Hahnemann Hospital sits abandoned while Philadelphia's medical community struggles to find the beds needed as the coronavirus outbreak spreads in the city. (Photo: Cory Clark/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Mar 30, 2020
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday joined a rising chorus of progressives demanding the city of Philadelphia seize the shuttered 500-bed Hahnemann hospital from its owner, investment banker Joel Freedman, and reopen the facility to handle the coming peak infections of the coronavirus in the city.
"The city should reopen Hahnemann hospital immediately," Sanders said in a tweet Monday at midday.
\u201cWe are facing estimates of over 100,000 coronavirus deaths. It is outrageous that a Philadelphia real estate investor who closed a hospital is now trying to gouge the city to re-open it. @HelenGymPHL is right: the city should reopen Hahnemann hospital immediately.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1585583875
Sanders, who supported efforts to stop the hospital's closure in July 2019, including rallying with the facility's supporters, was one of a growing number of advocates calling for the city to take matters into its own hands after Freedman refused to lease the building to the city for less than $1 million a month.
"Seize it," tweeted progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon.
\u201cSeize it\u201d— Benjamin Dixon (@Benjamin Dixon) 1585413350
On Sunday, Freedman's mansion in Philadelphia had "Joel Kills" and "Free Hahnemann" spray painted on its side.
Philadelphians were not sympathetic.
\u201c\u201cA factual statement was spray painted on the home of Joel Freedman, a man best known for trying to extort Philadelphians for use of a hospital that is rightfully theirs\u201d\u201d— alyssa, philly forever (@alyssa, philly forever) 1585588109
The push for using eminent domain to take the hospital and put it back online despite Freedman's demands gained a fan in normally-skepitcal-of-such-actions Esquire journalist Charlie Pierce.
"I am generally not a fan of eminent domain," Pierce wrote Monday, "but if there is a clearer case for it than this one, especially at this moment in time, I don't know what it would be."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday joined a rising chorus of progressives demanding the city of Philadelphia seize the shuttered 500-bed Hahnemann hospital from its owner, investment banker Joel Freedman, and reopen the facility to handle the coming peak infections of the coronavirus in the city.
"The city should reopen Hahnemann hospital immediately," Sanders said in a tweet Monday at midday.
\u201cWe are facing estimates of over 100,000 coronavirus deaths. It is outrageous that a Philadelphia real estate investor who closed a hospital is now trying to gouge the city to re-open it. @HelenGymPHL is right: the city should reopen Hahnemann hospital immediately.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1585583875
Sanders, who supported efforts to stop the hospital's closure in July 2019, including rallying with the facility's supporters, was one of a growing number of advocates calling for the city to take matters into its own hands after Freedman refused to lease the building to the city for less than $1 million a month.
"Seize it," tweeted progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon.
\u201cSeize it\u201d— Benjamin Dixon (@Benjamin Dixon) 1585413350
On Sunday, Freedman's mansion in Philadelphia had "Joel Kills" and "Free Hahnemann" spray painted on its side.
Philadelphians were not sympathetic.
\u201c\u201cA factual statement was spray painted on the home of Joel Freedman, a man best known for trying to extort Philadelphians for use of a hospital that is rightfully theirs\u201d\u201d— alyssa, philly forever (@alyssa, philly forever) 1585588109
The push for using eminent domain to take the hospital and put it back online despite Freedman's demands gained a fan in normally-skepitcal-of-such-actions Esquire journalist Charlie Pierce.
"I am generally not a fan of eminent domain," Pierce wrote Monday, "but if there is a clearer case for it than this one, especially at this moment in time, I don't know what it would be."
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday joined a rising chorus of progressives demanding the city of Philadelphia seize the shuttered 500-bed Hahnemann hospital from its owner, investment banker Joel Freedman, and reopen the facility to handle the coming peak infections of the coronavirus in the city.
"The city should reopen Hahnemann hospital immediately," Sanders said in a tweet Monday at midday.
\u201cWe are facing estimates of over 100,000 coronavirus deaths. It is outrageous that a Philadelphia real estate investor who closed a hospital is now trying to gouge the city to re-open it. @HelenGymPHL is right: the city should reopen Hahnemann hospital immediately.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1585583875
Sanders, who supported efforts to stop the hospital's closure in July 2019, including rallying with the facility's supporters, was one of a growing number of advocates calling for the city to take matters into its own hands after Freedman refused to lease the building to the city for less than $1 million a month.
"Seize it," tweeted progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon.
\u201cSeize it\u201d— Benjamin Dixon (@Benjamin Dixon) 1585413350
On Sunday, Freedman's mansion in Philadelphia had "Joel Kills" and "Free Hahnemann" spray painted on its side.
Philadelphians were not sympathetic.
\u201c\u201cA factual statement was spray painted on the home of Joel Freedman, a man best known for trying to extort Philadelphians for use of a hospital that is rightfully theirs\u201d\u201d— alyssa, philly forever (@alyssa, philly forever) 1585588109
The push for using eminent domain to take the hospital and put it back online despite Freedman's demands gained a fan in normally-skepitcal-of-such-actions Esquire journalist Charlie Pierce.
"I am generally not a fan of eminent domain," Pierce wrote Monday, "but if there is a clearer case for it than this one, especially at this moment in time, I don't know what it would be."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.