ABOUT GREEN'S BLOG

I am postponing the continuation of “What Will Be” in order to comment on Assemblyman Green’s Tuesday Oct.22 blog. I know that Green will be critical of my remarks but allowing for the passage of a period of 5 years and an over 90 brain there are some facts that I may have forgotten; but  I will assure you that I am at least 98% correct.

I have said that we are five years too late and I have in the past blamed our local political leadership for their inaction and indeed compliance with Solaris’s plans.

Immediately after JFK made known its plan for closing the hospital and the State’s preapproval with the sham hearings; there were at least two groups of concerned area residents seeking alternatives to what was as it turned out a done deal.

Both groups; one the Save Muhlenberg Hospital led by Dotti Gutenkauf and the other coordinated by Olive Lynch found legitimate for profit hospital organizations that had plans to operate a facility at Muhlenberg.

One that Lynch had contacted presented a proposal at a meeting in a conference room at the Library. Councilman Reid attended that meeting as did I.

The meeting was upbeat and I believe that the proposal was referred to the city Administration. Nothing more was heard except that JFK expressed an outlandish price for which it would sell the Muhlenberg property.

I believe that the Save Muhlenberg group also had what appeared to be a viable candidate.  They too did not get anywhere with the City Administration.

I am sure that some of the   involved especially Nancy Piwowar who spent many hours going to Trenton can amplify on these facts.

Assemblyman Green did produce an individual who was supposed to have plans for continuing medical services on the site. This individual was I believe an real-estate entrepreneur from Perth Amboy who would turn the buildings into an emergency room plus offices and the rest would be a long term care facility and/or apartments.

There always has been questions as to the actual debt on the Muhlenberg properties, how it was derived. JFK’s books were never opened for examination, but executive salaries may have been disproportionally charged to Muhlenberg’s account.

As to the now $20 million dollar present debt would not the dedicated Muhlenberg Foundation funds which JFK perhaps illegally appropriated go a long way to offset that questionable debt.   I am not including equipment etc. transferred to JFK.

Assemblyman Green wrote: “For over a year I have been meeting with people in the medical field people who deal with properties like Muhlenberg and have listened to their recommendations on what the best course of action should be.

I have been working with people with a background in reopening hospitals in urban communities all over the country. Their recommendation was that if the right funding was in place we would be able to offer medical services on the Muhlenberg campus. The key was to get the right financing to accomplish this.

The primary issue is the 20 million dollar debt that comes with the campus that has been one of the main factors. Also there are environmental issues with some of the buildings on the campus that would cost an additional 5 million dollars to correct. With the right financing in place we could offset this debt to create something to better serve the Plainfield community.”

Since the situation has reached a dire point perhaps Assemblyman Green can elucidate what are the environmental issues that apparently did not exist in 2008?

He could also advise us about the experts with whom he has been working with for over a year and what type of medical facility they propose.

Green is right in that the Muhlenberg solution is not a political situation now, and that the Republican Candidate should if he really has a plan should present it openly and not as election material.

10 am: Please note that I am not ruling out here  or in my essays the possibility of a  limited service for profit hospital on the site. There is a group that have  acquired 3 hospitals in N j including Bayonne operated by I believe Care Point Health that may be interested in expansion.

The problem remains with the property which would take legal action to acquire form JFK. Also the legality of  the absorption of dedicated trust funds in the Foundation should be open to question. It will take  money and a will if anything positive  can happen. Are the people in Plainfield and its government up to it?