The Observation Deck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z03PZCCRvJQ

The discussion at the February 1, 2016 Council Meeting in the attached video underscores that (according to Butler) the new City Council has an opportunity and obligation to consider repeal of the unsound decsion of the old City Council from December 21, 2015 adopting the Master Agreement.

There is considerable evidence that has come to light since December 21, 2015 that demonstrates that the Old City Council was mistaken and misinformed concerning the Master Agreement and what led to that unsound agreement.

In fact, new evidence points to fraud, unethical and criminal behavior that led to the passage of the unsound ordinance.

City Council has been given a gift to heal the City.

In a simple vote for truth, for health, for wellness, for people, for saving lives, the new City Council leadership can immediately more forward and begin true healing by repealing the ordinance.

Isn't time for good government to begin?

I would like to say that I wish it were true that they were misinformed. They had plenty of time to read over evidence and I know that they all read the Deck. I believe every member of council, excluding Dan O'Malley, knew exactly what they were doing, otherwise they would not have said their usual response, "I" , to the Mayor. Lets not kid ourselves, it appears that there was some sort of reward for them if they went along with the plan. Some people in Lakewood need to wake up and quit making excuses for our, what I believe to be, immoral and criminal council. They have known for a long time what they are doing.

Lori Allen _ wrote:I would like to say that I wish it were true that they were misinformed. They had plenty of time to read over evidence and I know that they all read the Deck. I believe every member of council, excluding Dan O'Malley, knew exactly what they were doing, otherwise they would not have said their usual response, "I" , to the Mayor. Lets not kid ourselves, it appears that there was some sort of reward for them if they went along with the plan. Some people in Lakewood need to wake up and quit making excuses for our, what I believe to be, immoral and criminal council. They have known for a long time what they are doing.

Brian

Healing can't take place until we hear "the cure." Even members of BL are wondering where is "the cure."

As for council, I think I can speak for every politician on local level. They have to work together, they need to build consensus among themselves.

You can stand alone for principles, aka "Mr Smith Goes To Washington."



Sadly, like Ozzie and Harriet Hospitals, they have mostly disappeared. Now we have...



The problem I cannot believe they put up with was letting it get this far down the road. Why no one outside of David Anderson and Dan O'Malley even bothered to fight for the residents.

For all of them it was far easier to just sign off on it.

The idea that somehow, people needed an idea on how to fight this horrible deal, is foreign to me.

I look forward to the announcement of the promised $120 million in development that was promised by the Mayor, and the hundreds of small businesses that will make up the loss of 880 good paying jobs.

After all with so many things in the medical world, "the cure" often kills the patient.

.

Sadly, Anderson did not continue to fight for the citizens of Lakewood. It appears he is just another"I" man in the mayor's army. Makes me question his motives. Was it all because of the election?

Lori,

I don't believe that all Councilmembers are immoral and criminal. Madigan and Bullock are consistently distant from the truth

Jim,

I really don't understand what you are talking about when you say we need a "cure"???



The ordinance adopting the Master Agreement Bleeds $70M++ in assets, hundreds of jobs, and millions in rent/taxes from Lakewood.

Repealing it ends the bleeding.

They all voted to close the hospital didn't they? Do you really trust these people? I believe part of the reason why we got to this point is because people trusted council and continue to trust them now. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we are losing the battle. IMO

I only trust the established facts.

Sorry, I have to disagree. It was all a part of the plan from the very beginning. It appears they all must have gotten great rewards. Any ounce of caring, I believe, was an act to lead us on. I said at the very beginning that council would ALL vote to close the hospital and that none of them were on our side. SLH leadership thought I was full of it. Where are we now? Are we going to continue wasting time on council thinking that if we are nice they will change their minds? I said several months ago that SLH should be looking at different angles of this whole situation. But, once again, I was put down by the leadership. SLH should have, and should be open to other people's thoughts and opinions. Have you read the article in the Observer about SLH? Are we really gonna trust O'donnel?

I don't expect "healing" anytime soon in the community.
Here is former Council member Shawn Juris today on Facebook.
His comments on the SLH page lay bear the real attitude of City Hall.....contempt for the citizens.

Concerning Jim's comment asking for "The Cure".

The cure is simple. The ordinance is repealed. The hospital and all assets are returned to the citizens of Lakewood. Then an open and transparent biding process yields the best offer for what will again be a profitable full service hospital. A hospital that will save lives that otherwise will be lost under the existing plan. A hospital that will bring back needed jobs that will bring businesses back into our city that otherwise will be lost. A hospital that by providing tax revenues that otherwise will be vaporized, will prevent a tax increase that will land squarely on the shoulders of our citizens. This action will save Lakewood from the devastating effects of loosing it's biggest employer.

Save Lives. Saves Jobs. Save Lakewood. Save Lakewood Hospital.

Kevin Young

I've been asked to submit the text for the address that I gave at the city council meeting on February 1. You can hear it on the you tube post that Brian provided earlier in this chain...


Good evening and thank you for this opportunity to speak.

My grandfather always taught me to work hard. He always worked hard and he always complimented others when they worked hard. I have to think that most everyone in the room has a similar story. Stories of hard working parents and grandparents who instilled the idea that hard work is a good thing. You can’t help but to admire a hard worker. You wish them the best and you cheer them on because you know what it takes to make the important things happen in life.

The members of The Save Lakewood Hospital Committee and the staff at the Board of Elections are the kind of people we and all of our parents and grandparents admire for their hard work. Our committee members stood out in freezing cold temperatures and gathered signatures even as the ink froze in their pens. We got far more than the needed number of signatures and delivered them 9 days prior to the deadline.

We’ve been in steady contact with the people at the Board of Elections and though these circumstances require them to work harder than usual, they have assured us that they are dedicated to the the task of doing everything they possibly can do to place the referendum of ordinance 49-15 on the March ballot. They have stated quite clearly that it can be done.

The folks at the Board of Elections has indicated that they will likely have their certification of the referendum at Lakewood City Hall by this Thursday, February 4th.

The next step is in council’s hands. You (council) will have the option of approving the language of the referendum and placing it on the ballot or repealing ordinance 49-15 altogether.

To get the referendum on the March ballot, council must approve and get it to the Board of Elections by Tuesday, February 9.

With the deadline so near, a special session will need to be called to approve the referendum.

It is fair to say that everyone on both sides of this issue are anxious to get this vote over with. The sooner it is done, the sooner the process of healing our divided city that has been often brought up in this chamber can truly begin.

Our committee respectfully request that council honor the work ethic and dedication that we and all of those who have come before us admire so much. We respectfully request that the 3468 people who signed this petition be fairly represented in the upcoming election. We respectfully request that council call a special session and approve the referendum and return it to the Board of Elections by Tuesday, February 9th for placement on the March ballot...

...and then the healing can begin.

Thank You.

Kevin Young

Michael Deneen wrote:I don't expect "healing" anytime soon in the community.
Here is former Council member Shawn Juris today on Facebook.
His comments on the SLH page lay bear the real attitude of City Hall.....contempt for the citizens.

Huh? Hmmmm

Juris exposes himself as a foolish, short sighted and mean spirited person.

Juris' comment about "pessimism" belongs on Mr. Davis' thread about "what do they mean by that?"---Wasn't it Juris the pessimist who saw the otherwise profitable hospital as doomed--so doomed he needed to vote for an "emergency" measure to close it before all the money was lost and we would not even have an ER? That's what he said so he was at the top of the pack for dooms day losers, not the positive thinking SLH folks trying to help people. Sorry, but Juris is just not intellectually bright or honest.

Pae's comments in the thread are equally inane--Do you think that the Summers et al had anything to do with the rise in real estate values and concomitant tax revenues rebounding from the 2008-2009 crash? Duh! It is kind of like the worst stock brokers in the 1990's--they all still made money--they just had to get in the way of the market and it pushed them along.

What we are witnessing is panic in the BLer ranks as one of their pillars of lies has crumbled---namely, that the voters spoke back in November. The number of petitions signed is the freezing cold is nearly half of what would be needed for victory at the ballot box. Their sky is falling.

The truth is that there has never been an up or down vote on the hospital except by the LHA Trustees and City Council. Pae and Juris fear such a vote by the citizens--just like Rebecca Patton did--they don't like how the public might vote.

Mike,

I have to disagree with you---I think the that we can heal--but it will take time and perseverance---the truth will prevail in the end--it always does---it will have a healing effect.

"A long habit of thinking a thing not wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first an outcry in the defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason" Thomas Paine 1776 Common Sense

Juris, Pae, Madigan, Carson, Patton and all the rest will likely live long enough to see the errors in their ways--but the stains on their hands will remain.

Kevin D Young wrote:Concerning Jim's comment asking for "The Cure".

The cure is simple. The ordinance is repealed. The hospital and all assets are returned to the citizens of Lakewood. Then an open and transparent biding process yields the best offer for what will again be a profitable full service hospital. A hospital that will save lives that otherwise will be lost under the existing plan. A hospital that will bring back needed jobs that will bring businesses back into our city that otherwise will be lost. A hospital that by providing tax revenues that otherwise will be vaporized, will prevent a tax increase that will land squarely on the shoulders of our citizens. This action will save Lakewood from the devastating effects of loosing it's biggest employer.

Save Lives. Saves Jobs. Save Lakewood. Save Lakewood Hospital.

Kevin Young

Kevin,

Well said. You are gifted.

Bravo!

Brian Essi wrote:The truth is that there has never been an up or down vote on the hospital except by the LHA Trustees and City Council.

This is why the referendum is so important. In November, we voted for mayor, council and whether or not to amend the city charter. Those that wanted to close the hospital made assumptions about the voters' motivations for their choices. Their interpretations were subjective and used to justify their position. The referendum will be the first and only opportunity for citizens to vote specifically on the hospital. It will be definitive.

See Steve Davis' excellent lead post on this idea at http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewt ... =7&t=22626

Meg Ostrowski wrote:This is why the referendum is so important. In November, we voted for mayor, council and whether or not to amend the city charter. Those that wanted to close the hospital made assumptions about the voters' motivations for their choices. Their interpretations were subjective and used to justify their position. The referendum will be the first and only opportunity for citizens to vote specifically on the hospital. It will be definitive.

As always, Meg offers a voice of truth and reason. I wish she were the mayor.