Issue 64 Is Not Progress

On the November 8th General Election ballot, Lakewood voters will have their first and only opportunity for a direct vote on the deal that closed Lakewood Hospital. It will appear as Issue 64 with options for or AGAINST Ordinance #49-15.

Issue 64 is NOT progress. The ordinance that closed Lakewood Hospital and transfers $80 million in publicly owned assets to the private non-profit Cleveland Clinic guarantees a second-class future. Issue 64 puts lives at risk due to delayed medical treatment; offers no plan to replace nearly 1,000 lost healthcare jobs; weakens our local economy by closing our largest employer; restricts Lakewood’s healthcare market into the future; provides no guarantee Lakewood will keep an ER; limits liability of those responsible and our ability to collect damages.

With all of the positive things happening in Lakewood, we shouldn’t be about settling for less. Our city has an obligation to protect lives, an opportunity to restore jobs and a duty to keep Lakewood strong.

This November, don’t give away public property to fill private pockets. Vote AGAINST Issue 64. Say “No thanks. We deserve a better deal.”