The Observation Deck

Many have criticized those who oppose the City/LHA/CCF's plan for the hospital as being preoccupied by a single issue, especially State Senator and mayoral candidate Mike Skindell. But it's much more than that.
- It's an economic issue that will have a huge impact on the City's income tax revenues.
- It's an economic issue that will have a very large impact on downtown businesses.
- It's an economic issue because it is a very bad deal for Lakewood.
- It's a health and wellness issue - a medical office with a limited emergency room cannot replace a full service hospital.
- It's a life and death issue, as Brian Essi has so eloquently pointed out.
- It's a housing value issue because having a hospital makes our City a much more desirable place to live.
- It directly relates to drug problems, as it is the first stop for those who abuse drugs.
- It addresses the openness and competence of our City government, which has been detailed at length in other posts on the Deck. The failure to get buy-in from the residents, and to accommodate their views is just one thing. Another is the request for proposal process, which we were not given full and adequate information on. Will we ever know the real reason why Metro's proposal was not given more consideration?

I invite others to add to this list.

Dan, you are 100% correct.

Add to the list:

Northeast Ohio is still losing people.

A declining population leads to less economic activity which leads to a further loss population which leads to a further drop in economic activity.

The Clinics economic model is to remove jobs and economic activity from Cuyahoga County and encourage the outward migration of business and people.

That sprawl undermines Lakewood in every way imaginable.

The Mayor and Build Lakewood support that. Why?

Dan,

Here is one that I would add to the list:

Good leadership is all about accountability--without accountability, there can be no change.

The hospital debacle is a textbook case of failed leadership--Summers "leads" the LHA "volunteers" and he does not understand their mission---without knowing the mission there has been no understanding of their goals and no accountability for not achieving them. After the push poll showed the issue was hurting him, Summers ran from the hospital issue in public, but continued his backroom "negotiations."

Cowards like Summers don't make good leaders. He lacks the character and courage to truly lead. His phony campaign literature that claims he "makes tough decisions" is a lie and avoids the accountability issue.

Summers is a failure.

The hospital issue is but one issue that exposes him as an expert at failure.

There will be no change unless there is accountability.

There can be no peace without justice.

If Summers is re-elected, the Cleveland Clinic will control Lakewood. We will get minimal healthcare services here and instead be directed to Avon or Fairview. The primary care doctors will leave, following the hospitals.

Why should we willingly let the Clinic dictate WHAT healthcare we get and WHERE we have to go to get it?

WHY would we let them enjoy a monopoly at our expense?

How could our "leaders" think giving them that exclusive control of our city was a good idea?

Just say NO to Summers, Fitzgerald, and the Cleveland Clinic.

Vote Skindell and let's start thinking of how ALL people are considered in this.

Dan, Thanks for the valuable post.