Find Your Valentine
Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, August 18, 2009
City Rally for Children's Hospital
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 2:50 PM
You may recall that a handful of neighbors in the wealthy neighborhood of Laurelhurst have waged a war—spending tens of thousands of dollars on attorneys—to stop the expansion of Children's Hospital. The group, the Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC), has even been so crassly disingenuous in legal filings as to claim that they "represent the interests of the community's 2,800 households and businesses" (despite scads of residents who enthusiastically support a larger hospital). The disturbing part? The anti-hospital group may succeed. Their lawyers have nitpicked dozens of minor points and they convinced a city hearing examiner last week to recommend that the city council deny the expansion. Now Children's officials say the hospital may have to move out of Seattle.
Not so fast. Supporters of the hospital—and people who generally think sick kids should get medical care in the city—are holding a rally tomorrow in front of City Hall. Their point: The city's Department of Planning and Development and a citizens advisory committee already studied the hospital plans for two years and gave the project a thumbs up. Children's, which serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, has repeatedly demonstrated that the hospital needs 350 more beds to accommodate sick children. Laurelhurst neighbors, kids and parents who have gone to Children's, and other supporters will be downtown tomorrow asking the city council to allow Children's to expand.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 19 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Seattle City Hall Outdoor Plaza, 600 4th Avenue
Just a recap of this fight: On one side, we have the LCC, a group of healthy adults who live in a wealthy lakeside neighborhood. They are privileged. On the other side, we have the most unfortunate, unprivileged people in all the world: terminally ill kids who have to spend their childhoods in a hospital. Do children with failing hearts fight back against the rich neighbors worried about the noise from a medevac helicopter? No. The kids aren't fighting neighbors. They're fighting for their goddamn lives. Give the kids a voice. Go to the rally.
2
Cue Mr. X and "blah blah blah, traffic, undue hardship, not an essential service, too many beds, property rights, you must be poor".
5
Luke is cool - will you please walk around on campus making that face from now on so if I see you while I'm at work I can say hey? ;)
6
uh, I'm totally pro-hospital expansion but I'm a little befuddled as to why a LARGE, health-care organization with lots of money and lots of rich and influential board members is losing this tug of war with a bunch of whiny, rich bitches over the expansion of a hospital to take care of sick kids...P.R. wise, they should be winning this war.
7
Any Laruelhurst fucker who signs on in opposition of this should automatically be barred from using the services of Childrens'. When their kid gets leukemia or falls off their bike, they should have to fly them to San Francisco or Denver for treatment.
8
Your earlier article cited some of the Laurelhurst residents who support the hospital and oppose the community club, the LCC. Hospital supporters in the neighborhood need to organize and form their own group, even if it's only a list of residents and property owners who are OK with or support the hospital expansion.
Right now, the perception is that the LCC truly speaks for the Laurelhurst community, and given the economic weight of its residents, that's clout in today's society.
Time for hospital supporters to call the LCC's bluff, not with just a rally but with real organizing work. If Obama could do it in Chicago, they certainly a few concerned neighbors can do it in Laurelhurst.
Right now, the perception is that the LCC truly speaks for the Laurelhurst community, and given the economic weight of its residents, that's clout in today's society.
Time for hospital supporters to call the LCC's bluff, not with just a rally but with real organizing work. If Obama could do it in Chicago, they certainly a few concerned neighbors can do it in Laurelhurst.
9
@6, seems like the hospital brahmins actually are winning it, from a P.R. point of view. Slog posts highlighting their point of view, a rally with Slog publicity... The Children's muckity-mucks seem to have dodged any public anger over how long it's taken to get the hospital expansion going.
As far as I can tell from the facts I've read, if not for the hospital board's all-or nothing approach to the land use code, Children's would be starting on the expansion already.
If the city council somehow doesn't bend to public pressure in an election year and refuses to void the examiner's decision, I wonder if the hospital solons will change their strategy. For the sake of the sick kids.
As far as I can tell from the facts I've read, if not for the hospital board's all-or nothing approach to the land use code, Children's would be starting on the expansion already.
If the city council somehow doesn't bend to public pressure in an election year and refuses to void the examiner's decision, I wonder if the hospital solons will change their strategy. For the sake of the sick kids.
10
Property values v. very ill children in need of care. Hmmm....let me think about this for a while.
Jesus...how do people sleep at night?
Jesus...how do people sleep at night?
11
people who generally think sick kids should get medical care in the city
Is this some new liberal ideology I don't know about? Not only do we have to live like sardines, not own cars, carry bags and cups with us everywhere, but we also have to not deliver medical services in suburbs?
Is this some new liberal ideology I don't know about? Not only do we have to live like sardines, not own cars, carry bags and cups with us everywhere, but we also have to not deliver medical services in suburbs?
12
@6:
a) Because those neighbors are wealthy enough to hire lawyers just a fancy as Children's. (BTW, the neighbors can try and distance themselves from LCC's Jeannie Hale as much as they want, but SOMEONE is paying her lawyers' fees.
b) Children's assumes the same thing. And you know what they say about assuming...
a) Because those neighbors are wealthy enough to hire lawyers just a fancy as Children's. (BTW, the neighbors can try and distance themselves from LCC's Jeannie Hale as much as they want, but SOMEONE is paying her lawyers' fees.
b) Children's assumes the same thing. And you know what they say about assuming...
13
This is heartbreaking.
I was going to the rally but I am immobilized by sadness.
I will stay home and get stoned and cry.
I was going to the rally but I am immobilized by sadness.
I will stay home and get stoned and cry.
14
The entire population of this region better "get on board." Yes, a neighborhood will be somewhat 'impacted.' Sorry, I would gratefully 'suffer' some noise or traffic or inconvenience in the name of saving our children. Isn't this why we exist? What, in the name of God is a "neighborhood" when a child needs help?
15
@9: I think you're on the right track. This isn't so much an easy rich-people-vs.-sick-kids argument as a hospital board/planners-vs.-themselves fight. If this were proposed correctly in the first place, the 25-year (or whatever) expansion would've started already. Let's get real -- no one wants to kick the hospital out of the city. I know it's convenient to demonize the opposition as overwealthy NIMBYs. But in a way, they have a point.
16
@11: Seattle's population density is only 7,000. Hardly living like "sardines".
If that's too many people, you can always move to Concrete.
If that's too many people, you can always move to Concrete.
18
Congratulations, you all have been played as thoroughly by Children's PR machine as the Birthers were by Sara Palin's "Death Panels."
Have fun being angry, though.
Have fun being angry, though.
20
@18 that fucking hospital and its PR machine with its evil plot to... um... help more sick children.
21
Not a day goes by that we don't read or hear about another child dying from the lack of space at Childrens.
Oh wait, maybe not...
Oh wait, maybe not...
22
Children's is a vital part of our community. I lived in Laurelhurst when they were complaining about the noise of a helipad. I can tell you that all the people opposed to it will miss Children's like hell when they need it then they will wish with every part of their being that it never left.
Children's does more than just save lives, it is a warm place for parents dealing with the death of a child, it is answers when there are none and more than that it is Laurelhurst. This is the heart of Laurelhurst and without it the neighborhood would be just another neighborhood.
It wouldn't represent what it does, the jobs, the people, the lives they have saved. Children's has a special place in my heart and anyone opposed to it growing has know idea what it is about.
I would ask that the city council visit the children go see how they are fighting to stay alive. Don't take away their life line because you would be no better than the disease they have.
Walk the halls see the painted walls, look at the dr's, nurses and staff who give up their lives to save these children.
I have people in my life today who would not be here if it were not for childrens and I have lost others that Children's support groups got me through the agony and taught me about things like SIDS.
PLEASE EVERYONE FIGHT TO KEEP THEM HERE
Children's does more than just save lives, it is a warm place for parents dealing with the death of a child, it is answers when there are none and more than that it is Laurelhurst. This is the heart of Laurelhurst and without it the neighborhood would be just another neighborhood.
It wouldn't represent what it does, the jobs, the people, the lives they have saved. Children's has a special place in my heart and anyone opposed to it growing has know idea what it is about.
I would ask that the city council visit the children go see how they are fighting to stay alive. Don't take away their life line because you would be no better than the disease they have.
Walk the halls see the painted walls, look at the dr's, nurses and staff who give up their lives to save these children.
I have people in my life today who would not be here if it were not for childrens and I have lost others that Children's support groups got me through the agony and taught me about things like SIDS.
PLEASE EVERYONE FIGHT TO KEEP THEM HERE
23
@18 and @21
That's just awesome. Go ahead: Be cute. Be ironic. Be flippant. (All that, and a Pabst draft makes you the coolest scenesters in town.)
But at the moment you read this, some kid puking his guts up, undergoing chemo. Some parents just got some news that you wouldn't ever have the strength or courage to deal with. And you have the fucking audacity to rip on their situation.
Really, that's the person you are? You use sick kids as a platform for your alt-agenda. How awesome for you.
If there's anyone getting played, its you. By your own insecurity.
Fuck you.
@18 and @21
That's just awesome. Go ahead: Be cute. Be ironic. Be flippant. (All that, and a Pabst draft makes you the coolest scenesters in town.)
But at the moment you read this, some kid puking his guts up, undergoing chemo. Some parents just got some news that you wouldn't ever have the strength or courage to deal with. And you have the fucking audacity to rip on their situation.
Really, that's the person you are? You use sick kids as a platform for your alt-agenda. How awesome for you.
If there's anyone getting played, its you. By your own insecurity.
Fuck you.
24
Thanks for posting this. I took my son to the rally, and it was awesome. The area was packed with supporters (and a few protesters each with identical signs claiming they've lived in Laurelhurst since 1953). I made my own sign with "I WANT MORE Children's" on one side and "SAVE OUR Children's" on the other (which I thought was much more clever than the "I support Children's" signs everyone else had).
The speeches were heart-wrenching, especially the woman who found out her son had cancer then had to wait in a hallway with him for much of the night because they were out of beds. When she did get a room she had to share it with people that were cheering for their sport's team.
Children's is the best hospital I've seen, and my niece needs to stay for a few days every few months. The staff provide her with endless entertainment and keep her spirits up while stuck in the hospital. Her family likely wouldn't have moved here if Children's didn't exist. I hope those protesting never have to find out how lucky they are to have Children's here.
The speeches were heart-wrenching, especially the woman who found out her son had cancer then had to wait in a hallway with him for much of the night because they were out of beds. When she did get a room she had to share it with people that were cheering for their sport's team.
Children's is the best hospital I've seen, and my niece needs to stay for a few days every few months. The staff provide her with endless entertainment and keep her spirits up while stuck in the hospital. Her family likely wouldn't have moved here if Children's didn't exist. I hope those protesting never have to find out how lucky they are to have Children's here.
25
I'm sorry the neighbors may have to endure a bit more traffic, but as they say, that's life in the big city. This is literally a matter of life and death, and to compassionate human beings, nothing is more important. Yes, I believe it is truly as simple as that.
26
I didn't hear this much uproar from the local community when they added 1000 extra parking spots in the university village! ...that is a traffic nightmare! Priorities seem a little backwards.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
SL Letter of the Day: Life Sentence by Dan Savage
-
SL Letter of the Day: Daddy Loves Who? by Dan Savage
-
Required Listening: Howard Stern on Ellen, JC Penney, Bullied Gay Kids, Rosie, Santorum, Bachmann, et al by Dan Savage
-
Crowdsourcing Uncut Police Video from the Dec. 12 Occupy Protest at the Port of Seattle by Eli Sanders
-
State Legislator Testifies That His Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage Came to Him from a Commercial for Jack in the Box by Christopher Frizzelle
-
"Let me be the first one to say: My business will refuse to participate in a same-sex marriage ceremony," by Republican Representative Matt Shea of the Spokane Valley by Eli Sanders
-
The Onion Is on a Roll: "Iran Worried U.S. Might Be Building 8,500th Nuclear Weapon" by Charles Mudede
-
"I don't know if I want to be here [if gay marriage passes]," by Republican State Senator Jay Rodne of North Bend by Eli Sanders
-
Announcing The Stranger's Tournament of Dunces! Who's the Dumbest Representative in the State House? by Christopher Frizzelle
-
Republicans Put Gay Marriage on the Ballot at Their Own Risk by Goldy
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (26) RSS