If Wishes Were Fishes!

If Wishes Were Fishes!

By Ray Pavlak, Winsted

The President of the Winsted Health Center Foundation is in the "if wishes were fishes, we'd have some to fry" mode of thinking. In his March 11 letter to corporators of the Foundation, a group he and the board of directors seldom contact and face only at annual meetings, Mr. Michaelsen stated that what he calls the "disruptive events" of the past are nearly over.

My comment to him and the board is: "You wish!" and my suggestion is: Don't count on fish for your meal until you get them in the frying pan. What you term "disruptive events" I call legitimate question raising and valid criticism of the actions of those who abuse their positions of power. What you call "disruption" occurs when people who try to raise such questions or criticisms are stifled and run roughshod over by officials.

Tyrants prefer quiet; they don't like to explain their actions, nor do they want suggestions that might improve upon their decisions or line of action. Such impudence they take as casting doubt on their omniscience. When they preside, they prefer the quiet of the graveyard to the sounds of discussion and the bargaining of an open, democratic policy-making marketplace.

Another wish of Mr. Michaelsen is that, "The so-called lawsuit was not filed with the court and therefore there is no lawsuit." Again I say, "Dream on!" You may wish, but your present CEO, Mrs. DiCara, was served a summons before your February 24 meeting, and others are being served by the marshal as I write this.

I am sorry that you and the board of directors did not respond to the honest differences of opinion with a good faith effort to work out a resolution. As a result we have to turn to Superior Court for decisions which will resolve the impasse. Oh, yes, the suit will be filed. You and the board may consider it a threat and harassment; we, on the other hand, consider it an opportunity for justice.

As an example of what we are seeking, the eighth count of the lawsuit centers on the improprieties visited on corporators of the Foundation during the meeting held on February 24. During this meeting there were numerous irregularities in the election of corporators and trustees.

The Foundation's President, Mr. Michaelsen, opened the meeting and then refused to allow for nominations and election of the chairman of the meeting as stated in the bylaws. This put the meeting in the hands of the "controlling group," or Nader clique. As chairman, he ran roughshod over the entire meeting. He refused to let anyone else deviate from his group's agenda, but violated his own rule by bringing up the matter of a pending lawsuit on the very point of the tyrannical governance and operation of the Foundation's board. He said the lawsuit was frivolous and harassing, but did not give the corporators involved who were present a chance to explain the reasons and purpose of the suit.

The clique pretended this was the annual meeting which should have been called in December, and used it to "elect" corporators and trustees. To make sure the clique and its supporters were installed, President/ Chairman Michaelsen obtained 17 proxies, which he cast as he wished. He kept these under his control, not allowing other corporators even to see if they were "certified." Since the clique said only 25 votes were needed to be elected, his secret proxies tilted—or rather capsized—the election in favor of Mr. Michaelsen's approved candidates.

This description of only some of the irregularities of this hijacked meeting and election gives some idea as to how the Nader clique has gained control of the Foundation. How sad that an organization which was to be set up as a people's foundation, open and democratic, for the purpose of overseeing a community health center on the lines established by our beloved Winsted Memorial Hospital, should develop into such a monster.

Take heart, all who hold dear the ideals represented by our old hospital and our present Winsted Health Center. Our effort in the court to restore the Center to the people will be long and difficult, but with your support we will stay the course and justice will prevail!