Lakewood Insiders Rebrand As “Lakewood Voters For Progress” Ahead Of Hospital Referendum

Lakewood insiders who orchestrated the closure of Lakewood Hospital, boldly handing over its $150M in assets to politicians and private corporatists for pennies on the dollar, have resurfaced as “Lakewood Voters for Progress” ahead of the November 8 referendum. Formerly known as the discredited dark money group “Build Lakewood,” this new group is comprised of many of the same City of Lakewood politicians and Lakewood Hospital Association trustees that opponents say acted in violation of their fiduciary responsibilities to the hospital and its citizen-owners.

Key players in this new dark-money PAC include Mayor Mike Summers himself, current and ex-City Council Members, current and ex-city employees like conflicted Law Director Kevin Butler, and city favorites like David Stein, Jay Foran, Rick Uldricks, Tom Gable, and Ken Haber. Other members of this new dark money “LVP" group include captive Cleveland Clinic doctors and employees, captive current and former City of Lakewood employees, controversial Lakewood Board of Education member Linda Beebe, and many more.

This is the same group of people that has perpetrated the multi-year fraud that is the closing of Lakewood Hospital by removing hospital services, declaring financial failure that was driven by the removal of those services, and agreeing to huge $25M annual administrative fees to the Cleveland Clinic that drained cashflow year-over-year-over-year (and which said administrative fees don’t exist at near that magnitude elsewhere in the Clinic’s NE Ohio network). This group of City of Lakewood and Lakewood Hospital Association trustees, chartered to ethically manage, protect, and grow the future of the successful Lakewood Hospital, rigged the bidding process in favor of the Cleveland Clinic, denied other viable bidders, paid consultants to provide false testimony as to the viability of the hospital, and spent hospital $$ on the political campaign to destroy the hospital. Repeat - the fiduciaries of Lakewood Hospital, along with "Build Lakewood" – now “Lakewood Voters for Progress,” removed hospital services, rigged the bidding process, and spent hospital monies on the political campaign to destroy the hospital they were entrusted to serve.

The efforts of these insiders from the City of Lakewood and Cleveland Clinic led to their hastily rammed decision to close the hospital, and thence the giveaway of the assets of Lakewood Hospital for less than 20 cents on the dollar to the Cleveland Clinic. All manner of healthcare equipment, very valuable bed licenses, and even artwork (seriously!) was transferred to other Cleveland Clinic locations in a fast-paced scheme in their attempt to deny the success of the upcoming November 8 referendum. 

The dark money group “Lakewood Voters for Progress” has announced a “Kickoff Event” fundraiser to be held at Rozi’s Wine House on August 24. This is your chance to rub shoulders with the very people who acted in concert to destroy Lakewood Hospital. 

Visit the “Lakewood Voters for Progress” Facebook Page to see the insiders who would take away the healthcare future of Lakewood for their own opaque, greedy scheme.

Alternatively, it might be a good opportunity to picket and protest their “Kickoff Event," followed by your own get together enjoyed with true friends of Lakewood healthcare, of Lakewood Hospital, and of the City of Lakewood.

About the November 8 referendum: Lakewood voters have the opportunity to VOTE NO to stop the giveaway of the well-financed Lakewood Hospital to politicians and corporate interests. Your VOTE NO will serve to return the lost monies/assets to the City of Lakewood so that we may chart a true, new healthcare future. The dark money force now renamed “Lakewood Voters for Progress” would have you VOTE YES to finally destroy Lakewood Hospital - to approve the fraud that is the giveaway of Lakewood Hospital. The best future for Lakewood is your VOTE NO.

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Volume 12, Issue 18, Posted 10:27 PM, 08.16.2016