Can Council's Courage Continue???

Kudos to Lakewood City Council for voting 7-0 to outlaw discrimination in private employment and public accommodation based on one's sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. This legislation benefits every member of our community both socially and economically and makes Lakewood a better place for all the residents.

Too bad City Council members Madigan, O'Leary, Anderson, Marx, Nowlin and Bullock did not show that same courage in December, 2015 when they voted to follow the current mayor and give away our $120 million dollar hospital to the Cleveland Clinic. Now we have no hospital and we are left with an urgent care clinic masquerading as an emergency room.

Too bad City Council members O'Leary, Anderson, Marx, Bullock, Nowlin and Litton did not show that same courage to put the Hospital Referendum on the ballot in March, 2016. In January 2016, 3,400 residents signed a petition to allow the voters to have their say on the hospital deal. Care was taken by the petitioners to allow plenty of time to put the issue on the March ballot. Our city council voted 6-1 to skip the March ballot and postpone the referendum vote until November, 2016.

It is never too late to double down on courage and do the right thing. It took years to beat back laws permitting discrimination. It takes only seconds to realize the massive value of keeping our largest asset alive and well. Not unlike the anti-discrimination legislation passed by council, the  hospital benefits everyone in our community both economically and socially. But most importantly a hospital located in our community will save lives.