In a letter to the editor, Bayonne resident John Milan Sebik says that when selecting the local medical center’s next operator, choose experience over politics and people over profits.
Dear Editor,
Let me start by saying that I have been a Bayonne resident for the past forty plus years.
Bayonne, at this point in time deserves a Top Notch Hospital Operator and Top Notch Facility for every medical situation.
Since the CarePoint takeover, Bayonne Hospital has shed services, raised rates, and has definitely not put the Bayonne residents first.
The longtime employees have been great and dedicated and deserve to have a management team with experience, and dedication as well.
Unfortunately, CarePoint has decided to put profits before people and wishes to now
leave the business after its founders/scammers pulled $157 million dollars out to retire. Who let this happen?
I would say the politicians, who took donations from them, the politicians who did
nothing after all these years, the politicians who were asleep at the wheel and allowed this to get to this point.
I look at situations from a standpoint of logic and logic has dictated to me especially in
Bayonne that when Politicians are involved in any land sales or development, there has to be experience and a plan behind it. This is capitalism, period.
The citizens of Bayonne were held hostage for over 20 years with zero development at the old Military Ocean Terminal and taxes were raised exponentially, not only property taxes but water as well.
This is what happened when government had no business trying to develop the land and wasted millions of dollars trying to do it without a long term plan.
The plan and actions taken however, since Mayor Davis has been in office has been nothing but phenomenal and that is because there was experience, talent and a plan behind the actions.
Nothing is perfect but today seven years later, the city is on a better path.
I believe that the county government should not condemn this property through eminent
domain. I believe there is too much risk for an unproven operator, Surgicore to take over the only hospital in Bayonne.
I also believe the taxpayers should not be involved in taking on any more debt at this time. When there are too many “what ifs,” then I would vote no.
I would ask if the council votes no on this $100 Million dollar bond issue, that the council should seek to ask certain guarantees from Hudson Regional Hospital.
One of them being a long term operator to stay in Bayonne that cannot be broken or passed on and an open and transparent commitment to the citizens of Bayonne in the way of a long term plan and expansion with guaranteed funding.
My gut tells me that this hospital situation is pretty simple if the facts are to be believed.
1. Was the land under Bayonne Hospital purchased fair and square by Hudson
Regional Hospital? Yes.
2. Does Hudson Regional Hospital have experience operating an Acute Care
Facility? Yes
3. Does Hudson Regional Hospital support Organized Labor? Yes
4. Does Hudson Regional Hospital licensed to operate an Acute Care Facility? Yes
5. Does Hudson Regional Hospital accept network insurance that cover 95% of all
citizens? Yes
6. Do the Taxpayers need to be liable for $100 Million in debt? No
I urge to Council to vote NO to eminent domain.
John Milan Sebik
Bayonne resident
