"Where's the money, Lamont?" Signs Appear in NorCo

 

Several of you have noticed yard signs like the one you see above popping up in some corners of NorCo. Are they nostalgia for the Sanford and Son TV series?  Do they suggest that, once your money is gone, you need to go to Gracedale? I believe a lot of people who see these posters would be hard put to understand the point. But a few do. Those few are Democrats and Republicans who follow NorCo government. And they'll understand the message - it's an accusation that NorCo Exec Lamont McClure squandered money intended for bonuses at Gracedale, the county's nursing home. The message implies that this money is missing and may have been pocketed.  Basically, it's misinformation. But is it effective as a negative campaign ad? By itself, no. But if it is combined with mailers that explain more clearly what actually happened, it can be effective. 

As much as people say they hate negative campaigns, they do work if the information is accurate. 

Let's summarize the details. 

Back in March, NorCo Council wanted to know what happened to $5 million in retention bonuses they set aside for Gracedale employees, and tasked Controller Tara Zrinski with finding out. She did. She conducted an audit and learned that, of $5 million approved for retention bonuses, only $2.36 million was actually paid to employees. The rest was used for operating expenses at the nursing home.  Because this money was commingled with other Gracedale funds, it is impossible to state exactly how each dollar was spent. 

Based on what Zrinski learned, we know that Council's directive was ignored, which was undoubtedly a blunder. But we also know that no money is missing, as the sign dishonestly suggests. Based on what we know, McClure can be tagged for several mistakes. He failed to spend the bonus money the way Council intended it to be spent, at least with respect to career service (nonunion) workers. He failed to ensure that the bonus money was in a separate fund to prevent it from being commingled.  He also failed to alert Council of the problem in an executive session in which he could freely describe how some Gracedale staffers basically blew the money on unneeded overtime for non-nursing staff.  

What we learned is, quite frankly, damaging. But the suggestion that any money is missing is a bold-faced lie designed to appeal to low-information voters.