Quote:
Originally Posted by Phillip
Who besides Mercy is in favor of Mercy Heart Center? Neighborhood opposition is almost universal and I think some NIMBYism (or Nimf*ckism) is in order. H and J Streets are already inadequate for current traffic loads and can't be widened without tearing down all the houses and businesses along one side of both streets. Adding more buildings and services to Mercy campus will bring gridlock. Not even ambulances will be able to get through those two lane stretches during rush hour.
Interesting that despite strong and vocal neighborhood opposition SEIU hasn't uttered a peep of protest over traffic and environmental impacts at Mercy. They've spent tens of thousands opposing Sutter's expansion, where neighborhood opposition has been nil. SEIU's silence can be bought and Mercy bought it.
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Phillip, with all due respect, please allow me to comment. I have almost 10 years of experience in healthcare management (none of it with the Sisters of Mercy, so I feel I can be completely objective).
First, I know first-hand that the hospital has many, many neighborhood residents that support their plan. Of course, they're not as vocal as the selfish nimbys, none of whom have been in the neighborhood as long as Mercy. Once again, I liken these people to those that recently move into the flight path of an airport and then complain about noise or expansion plans.
The heart hospital will truly be an asset to the entire region (as suggest by a previous post above). In fact, the realities of today's healthcare environment dictate that Mercy expand or die. The hospital, as currently configured, is simply not viable in today's market. Trust me.
In my opinion, your most glaring mirsrepresntation above is that SEIU opposed Sutter's expansion on any grounds other than purely political. SEUI didn't oppose Mercy's plans because they are not involved in a union organization struggle with them. SEIU couldn't give a — about environmental issues related to Mercy or Sutter. That's just a smoke screen. I know it, the city council knows it, almost anyone with a passing knowledge of the situation knows it.
To say that H and J streets will be so gridlocked that ambulances will not be able to pass is just hyperbolic hogwash. C'mon. They have sirens. The reality is that the heart wing addition will not add significantly to traffic (especially by emergency ambulance traffic.) The vast, vast majority of patients to the heart hospital will be scheduled appointments. Ambulances will continue to deliver their emergent patients to emergency rooms across the region on the basis of available capacity.
The bottom line is that Mercy has been in the neighborhood literally 10 times longer than most of their residential neighbors. What nerve on behalf of the residents! If their main concern is traffic, maybe they should get the hell out of their range rovers and take a walk. These people are hypocrites the the nth degree.
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