The Observation Deck

FYI


BULLOCK SKINDELL

1 A 67 110
B 72 116
C 65 88
D 63 101
E 90 105
F 37 91
G 76 109
H 146 93
I 76 112
2 A 125 117
B 113 119
C 103 109
D 79 108
E 103 109
F 110 117
G 59 99
H 84 96
I 75 74
3 A 130 104
B 83 112
C 85 126
D 66 116
E 65 88
F 90 100
G 68 60
H 29 103
I 83 75
4 A 82 104
B 86 111
C 54 45
D 109 90
E 40 66
F 68 78
G 27 50
H 70 92
I 54 90
J 38 56
2870 3539
0.44780777 0.55219223
6409 6409

Bullock's support in Lakewood primarily came from lakeside precincts and he was unable to win his resident precinct. Democrats are endorsing very unappealing candidates that democrats can't stomach supporting. Looking forward to ward elections and a near purge of all those on council who gave the hospital away. Bullock will still be there but I would guess not for long.

Kate McCarthy wrote:Bullock's support in Lakewood primarily came from lakeside precincts and he was unable to win his resident precinct. Democrats are endorsing very unappealing candidates that democrats can't stomach supporting. Looking forward to ward elections and a near purge of all those on council who gave the hospital away. Bullock will still be there but I would guess not for long.

Kate

While they did give the hospital away, and the city got no money while friends of the Mayor's got millions. I would say the most egregious acts that they all take part in is the continued cover-up of the entire process. The hospital building is slated to be torn down, the new Family Health Center ready to open, and the City and City Council still continue the cover-up the destruction of documents, and the lies and bullshit that got us here.

Even with multiple court demands, the City still holds out, and City Council is slowing becoming complicit. Even those not there at the time could work to get documents released, and help the city come to grips with this massive failure of City Hall.

But they remain silent, and are slowly becoming sucked into the "club."

.

Jim broaches an excellent consideration. Both the state AG's office and the Ethics Commission informed me during a phone conversation that they cannot initiate an investigation without a letter of request from ONE councilmember or the chief of police. At this point there is not just suspicion of bid rigging, misleading the public, and conflicts of interest but evidence. When Summers is recommending changes to the Clinic's proposal to ensure that the dissolution of the Hospital is diverted to two non-profits peopled with the same people that gave it to the Clinic, there should be concerned that a private slush fund of taxpayer money is being set up.

Jared Denman wrote:Jim broaches an excellent consideration. Both the state AG's office and the Ethics Commission informed me during a phone conversation that they cannot initiate an investigation without a letter of request from ONE councilmember or the chief of police. At this point there is not just suspicion of bid rigging, misleading the public, and conflicts of interest but evidence. When Summers is recommending changes to the Clinic's proposal to ensure that the dissolution of the Hospital is diverted to two non-profits peopled with the same people that gave it to the Clinic, there should be concerned that a private slush fund of taxpayer money is being set up.

Councilman Anderson, Councilman O’Malley, Did you not suspect bid-rigging when you learned that Metro was opening two new hospitals? If you want to genuinely represent the constituents, now is the time to speak up.

Thanks for sharing.

Skindell won 29 of the 37 Lakewood precincts, with a pretty consistent percentage across the four wards. (55 to 45 percent)
In Cleveland, Skindell won 28 of 35 precincts, winning about the same percentage of the vote.

A few observervations:
*In Lakewood, Antonio beat Sweeney 78-22. Bullock's "not-so-secret alliance" with Sweeney was a disaster for both of them. Bullock and Summers delivered no votes for Sweeney, and Bullock's relationship with Sweeney definitely hurt him in Lakewood.

*Bullock not only lost his home city, but also his home ward and even his precinct. As I've been saying for years -- the more people see and know Bullock, the less they like him.
If he's smart he'll pack up and leave town....he can try to find some other city that will buy his phony song and dance.





Have I ever mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE this picture?

Bullock not only lost his home city, but also his home ward and even his precinct.

That’s incredibly embarrassing, but it probably doesn’t faze him. Politicians are a unique breed.

Jared Denman wrote:Both the state AG's office and the Ethics Commission informed me during a phone conversation that they cannot initiate an investigation without a letter of request from ONE councilmember or the chief of police.

As the above differed fundamentally from what I have been told by two legal professionals whom I regard very highly, I contacted these same agencies today. While I don't know exactly what question may have been posed to them by anyone else, I described the above statement to them, and asked if it is correct.

The person I spoke with at the Ohio Attorney General's office said that the AG is generally prevented from investigating a local government entirely on his own initiative, owing to Ohio's home rule doctrine. But he pointed to the local county prosecutor as the appropriate official to invite in AG investigation. Members of city council, from what he told me, do not have any special authority in relation to the AG's ability to investigate a local government.

The person I spoke with at the Ohio Ethics Commission gave a simpler answer, which is that the OEC evaluates complaints, not the office of persons making complaints. He said that there is definitely not any requirement for a request by either a city council member, or a chief of police, anywhere in their process.

This summary represents my conversations, as faithfully as possible, with one person to whom I spoke at each of the agencies in question. It's obviously not legal advice, and for those who want more direct official sources, it's probably best to visit the web sites of the OEC and AG, yourself.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Kate McCarthy wrote:Bullock's support in Lakewood primarily came from lakeside precincts and he was unable to win his resident precinct. Democrats are endorsing very unappealing candidates that democrats can't stomach supporting. Looking forward to ward elections and a near purge of all those on council who gave the hospital away. Bullock will still be there but I would guess not for long.

Kate

While they did give the hospital away, and the city got no money while friends of the Mayor's got millions. I would say the most egregious acts that they all take part in is the continued cover-up of the entire process. The hospital building is slated to be torn down, the new Family Health Center ready to open, and the City and City Council still continue the cover-up the destruction of documents, and the lies and bullshit that got us here.

Even with multiple court demands, the City still holds out, and City Council is slowing becoming complicit. Even those not there at the time could work to get documents released, and help the city come to grips with this massive failure of City Hall.

But they remain silent, and are slowly becoming sucked into the "club."

.

Let me make a couple of points on this topic:

1. Local elected officials have a fundamental duty to honor their Oath-of-Office; comply with all ethical strictures; and comply with all laws. It is as simple as that. It is their duty.

2. Local elected officials have a fundamental duty of honesty to the citizens that they represent. It is their duty.

3. Appointed officials have a fundamental duty to honor their Oath-of-Office; comply with all ethical strictures; and comply with all laws. It is as simple as that. It is their duty.

4. Appointed officials have a fundamental duty to honor their written code-of conduct, including obligations of fair treatment and honesty to the citizens they work for. It is their duty.

5. The city administration made the choice to violate Ohio laws related to public records access and the city is still fighting (litigating) its obligation to produce documents. In other situations, it has refused to produce documents absent litigation. Yet, in other situations, it has freely produced documents to those it knows have/are actively harassing residents. Clearly, city council members have a duty to investigate and attempt to rectify these situations.

6. The city administration has been the target of four public interest lawsuits. Clearly, city council members have a duty to investigate and understand why the city was sued, how much was expended, and whether or not laws were violated or whether other abuses have occurred.

7. Public documents are widely available for review that demonstrate potential or actual conflicts-of-interest, misuse of public assets, the harassment of citizens by public employees, or public limitations on free speech. Clearly, city council members have a duty to investigate and rectify these situations.

8. Court affidavits in the public interest litigation provide express statements from city officials that documents related to Lakewood Hospital Association were "misplaced" or "destroyed".

Not sure there is any point with making this list any longer. I have posted document-after-document on these topics with detailed explanations of the public policy issues involved. After almost 1,000 posts, I now sound like a broken-record.

Mr. O'Bryan's critique of the government of the City of Lakewood stands on a rock solid foundation. He has been lied to. He has been sued. He has been subjected to almost constant harassment for years.

And, if you don't believe Mr. O'Bryan and you don't believe me, then take the time to read the actual public documents and judge for yourself why you have a demolished hospital.

With respect to the points made by Mr. Denman and Mr. Kuhns on access to enforcement agencies:

Any local official or any group of local officials is free at anytime to make a formal or informal complaint to any other public agency that has jurisdiction over the issues related in the complaint.

T Peppard wrote:

Jared Denman wrote:Jim broaches an excellent consideration. Both the state AG's office and the Ethics Commission informed me during a phone conversation that they cannot initiate an investigation without a letter of request from ONE councilmember or the chief of police. At this point there is not just suspicion of bid rigging, misleading the public, and conflicts of interest but evidence. When Summers is recommending changes to the Clinic's proposal to ensure that the dissolution of the Hospital is diverted to two non-profits peopled with the same people that gave it to the Clinic, there should be concerned that a private slush fund of taxpayer money is being set up.

Councilman Anderson, Councilman O’Malley, Did you not suspect bid-rigging when you learned that Metro was opening two new hospitals? If you want to genuinely represent the constituents, now is the time to speak up.

Both T. Peppard and J. Denman make excellent points:

Can any council-member provide a logical, credible, and well-documented presentation on why Metro's $100,000,000 ten-year investment proposal to re-position and operate Lakewood Hospital as a going-concern was tacitly rejected in favor of a proposal that the consultant deemed had no material value to the community? ...After four years, this still remains a black hole. New hospital projects are popping-up all over Northeast Ohio with Metro in the lead for new hospitals in our sister suburbs.

The majority of our city council just voted to demolish ours.

Smooth move, rubber stamp!

Mark Kindt wrote:Metro's $100,000,000 ten-year investment proposal to re-position and operate Lakewood Hospital as a going-concern was tacitly rejected in favor of a proposal that the consultant deemed had no material value to the community

As long as this is kind of an "open" thread, I'll append a few points related to the issue of an apparent, very costly, favoritism:

Lakewood officials’ claims that MetroHealth failed to sustain interest in Lakewood Hospital contrast with their response when the Cleveland Clinic’s Letter of Intent expired on May 31, 2015. Rather than shrugging that “it went away” and that therefore the Clinic just wasn't an option, Lakewood city council approved actively sending representatives to engage the Clinic in negotiations.

In early December 2015, Surgical Development Partners was disparaged for having no detailed proposal. Yet the previous May, in discussing their own Letter of Intent, “Clinic officials could not [state] which specialties would be available at the Lakewood facility”—this despite Cleveland Clinic having been directly and consistently involved in the provision of health care in Lakewood for decades.

The Cleveland Clinic, in fact, did not even present a proposal to run a hospital. MetroHealth did so, yet officials never declared that well, whatever its shortcomings MetroHealth was the only option.