath and figure out who and why this got screwed up.

.

Whether city hall was nefarious or not, that has nothing to do with my post. What I addressed was the notion that, (1) if it does not serve at least 20% of Lakewood residents, and (2) at least a proportionate % of lower incomes, that it should be scrapped. That's dangerous thinking especially for an inner ring suburb. Donald Trump will never move here, but implying that upper middle class families should not be welcomed and attended to, well....

Bridget did indicate that if a proposed amenity may disproportionately serve Lakewood's better off, that's a strike against it. So next we tear down Winterhurst and put in a White Castle?