There is no question that Gracedale's census has been declining. That's a point made in a year-old operational assessment report, which recommends changes in the admissions process. That report was commissioned by Executive John Stoffa, the very person being accused of administrative subversion. He's unwilling to make too many changes until a new management team is on board.
McClure knows this. Had he argued that Stoffa should be implementing these changes now, it would be a fair criticism. Knowing Stoffa, I know he'd welcome a real debate on that or any Gracedale topic. Just a few weeks ago, when the Exec outlined over $20 million in improvements needed at the nursing home, he was provided with practically no feedback.
Now, McClure just has to suggest some dark, ulterior motive against a County Exec who places such importance on integrity that he refused to take a dime from anybody when he ran for re-election.
This accusation of subversion reveals much more about McClure than it does about Stoffa. The Exec is trying to govern, while McClure plays politics and panders to public-sector unions.
McClure attended no Committee meetings at all in 2010, and so far this year, has a zero attendance record. He has short-changed the voter, and is trying to cast attention everywhere else so nobody examines his own record too closely.
53 comments:
A fully idiotic democrat calling a semi-idiotic democrat crooked and financially irresponsible is simply good fun. The reason Stoffa couldn't run Gracedale or a lemonade stand is because he's a liberal democrat who believes money grows on trees and all good things come from government type pension compilers like him. Stoffa's never earned a private dollar, met a payroll, or created a job. The reason McClueless can't figure out Stoffa is because he's even more liberal and more philosophically democrat. It's like a retard fight: pathetic, but funny in a twisted way.
John Stoffa is the most incompetent "leader" in the history of Northampton County. There have been some good Executives and some bad Executives, Stoffa is just ineffective and incompetent.
When the most leadership an Executive can muster is, "We may have to look into that". You might as well have a chimp in the chair.
Mr. McClure is doing his job. The other council members are nothing more than Angle/Stoffa rubber stamps.
From Gracedale to the prison, Stoffa has let the county run on autopilot for seven years and things are falling apart. People cannot wait for the next election so we can get some real leadership for the county.
Jake
"Jake,"
You don't get it. It is one thing to suggest that an Exec is incompetent. It is quite another to suggest that he is corrupt. That is what McClure has done. That is what you condone.
No I think Jake has it right I can't think of many things the exec has made a deceison on. I don't think he is corrupt he is just not paying attention to county business.
Neither "Jake", McClure, nor you, has it right. Not even close. The same people you fawn over for keeping Gracedale overwhelmingly voted to re-elect Stoffa, and precisely bc he has restored fiscal stability to County government.
People looking for payola jobs or contracts are extremely upset that their cash cow has gone dry, and thus label Stoffa with everything. If that is the only thing Stffa gets done, it will be a remarkable achievement.
But instead of just calling Stoffa incompetent, and letting it rest there, McClue takes thins a step further and accuses him of purposely sabotaging admissions at Gracedale so he can sell it. This is, as Stoffa calls it, a "bold-faced lie."
It is made, not in the interest of good government, but to get McClure re-elected to a job at which he is known for his absence.
The Coalition of Alzheimers families were successful in their effort to keep Gracedale in County hands. They wanted new management, and thats what they are getting. They are 2 for 2, and the county and the taxpayers have ultimately lost the battle.
The capital improvements needed will require nothing short of a bond issue, that all of us will pay for in years to come.
This recent accusation by Mc Clure, shows he has absolutely no knowledge of the nursing home industry whatsoever. His accusations claim a conspiracy to lower the census, to garner more attention for a sale.
Anyone in the nursing home business knows that you cannot sit on a referral for days or weeks and expect it to turn into an admission. Referrals are made and filled in 48 hours. The lazy, goldbrick union sleazebags that run the admission process at Gracedale are the ones to blame. No one else.
Get off your asses and actually work! Maybe the census will return. Does the county have to pay overtime for this too? A rude awakening is about to be heard when new management actually demands results.
New leadership is needed both at the top and on council. Our county needs a progressive leader with a supportive council to bring needed sustainable jobs to the county. With jobs comes money. look at the county seat for an example. It's not rocket science. The mayor and council have done amazing things in Easton.
Let's go county, don't get like the feds. You need to work together or get out.
Stoffa has alternately called for boondoggle bond issues and expensive parking spaces, and, called for fiscal sanity. He's been all over the place and has not managed well. More was expected from a lifetime bureaucrat. His own party has saddled him with our local version of socialized health in the form of a money pit of a jobs program masquerading as an old folks home. Now, years of mismanagement - much of it his responsibility - have come home to roost before he could sell the mess. Apparently, Stoffa is the best we could do.
McClure panders to what is, and lucky for him, an ignorant base that doesn't really understand economics or how government runs. This partly allows him the luxury of not attending any meetings or getting involved with his position on Council.
Stoffa and his hack Human Services Director have been asked to allow changes at Gracedale. These changes are cost neutral. They would result in a higher census. The requests are ignored. In fact, since the May referendum, Stoffa and company have done absolutely nothing. They are 'waiting' for the private company. They have been dragging their feet. In the meantime with just a touch of leadership the home could be changing. Throughout all of June, the business agent from the union had open time and begged to sit with Stoffa and work out some help with costs, he never got a call back form Stoffa.
Despite all the claims of integrity, other than you, the editors that backed him and the end government crowd no one else believes that. Ask the Gracedale coalition they were lied to time and again by both Stoffa and Marcus.
Look at the deals he is working on behind the scenes with Attiyah.
Somehow county council isn't interested in the details. Not to mention the Attiyah deals we are aware of.
Sorry Bernie, you may love the guy but to make some claim he restored fiscal integrity rings hollow when you realize he inherited the largest surplus in county history. Also, given the shitty job he has done on the courthouse parking deck, what 70%+ over budget, yeah he has restored credibility; not!
You, the end government crowd and Joe smokey Owens are the only fans.
The people have wised up to the Stoffa bullshit. I wish he would run again, he would get thrown out of office by a huge vote.
Every time medicare and medicaid hands out a cut, jobs are lost
Look at the healthcare opportunities in this area. Doing well? No.
Job loss at Gracedale is just around the corner. Not only will jobs be cut, but so will salaries, and so will benefits. Gracedale will turn around, and many of the goons will be outside looking in.
McClure is a loser!
Anon 5:38, I doubt people put much credence in anonymous accusations. You attack Stoffa and Marcus, peope who have dedicated their lives to helping the less fortunate, but won't identify yourself. Tells us all we need to know.
"New leadership is needed both at the top and on council. Our county needs a progressive leader"
Translation - look for the union label.
Marcus is a guy from Economic Development. If you consider helping business men dedicating your life to "helping the less fortunate", I guess you are right.
Employees won't identify themselves since this Administration has carte blanche to dump any employee they wish.
There are no checks and balances with county council or the press. The Stoffa gang does what it wants.
I find it interesting that Barron wants to sue over asbestos at Gracedale and McClure is an asbestos attorney.
I've hear Marcus tell Council how disappointed his mother was when he went into social services instead of the law. I'm aware he did economic development in Allentown, but I think his background is human services. In a five-minute conversation,you'll learn that he has devoted his life and career to helping the less fortunate, as has Stoffa. It's why he likes me.
norco dummies - rid yourself of the white elephant old peoples home that is a drain on each and every one of you. when you do you will rid yourself of the burden of paying for the lazy and greedy union pukes who are raping the county. once you rid yourself of the greedy, self serving lazy, non-working, bitchy union pukes the the shameful union puke pandering council weirdos will have no one to support them for their pie in the sky , publically paid positions.Realize that greedy unions and sleazy politicans are the root of the evils facing you
How do you think Angelos got so rich?
Who has contributed to McClure's campaign? Who is running against McClure?
His accusations are a left handed attempt to make it look like he has his eyes on the ball, but he has never set foot in the stadium.
Committee time is where the work gets done. McClure doesnt show up for work, and expects to get re-elected?
McClure's contributors include Reibman, AFSCME, other unions, Angelos lawyers and the DA.
McClure's opponent is Bethlehem Tp resident Matt Connolly.
Mat is clearly someone who will actually do something if elected to county council. I expect he has the energy to get something done on council. We haven't seen McClure do anything but throw darts, his few "solutions" have been bogus from the start. McClure doesn't show any effort to affect change for the good...or even the bad.
If you'd like to attack Tricia instead of commenting about McClure's latest jab at Stoffa, you are going to have to identify yourself and clearly enough so she can have you served. People like you, who actually wish for physical harm on other people, are disgusting.
McClure is doing the job the Press hasn't done for the past six years. The Angle/Stoffa games are many and run deep. Ask the guy who will lose his foot over at the prison, while John figures how to make Attiyah more money.
Hey Bernie I saw the post, you are really reaching.
Entertaining as this site is, I've never understood why so many *anonymous* whackos post unreasonable things here.
Don't ya just wish they would take some name....or are they all the same whacko?
They won't identify themselves, maliciously attack other readers without having the courage to say who they are, and then complain when deleted ... anonymously.
"McClure is doing the job the Press hasn't done"
Actually, he was elected to represent the public at County Council. When he has a 0 attendance record, it is safe to say he is not doing his job. If he wants to be a reporter, he can apply for a job.
McClure has a point that the Gracedale admissions dept. has to be revamped and be more aggressive in admitting new patients. It is hard to streamline an entrenched bureaucracy. That is what a private management firm will do. They will instill a sense of urgency and accountability that has been dormant for far too long. It is hard to compete with private nursing homes when their admissions departments HAVE to produce or the personnel is replaced. They admit patients in hours when it takes Gracedale nearly a day. No contest. Gracedale's administration has been asleep at the wheel. A major shake-up is the facility's only chance for survival, let alone growth.
Even Stoffa would agree that McClure has a point, if he limited himself to saying that admissions needs to be revamped. As I point out in my post, Stoffa's operational assessment makes that very point.
But McClure being McClure, he just has to take things a step farther, and claim that Stoffa is deliberately keeping admissions low. That accusation, backed by a complete absence of evidence and made against a man of good will, says much more about McClure than it does about Stoffa.
Agreed. He is just trying to score political points rather than honestly solve a problem. How can he help solve ANYTHING when he doesn't even show up for committiee meetings? If he was so heart felt concerned about Gracedale, he should join the Human Services Committee! McClueless is an arrogant, absentee councilman who should be tossed out of office in November.
McClure offered a resolution to fund what Stoffa himself called the "most urgent needs" at Gracedale. All of a sudden Stoffa's most urgent list became a "we should at some point" list. Once again the bullshit that is the Stoffa regime came through.
McClure is the only non-rubber stamp councilman on county council. He is effective and that is why District three will not put another tea party rubber stamp on county council.
McClure proposed no resolution to what really are urgent needs at Gracedale. A $1,000 per day fine is hanging over the County's head right now. What McClure proposed was completely depleting the fund balance, leaving it with no money for day-to-day expenses and no money for the operational demands at Gracedale. We just discovered Gracedale is going to lose $1MM more per year from the feds, and where is that money supposed to come from? McClure's proposal was nonsense. He prefers pandering to governing.
Hey O'Hare what 'law school' was Marcus going to. the Podunk School of Law in fibie, Serbia. that guy is clueless. If he weren't a Republican inner circle waterboy, he would be unemployable.
The petition group was wished good luck by Stoffa. He said he would respect the decision of the voters. He lied. How is that integrity thing going for you.
I am sure he does respect the decision of the voters. Even i respect that. He challenged the referendum based on legal advice. Despite how the courts ruled, I still think that legal advice was correct.
Angle/Stoffa re right the world is wrong. that is all you need to know about those two characters.
Lamont McClure is the only honest county council member on the council. Angle/Stoffa decided to dump Gracedale and then went out and found reasons. the people wisely saw through their ruse.
Hardly the behavior of "honorable" men.
There is nothing "honorable" about failing to attend a single committee meeting over a two-year period, or making wild claims that have no basis in fact, simply to pander to the unions. There is something honorable about doing the right thing, and Stoffa desired to sell Gracedale for all the right reasons.
I am so sick of you, trish, brenda, and zorn all complaining about the wages and benefits of the gracedale people. Do you realize that gracedale has the lowest paid employees of the county? Some even qualify for food stamps, housing, and free child care. You make me sick.... all of you. We have the most compasionate people in this county.. Maybe one day you will need us!!!!
signed: jr
Yeah, you sound very compassionate.
First of all you don't have to attend the meeting to be knowledgeable of the subject there are other ways to stay on top.
And another thing if people want to sign Anonymous that is up to them at least they are free of your
name calling. And signing that way does not mean it is not the truth
anon 9:24
oh, cry me a river for the useless, lazy, self serving, greedy, liar union pukes that rape the county. u didn't even have enough balls to sign ur name to you cry baby blog entry. obviously a half ass union taxpayer reliant dependent. I pity your perverted mind and life.
Amen anon 9:46, Amen!
I AM VERY COMPASSIONATE and I am not a coward, If you want my name come over to gracedale and find me! Zorn, you are a coward with that fake name, i too could us a fake name.. you couldn't identify me if i used a name like brenda, trish or of course bernie.... you can use any name you choose... you are all idiots.. wait til you all get old and feeble, maybe you could use a good enema! then you would have a reason to have diarrahea of the mouth like you have... my name is jr find me!
When you threaten people that they may one day need you, it's hard to call you compassionate. I go right by Gracedale several days every week. Give me a day and tell me who to ask for and I will see you in person and tell you what I think to your face. You won't do that bc you are a coward who attacks people anonymously.
You have the support of the people who want honest and compassionate representation Lamont
We the People!
What goes around comes around. Let us imagine that the unions are successful in their pursuit of undermining the current administration and the voters place a new executive in power. Given the state of the national and subsequently the local economies, these so-called "goons" will at some point in time become disillusioned and turn against a new administration which faces the same challenges as Stoffa does. People who post here aren't happy with any situation or leader. Be careful what you ask for McClure and Barron! These same folks will turn against you too!
3:02's first post is absolutely point on and hilarious!
Gracedale has the highest level of total compensation of all nursing homes in the county. They have a very liberal package of sick, vacation, holiday and personal time, with medical benefits and tuition reimbursement, that exists nowhere else in the state.
Gracedale has a higher level of staff than any nursing home in this area. Gracedale exists this way because it has no bottom line. The bottom line is taxpayers who will continue to curtail their own household budgets, so that Gracedale can continue to lose more money year after year, after year.
This group found a way to keep Gracedale county owned. This will compromise patient care. Now they want to remove the county Executive? I have lost respect for all of you, not that you ever had my respect in the first place. Nancy Kutz, if you have something to say, you know where I live.
Trish
trish/brenda, you still know nothing of nursing home operations. John Stoffa is a special kind of incompetent. Of course there will always be people who are upset.
The problem with Stoffa is he cannot be trusted. What people want in a new Executive is honesty and the ability to trust. There may be hard times ahead for Gracedale but at least an honest person will lay out all the facts. Not just the facts that present one point of view. As of now the people have no confidence in John Stoffa.
Angle/Stoffa wanted to sell Gracedale for years. Stoffa waited until he was re-elected than made his move and bought the "official" advice he wanted and needed. He lost and is now trying to destroy the home by neglect.
Anon 10:43
I would appreciate if you would discontinue your use of 'backslash' key stroke to answer me, while giving me the assumed name of Brenda.
Not only do you have no knowledge of healthcare, budgets, income, vs. expenses, profit and loss, combined with capital investments, but you clearly lack any ability to make an argument for distrust.
If you sign your name to your pathetic attacks, someone may be able to respond in detail. Until then , SAVE it. BTW, I have ample knowledge of the nursing home industry, having worked in it for several of my adult years. If you would like to discredit my opinions by stating that I have no experience and no knowledge, then I hope you would come out from behind your veil of anonymity, and act like a human being with a NAME.
Trish
God Bless Lamont McClure, an honest man working for the people and not the Stoffa Administration.
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