Protesters Call for Council Appeal

A large number of protesters of the proposed Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center closing attended the City Council meeting Monday (July 21, 2008) . The group had hoped to see the council endorse an appeal to the closing, but no such resolution was on the agenda.

In public comment, speakers stated the issue as one of racism and predicted that suburban hospitals would not welcome Plainfielders, but would try to foist them off on other urban hospitals such as Trinitas in Elizabeth. Resident Deborah Dowe vowed to take the case all the way to the United Nations for relief of what she called the 'geographically undesirable" population seeking health care.

Dowe said a city activist was "near death" on Friday due to a heart attack and was admitted to a "stripped-down" cardiac ward at Muhlenberg.

"They are steering people based on race and zip code," Dowe alleged, claiming the response was inadequate.

Speaker Carrie Faraone likened the situation to the worst thing that happened to the city since the 1967 riots.

Other speakers, including Nancy Piwowar, said the group has many important documents to sway the case, and offered them to the council.

Speakers said the city was not being asked to join a lawsuit, but only to sign an appeal.

The council did not answer while in session, but after adjournment, Councilman Don Davis insisted the council was "100 percent" in support of the protesters.

But he said, "You really should help us help you."

--Bernice Paglia