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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, October 18, 2013

Unions Thanks Stoffa For Rollback on Healthcare Hike

Ken Kraft
I lost a $5 bet last night. Unions swooped down on County Council after Northampton County administrators announced plans to increase health care costs to avoid being classified as a "Cadillac" plan under Obamacare. The changes were draconian, and in many cases, would have erased any financial gains made by workers in the past several years. Executive John Stoffa put the brake on these plans, opting instead to seek a second opinion and form a committee to see if there is some way out of the mess. I bet County Council member Ken Kraft that the unions would not thank Stoffa.

I lost.

Though the crowd was not as huge, a fairly large contingent of county workers came to last night's Council meeting and thanked Stoffa. AFSCME union agent Justus James and union leader Sean Carson (sp?) both gave Stoffa credit, even shaking his hand. James acknowledged that "The Affordable Care Act is complicated,"  and said that he is praying for better communication.

Nobody seemed to notice that his Director of Human Resources, Pat Siementioski, was absent. She did not appear at Wednesday's budget hearing, either.

I paid Kraft with a marked bill.

He is currently in custody on bribery charges.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

The unions' cost is going up and the taxpayer will get the bill. Stoffa can afford it with his pile of pensions. If he'd ever worked just one day in private industry (where he would have been fired by his first coffee break) he might have some compassion for those not slopping at the trough. Enjoy your new building and your comfortable retirement John. You really fucked us on your way there.

SpiritWithoutLimit said...

We the people will not forgive and forget "Stoffa-Gift" no matter how much placating is attempted by this lame duck administration.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Fake Rev, you have made your irrational hatred of just about everyone clear on multiple occasions. Now go love somebody to death, as you like to say .

Anonymous said...

Pat did not need to be there. Stoffa went along with council members who convinced him to put this off. Problem is the this is not going away. The next guy needs to deal with this and not Stoffa. Pat knows her business and if you bother to speak with her you won't like what you hear. In the end the taxpayer had better not take the hit for these increases. We have our own increases for healthcare and everything else just like they do. We have to pay our way and they should too. If you voted for Obama you will soon regret it. No you have not saved money and will not and no you can't keep your plan or your doctor. Glad and I am healthy.

Bernie O'Hare said...

She attends every Council meeting but was absent. That's an indication to me that she is unhappy with Stoffa's reversal. If she is right, what needs to happen will happen. But as a professional, she should understand how traumatic this change is, and should have no objection to getting a second opinion.

Anonymous said...

Not every cabinet member is at every council meeting. There really wasn't anything on the agenda for her to attend, so what is the big deal? Don't read too much into her absence.

Bernie O'Hare said...

It is no big deal, but she is almost always there. You are right. I should not read too much into it.

Anonymous said...

Pat was probably not happy with the decision, but she is a true professioanl and will get lver it. Right idea, wrong time.

Anonymous said...

She must be fired.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I hate when people call on others to be fired. I didn't like it when McClure tried it with her predecessor, either.

Anonymous said...

Fired for what? Telling the truth. She knows this is going to have to happen. Sh was doing her job but now knows the next guy should deal with it.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Someone is just being an anonymous asshole. She was doing her job.

Anonymous said...

If you and Kraft made the bet and you paid him on country property, he should resign his seat.

Gambling and or paying off gambling best on county property is illegal.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Cuckoo.

Anonymous said...

They where not gambling they had a simple gentleman wager (well at least one of them is a gentleman) and the monetary exchange is a worthless amount in 2013, you can't even buy a pack of smokes with it.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Especially when it's a counterfeit bill.

Anonymous said...

The county needs to look at other plan options as well as self pay vs regular administered plan

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bernie O'Hare said...

If you want to attack this person, sign your name and take responsibility.