The Observation Deck

Did you notice that LHA ads and fliers don't mention the $32 million amount for the new foundation?

Back on June 4, 2015--4 days after the twice extended LOI expired, CCF said ot would no longer let Summers take the leftover public money to his new private foundation.

It seems that the negotiations with CCF are not going so well-especially since Summers had Butler make a public and false political declaration that City has no leverage against the CCF. This was done to per the PR gurus' advice so that Summers did not look so stupid and weak.

Now that CCF wants to take even more money from us and the undeserved, Summers is in a box.

Millionaire Defendants Summers and Cosgrove and Millionaire Mayor Donley could care less about the undeserved in their for profit special interest insiders con game.

It is payback time. Things did not go as planned and the Cleveland Clinic's image is being challenged. They are NOT happy with Summers, who promised them it was a"done deal." They will make him pay.

As a lifelong Democrat, I am especially disappointed to see that the local Democratic establishment has embraced this.

As I asked on the Lakewood Democratic Club Facebook page...."Would Martin Luther King endorse this hospital deal?"

No, of course he wouldn't and neither did MICHAEL SKINDELL.

Even the Plain Dealer noted his concern for others and his work as "an advocate for the disenfranchised."

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index. ... io_se.html

We need someone who is concerned about ALL Lakewood's residents, not just an entitled few.

Brian Essi wrote:Did you notice that LHA ads and fliers don't mention the $32 million amount for the new foundation?

The Mayors fliers don't mention the new "Wellness Foundation" or the "$125 million in new investment".

The Mayor was so hypnotized by the prospect of having $20 million in left over Hospital funds that he was willing to close the Hospital just to get it. That's less than 8 years of tax revenue and rent provided by the Hospital. After 8 years then what?

I'm sure he had had hopes that the $34 million in the Lakewood Hospital Foundation could be transferred to a new wellness Foundation that would provide an eternal slush fund for his friends.

The Clinic had other ideas. I suspect that once the Clinic was in full control of the Foundation the money would be transferred to organizations like North Coast Health. That would have relieved the Clinic of its responsibility to provide charity care in this area. According to Councilman Juris the "New Foundation" would have served the needs of the people of Lakewood and surrounding communities. In short order the New Foundation would be funding projects all over Northeast Ohio.

Lakewood would be left with nothing.

All that is left of this really bad deal is the so called "Family Health Center". The new health center will be a small referral center designed to capture Lakewood's healthcare market. The revenue and tax dollars and business activity generated by Lakewood Hospital would be transferred to Avon and elsewhere.

The problem for opponents of this very bad deal is that the Clinic is spending a lot of money to re-elect Summers. If he is re-elected it's all over. Will the voters see that this is a bad deal for Lakewood?

Brian, you are doing a really great job of ferreting out the subterfuge. Too bad there isn't even one member of Council willing to speak the truth.

Well, Councilman Juris did accidentally speak the truth about the New Foundation but he has been back peddling ever since so that doesn't count.

Michael Deneen wrote:As a lifelong Democrat, I am especially disappointed to see that the local Democratic establishment has embraced this.

As I asked on the Lakewood Democratic Club Facebook page...."Would Martin Luther King endorse this hospital deal?"

And what was the Lakewood Democratic Club's response, Mike?

Bridget Conant wrote:It is payback time. Things did not go as planned and the Cleveland Clinic's image is being challenged. They are NOT happy with Summers, who promised them it was a"done deal." They will make him pay.

Sadly, by making Defendant Summers pay for his betrayal on the CCF, the Residents are also paying for Defendant Summers' betrayal on the City of Lakewood.

Defendant Summers ...

• Two hats.
  
  Two faces.
  
  Two betrayals.

Matthew John Markling wrote:

Michael Deneen wrote:As a lifelong Democrat, I am especially disappointed to see that the local Democratic establishment has embraced this.

As I asked on the Lakewood Democratic Club Facebook page...."Would Martin Luther King endorse this hospital deal?"

And what was the Lakewood Democratic Club's response, Mike?

Tom Bullock, who spent a great deal of time refuting my other statements on that page, had no response.
He did, however, accuse me of name calling...despite the fact that I never called him any names.

Neither did anyone else in the group, including its president.

I encourage folks to check it out for themselves. (see the "endorsements" photo)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/110520954383/