A political cartoon on the Editorial Page (P2) envisions a speaker for the “Naysayer Society of Lancaster” saying “Good news!  Our arch enemy, John Fry is leaving town.” One participant asks another “Who do we blame now?” and the person next to him says “I’m sure we’ll find someone.”

Whether consciously or not, almost in rebuttal under “Quotes of the Week” is “If I didn’t feel it was ready to move ahead…under a great new leader, I wouldn’t go.” John Fry re his appointment to the presidency of Drexel University!

WATCHDOG: We would love to have the original cartoon to hang on the doghouse wall.

In large part thanks to us “naysayers”, the Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. has made its way back from its journalistic dark ages during the run up to the convention center project. Meanwhile not much is heard these days from S. Dale High, whose reputation henceforth will be linked to his firms’ convention center project shenanigans, to put it mildly.

With Fry heading to Philadelphia (assuming the offer isn’t withdrawn when they learn more about the man), the ‘reign of terror’ will likely end on the Franklin & Marshall College campus. We expect more will be said about Fry’s antics from campus sources as time goes by and fear recedes.

So the Watchdog has only one more target in mind: Lancaster General Health.

It is natural for the public to look at this colossus of a local health provider with reverence. We suspend critical judgment as we do for the entire health care system because deep down we have a sense of dependency.

But there needs to be a spotlight placed on LGH.

(1)    Because LGH can charge more to insurance companies, insurers in turn charge more to Lancastrians for coverage. So LGH’s huge profits are coming from our pockets.

(2)     Its second highest profits in the state are mainly the result of market dominance, something they are trying to perfect by crowding out its remaining viable competitor, Ephrata General Hospital.

(3)     LGH, a non-profit ‘public charity’ is one of the least charitable hospitals in the state! We know not what it is doing with its vast earnings, but we do know they are not being directed adequately towards local public health and education.

(4)     There is total lack of transparency, with media and public being banned from all LGH trustee and committee meetings except for the annual public meeting, and the one  goes unnoted and unreported by the Lancaster press.  (It was last November, but not a word was printed about it before or after.)

(5)     Finally, management at LGH is totally self perpetuating, with current trustees choosing future ones. There is no public input.

With LGH, we are not talking about individual predators but rather an institution that acts like a Fortune 100 for-profit corporation.

We hope to help LGH find its way.