The Observation Deck

UPDATE: City Complies With Court Order And Finally Produces Documents

The City of Lakewood has released 483 pages of previously disputed or redacted public documents relating to the liquidation of Lakewood Hospital.

Kudos to Attorney Brian Essi and to the public interest lawyers who represented him in his almost three-year-long fight to force the City to comply with its obligations under Ohio's open records laws.

Despite statements made like "we didn't really own the hospital" and that it was "too expensive to repair", the outside lawyers for the City established that all of the hospital contracts ran in favor of the City.

Mayor Summers and the 2015/2016 city counsel dumped the hospital, abandoning valuable long-term lease revenues, abandoning high-paying professional jobs that generated significant income tax revenues, and millions of dollars in charity care to the local community.

Worse, they abandoned a viable, award-winning, heritage community hospital business worth tens of millions of dollars.

All in order to demolish the building and give the real estate away for a $1.00.

All a failure of civic leadership of historic proportions.

More to come.

That’s funny they dump the docs the Friday before the Monday the court is requiring their response to the award of attorney fee amounts. The court ordered the response is due Feb 11 after they asked for an extension of time.

So, 4.5 years after we broke the story that Lakewood Hospital was closing, and were called liars by the Mayor, and his supporters. 3.5 years after the search for the truth began. 10,000+ hours of lawyers, meetings, reading and going over documents to even try to understand what happened. After two elections where the City demanded that residents vote on the Hospital with ZERO facts, and many lies, cover-ups, and intimidation, and just 3 days before they start tearing down Lakewood Hospital we go some more documents. Not all that we asked for, but all the City was finally willing to let their bosses, the public see. We received more documents that we are going through.

But think about the BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO LAKEWOOD, and why the City worked so hard to hide the facts.



Think about the money wasted by City Hall and the entire push of their sycophants and supporters to cover-up and hide all the facts, forever if they could have.



As they finish the asbestos removal that you and I are paying for think about the 2 other hospitals that were interested and presented very doable plans for the complete rebuilding and running of Lakewood Hospital. A move that would have saved 1,600 high paying jobs, and potentially another 500 plus millions in spending that came with it.



And then finally think back to LCPI back in 2005, and how when they bought their way into the Mainstreet Program. Think of how they lied that we were awarded it, instead of them buying their way in. Think of how LCPI wanted a public space to meet, a public place to have events, which really means a public space for them to raise money. At all costs and would stop at nothing. Think of the 4 groups that have flowed out it, and how the same people are on each board, each time, in each nightmare. Think of how they all called the Observer and Save Lakewood Hospital people liars, even filing false police reports, coming into normally quiet discussion boards to raise hell, and make everyone but them seem negative. And then look at the new plans for "One Lakewood" and the public meeting space, right in their front yard, of the building they sold off $248 million in public assets for property and millions of dollars now that small group control, and sit watch over. Then ask yourself how the hell it happened and why are these people still giving themselves awards for their dirty deeds?

Think about it.

Then promise yourself never again.

All elected officials that supported this deceit, all elected officials that sat quietly, must never be elected to public office in Lakewood again.

In the winter of 2014, I posted a magic trick the tree card monte, and told the City of Lakewood, "You are about to be played for rubes, and we will lose millions." They think long and hard.

Then promise yourself never again.

We can never afford to have a City Hall that is not accountable, not honest, and not transparent.

With transparency, honesty, and accountability we would be $248 million ahead. Have a full service hospital dedicated to all of Lakewood, 2,000 high paying jobs, and 8 acres in the middle of the City that would still have a future for all. Instead of being changed into a fund rasing plaza to keep a couple people employed!

WTF

In the coming weeks we will look at the various boards going all the way back to the WestEnd Strip Mall project, and highlight each member and the awards they have been given by basically themselves over 20 years. Lakewood, you never had a chance if you were not paying attention to the magic trick. Which was basically our hundreds of millions of assets into their private hands.

Stay tuned.

.

Thank you for these pictures and your thoughtful reflections...

The more documents that I review, the more I am simply stunned that this all went down.

Moreover, it has drastically changed my thoughts about Lakewood and its future.

Hoping you will share some of your “finds” here on the Deck.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:...And then look at the new plans for "One Lakewood" and the public meeting space, right in their front yard, of the building they sold off $248 million in public assets for property and millions of dollars now that small group control, and sit watch over. Then ask yourself how the hell it happened and why are these people still giving themselves awards for their dirty deeds?

Think about it. Then promise yourself never again. All elected officials that supported this deceit, all elected officials that sat quietly, must never be elected to public office in Lakewood again.

In the winter of 2014, I posted a magic trick the tree card monte, and told the City of Lakewood, "You are about to be played for rubes, and we will lose millions." They think long and hard. Then promise yourself never again. We can never afford to have a City Hall that is not accountable, not honest, and not transparent.

With transparency, honesty, and accountability we would be $248 million ahead. Have a full service hospital dedicated to all of Lakewood, 2,000 high paying jobs, and 8 acres in the middle of the City that would still have a future for all. Instead of being changed into a fund rasing plaza to keep a couple people employed!

WTF

In the coming weeks we will look at the various boards going all the way back to the WestEnd Strip Mall project, and highlight each member and the awards they have been given by basically themselves over 20 years. Lakewood, you never had a chance if you were not paying attention to the magic trick. Which was basically our hundreds of millions of assets into their private hands.

Stay tuned.

My favorite - title it: "Lakewood Alive Board Honors Lakewood Alive Board"

http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2019/0 ... g-lakewood

Lakewood's Chernobyl ?

It will be interesting to see what these documents reveal. However, the worse thing this mayor and council did was expose the Lakewood resident's to possible catastrophic life saving risks by delaying emergency care and effectively chasing the general health care providers by closing the hospital in a city of 55,000 souls. That is unforgivable but remember, it was the mayor and the city council of fools who are totally at fault, and as much as we would like to kill the Greek bearing bad news, the doers who were only following instructions. Someone once said I would never accuse my representatives of dishonesty when ignorance will surface, so think before you vote.

Thanks for sharing and to Brian for your work. Could you share some of the documents please?

willskora wrote:Thanks for sharing and to Brian for your work. Could you share some of the documents please?

Will

First they go through the courts, then through the check lists, then to the room of Brian's documents, then here.

But yes, and other things we are not looking at coming from them.

.

Mark Kindt wrote:UPDATE: City Complies With Court Order And Finally Produces Documents

The City of Lakewood has released 483 pages of previously disputed or redacted public documents relating to the liquidation of Lakewood Hospital.

Kudos to Attorney Brian Essi and to the public interest lawyers who represented him in his almost three-year-long fight to force the City to comply with its obligations under Ohio's open records laws.

Mr. Essi,
A sincere thank you.
You took all their crap. You never flinched. You never waivered. You dug in and did the work.
You insisted on the truth. You demanded the truth. And in the process you inspired all of us who believe that the truth matters.
They never saw you coming Mr. Essi. They never envisioned you.
That relentless pursuit of the truth... Mike Summers' worst nightmare.

Now We Finally Know The Actual Truth

In the final set of documents that the court ordered the City to release, we learn that:

1. The City of Lakewood owned Lakewood Hospital and leased it to the Lakewood Hospital Association;

2. The City of Lakewood owned the hospital business that it leased to LHA and that LHA was required to provide a broad array of acute-care hospital services;

3. LHA had the duty to maintain that hospital and its equipment in good working order;

4. LHA had the duty to make repairs to keep the hospital in good working order.

How do we know this? The City of Lakewood's top outside legal counsel at Thompson Hine told them so in writing. The public interest lawyers were right all the time.

This summary explodes all of the false narratives promoted by the City, its PR consultants, and BuildLakewood as gross fabrications, misrepresentations, or outright falsehood.

Let's See The Document Page-By-Page -- You Be The Judge -- Page One

Let's See The Document Page-By-Page -- You Be The Judge -- Page Two

Let's See The Document Page-By-Page -- You Be The Judge -- Page Three