The Observation Deck

Jennifer Pae has been quoted elsewhere:

It is exhausting to keep answering the same questions over and over, attempting to dispel rumors, responding to emotionally charged false accusations, or addressing blatant misstatements made by those with a clear political agenda to get "their guy" elected.

So now the shift is from defending the rightness of the hospital deal, to attacking those against it as merely trying to get Skindell elected!

Well, Jenn, I guess when you can't defend the indefensible, you have to find SOME way to justify all your efforts.

So tracking that logic, someone could say that everything Ms. Pae says is to get the Mayor re-elected so she can save her job.

So why should we listen to anything she says?

Is that fair to Ms. Pae?

I agree Brian. She's out there selling her boss's plan. The question is, why isn't HE?

Bridget Conant wrote:I agree Brian. She's out there selling her boss's plan. The question is, why isn't HE?

Great question, Bridget.

Could one answer be found in the following thread: http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13786?

Could another be that it is, in fact, just a horrible plan?

I guess I am confused by Jenn's quote.

Jenn wants us to believe that Team Summers and Build Lakewood developed an elaborate plan to kill Lakewood Hospital in order to ensure that we all elect Michael J. Skindell for Lakewood Mayor​?

Senator Michael Skindell​ didn't plan the destruction of the Lakewood Hospital.

That was done by Mike Summers and his gang.

Seriously? You are perfectly making my point.

It is exhausting, and you Mr. Markling and the other frequent flyers of the Observation Deck, the Buzz, Nextdoor, Facebook, etc. will always want the last word for that overwhelming human need to always be right. It is your freedom to do so.

Believe what you want to believe. Say what you want. It also appropriate to question one's motivations whether privately or in a public forum such as this.

I've also sat through the meetings. I think I've only missed two. Don't recall seeing you there, but I may be wrong. I've also read all of the documents. I've done my own analyses. I formed my own opinions. I spoke up about issues I had about the LOI. I've asked questions, and continue to do so.

I've said this before and I'm saying it again. My support of Build Lakewood is for the following two reasons:
1) Let City Council do what they were elected to do and do not circumvent their legal authority through timely and expensive lawsuits, charter changes and potential referendums.
2) The financial risk and liability of the LHA properties coming back on the City’s books.

I am an at-will employee, meaning that any of the past and current mayors I've worked under could wake up one day and say, "I don't like Jenn Pae," and I'm out of job that day. So inferring that I say what I say because I want to keep my job is your opinion. Not true, but your opinion.

So continue the vitriol. Discredit anyone who is not in your "camp" at all costs.

And I'll keep on keeping on too.

Jennifer Pae wrote: ... and you Mr. Markling and the other frequent flyers of the Observation Deck, the Buzz, Nextdoor, Facebook, etc. ...

Jenn,

As a point of clarification, I'm not on either the Buzz or Nextdoor. You can find me here and Facebook.

But, while you are here, can you answer my question on the "Jenn, who pays the city for parking in garage?" thread at http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13756&start=15?

The question is as follows:

Matthew John Markling wrote:

Jennifer Pae wrote:

Marguerite Harkness wrote:I have a couple city finance questions for Jenn Pae, now that she's back:

1. Jenn, who pays the city for the free parking the hospital employees get in the south garage? How much annual income is that? How much other (non-employee) parking income do we get annually from the south garage? How much is the usual annual expense for that garage?

2. I remember that the North Garage used to be city owned (I know, because the City took our house so they could build the garage for the developer who was supposed to build his own garage). Then the city (Cain?) turned it over to someone else. Is that still city-owned but operated by a manager, or is it owned and operated by somebody else? If city-owned, how much income do we get from it and how much annual expense does it cost? If not city-owned, how much real estate tax do we get from it?

I assume this isn't exactly at your fingertips, and that you have to dig through some records to find this info - but would appreciate learning more about this. And THANKS! SO glad to have you back!

Thanks Marguerite.

To answer your first question, it is one for LHA. None of LHA's revenues and expenditures are on the City's financial statements, and have been not since 1987.

The second one will require more research on the property regarding parcel number and property taxes paid, but like the Lakewood Hospital Garage, the City does not receive any revenues from the operations of those two garages because neither is City-owned.

Jenn,

As a point of clarification, are you referring to the South Parking Garage or the North Parking Garage, or both?

On your Build Lakewood website, it states that:

Build Lakewood wrote:Q: What properties are at issue?
A: The current Lakewood Hospital, the Professional Office Building (Corner of Belle & Detroit), the South Parking Garage (across Belle from the Hospital), the Community Health Center that houses the Lakewood Child Care Center -- overall, approximately nine acres of city-owned property (map).

Q: Who owns these properties?
A: The City of Lakewood.

http://www.buildlakewood.org/#!faqs/c1dqg

Matt

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13756&start=15

Thanks!

Matt

Jennifer Pae wrote:
I've said this before and I'm saying it again. My support of Build Lakewood is for the following two reasons:
1) Let City Council do what they were elected to do and do not circumvent their legal authority through timely and expensive lawsuits, charter changes and potential referendums.
2) The financial risk and liability of the LHA properties coming back on the City’s books.
.

So the financial risk and liability of owning valuable property is so great that we have to give them away for a song? Surely you don't believe that?

This is a bizarre contradiction.

1. The Planning Department through Dru Siley wants to play developer with land and design stuff that he wants to tell investors to build--yet he has no market studies or any information to back up his plan.

2 But the Finance Department doesn't want to deal the remote possibility of taking ownership of a fully equipped medical facility, occupied office building, and parking garage long enough to put "For Sale" signs on them to liquidate them.

Which endeavor is more risky?

Ms Pae:

I've said this before and I'm saying it again. My support of Build Lakewood is for the following two reasons:
1) Let City Council do what they were elected to do and do not circumvent their legal authority through timely and expensive lawsuits, charter changes and potential referendums.
2) The financial risk and liability of the LHA properties coming back on the City’s books.

I have said this before and I am saying it again Ms Pae:

The "legal authority" you speak of is conferred on the City Council by the residents who voted them into office. Remember "By the people, For the people".

We have the right, nay the duty, as residents of this DEMOCRACY, the USA, to question our elected officials and to circumvent them by legal means when we believe they are doing the wrong thing.

We also have the right to lie and mislead each other (outside of committing slander or libel) and apparently the Mayor and some others seem to think that they can have this right when in office and while executing official business. (They are WRONG). You DO have the right to align yourself with Build Lakewood, a group whose website is a case study in lies and misleading information. Build Lakewood finally decided to remove the outright lie that the Health Center they want built is a real hospital by Ohio law. Their site is still full of misleading items.

Your reasoning for joining Build Lakewood is a still real head scratcher. Honestly, it sounds like you are saying: "You people are asking too many questions and insisting on accountability from my Boss and co-workers and I don't like it so I will join the other team."

Darn right we are asking questions and the Mayor's answers are not sufficient and frankly, neither are yours.

Your second reason for joining Build Lakewood has already been addressed in this thread.

Good Evening.

Pam