Carrion (and Council and Legislature) to Pressure Spitzer
"We need to redouble our efforts and my friends, continue to fight against initiatives like the proposed closing of Westchester Square Medical Center and other so called cost-cutting measures that put our community in further danger. And so I pledge to you today that I will join members of the City Council, the Chair of the Health Committee, Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera and the Bronx delegation, as well as members of the State legislature to fight these cuts as we enter this year's budget discussion. Please count on me to testify before your respected bodies and help you make the case for the people of the Bronx and the City."
If it's not clear enough what he's talking about here, this line on Carrion's website states the premise more neatly:
"CARRION TOURS WESTCHESTER SQUARE MEDICAL CENTER Vows to Put Pressure on Governor Spitzer"
UPDATE: 1199 piles on, issuing a statement saying that Carrion "realizes that the closing of facilities and cutting of healthcare programs do not represent reform, and certainly don't put patients first."
-- Azi Paybarah
Heard Schumer and Clinton were at the speech...quite a love fest
I'm old leftie, usually side with the unions, but the hospital closing commission is right. There is excess capacity of in-patient beds. That system has to shrink, while community based clinic capacity has to grow.
The unions are protecting their members' jobs, which is what they are supposed to do, but in this case this does not coincide with everyone else's health care needs.
Never mind that 1199's powerbase is resides more and more with Bruno and Senate majority.
Got to say though I really think they made a huge mistake with the Westchester Square Medical Center closing. This hospital is at capacity and is the one hospital in the area. Closing this one would be a huge mistake