tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post4866435005950597079..comments2024-03-28T15:45:13.817-04:00Comments on Lehigh Valley Ramblings: NorCo Council Treats Gracedale Nonprofit Options SkepticallyBernie O'Harehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-91836718914036122762016-02-20T17:11:01.186-05:002016-02-20T17:11:01.186-05:00When NorCo did administration in-house, it became ...When NorCo did administration in-house, it became a disaster. Going to Premier is the single smartest move the county made.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-42227907845398958682016-02-20T17:06:52.375-05:002016-02-20T17:06:52.375-05:00I don't understand why the county is paying ...I don't understand why the county is paying an outside company to run Gracedale. They didn't pay the past administrator what they are paying premier. And at the end of the day they still have final word on what gets done. It seems to me the county would save money going back to having its own administrator. Everything that's been done was proposed by Mr. Grand and it was all shot down!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-35350014272958136032016-02-20T14:28:28.021-05:002016-02-20T14:28:28.021-05:00Anonymous coward, the 5:48 comment involves no ano...Anonymous coward, the 5:48 comment involves no anonymous personal attack like you engage in and is still up. Can't fix stupid. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-74046734472155873802016-02-20T14:25:33.840-05:002016-02-20T14:25:33.840-05:00Hey anon 10:45, what 5:48 post? It must have been ...Hey anon 10:45, what 5:48 post? It must have been a very good pro-Gracedale post as it appears O'Hare removed it. He will always skew the discussion to his point of view. He makes me look tame.<br /><br />Josef StalinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-58275824008000659632016-02-20T14:18:26.201-05:002016-02-20T14:18:26.201-05:00Yes, they have, and you haven't signed any of ...Yes, they have, and you haven't signed any of your posts. Why not be honest and tell us who you are? Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-83137513593561737892016-02-20T10:45:58.209-05:002016-02-20T10:45:58.209-05:00Anon 5:48 it is not a "half truth" that ...Anon 5:48 it is not a "half truth" that counties must operate a jail. It is the law. There is NO legal obligation for a county to operate a nursing home. Less than a half of all counties in PA. run one. And your assertion that most nursing homes in the county are non-profit is bullshit. They pay county taxes which help prop up a competitor. That isn't fair. Gracedale is a union shop and this area remains heavily sympathetic to organized labor. That was the driving force behind the save Gracedale movement. But the citizens have spoken, and taxpayers are willing to pay for a county home at the expense of other needed human services programs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-56479543833787006422016-02-20T05:10:10.338-05:002016-02-20T05:10:10.338-05:00Gracedale is a godsend to the people. the haters l...Gracedale is a godsend to the people. the haters lost on this one but they are always ready to pounce. How Cusick got back into government is amazing. The guy is a snake and will continue to undermine Gracedale. The people that wanted to dump it will stop at nothing to see it fail.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-69743766766820865162016-02-19T22:41:38.218-05:002016-02-19T22:41:38.218-05:00The people who work at Gracedale are a special bre...The people who work at Gracedale are a special breed, ni matter what you may think of unions. What makes them special is that they treat the residents like family members. They are not just beds. Many who retire come back as volunteers. I could never work there. Too much love. But these are no union pukes, as you claim. You'll have to try that somewhere else. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-75863819596889971192016-02-19T21:18:06.296-05:002016-02-19T21:18:06.296-05:00Until you have worked at Gracedale I suggest you g...Until you have worked at Gracedale I suggest you get your facts straight. We work very hard and deserve every penny we earn. No matter what department you are in. Gracedale is a well needed nursing home. County owned. Come and spend a day and see what really goes on before you spew your ugly words.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-60855452025966414912016-02-19T20:46:29.478-05:002016-02-19T20:46:29.478-05:00more of a haven for union pukes that can't mak...more of a haven for union pukes that can't make it anywhere else. Save money and rid us of the stranglehold this place has on the citizens of the countyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-43825420504695985602016-02-19T17:48:28.140-05:002016-02-19T17:48:28.140-05:00"get real"
I agree, please get real. Ma... "get real"<br /><br />I agree, please get real. Many nursing home are non-profit and don't pay taxes. Also the "core function" argument is another half-truth that was played out by the el Gracedale fanatics. A county "core function" is whatever a county decides it should be. Care of the counties' vulnerable citizens is a core function. Much of how the county does that is decided by the county.<br /><br />You also neglect to mention that a private nursing home can pick and chose whom they wish to admit. They are not obligated to take in anyone they don't want to admit and will refuse some people due to their perceived cost and the person's financial status. Have you ever been in a private nursing home? Have you gone past the wood paneled reception room to the wings were drugged up elderly lay for hours. Stop playing games.<br /><br />The county ahs been torn apart by people looking for a fast buck at the expense of the elderly poor. The people want Gracedale and have spoken. Gracedale is both a moral and practical way for the county to ensure the well being of its most vulnerable people deemed non-profitable by private enterprise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-68319843843856162892016-02-19T11:03:05.222-05:002016-02-19T11:03:05.222-05:00"i saw in a previous post Bernie that you men...<em>"i saw in a previous post Bernie that you mentioned that Gracedale was on its way to break even and was projecting a 2.1 million dollar loss."</em><br /><br />The County contribution to Gracedale in 2015 was 2.1 million. It beat the budget, but did not come close to breaking even. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-60295710346355492192016-02-19T10:01:29.048-05:002016-02-19T10:01:29.048-05:00Anon 7:34 get real. It is a core function of count...Anon 7:34 get real. It is a core function of counties to operate a jail. It is NOT a core function for counties to run nursing homes. There are dozens of private options for nursing care in the county, but only one correctional facility. Even if a jail was run by a private company the only source for funding is county dollars. Unlike a nursing home where Medicaid and Medicare are readily available. The real shame here is that private nursing homes must pay county property taxes, which in part are used to finance a competitor! What sense does that make?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-58758648600152729372016-02-19T09:07:36.094-05:002016-02-19T09:07:36.094-05:00i saw in a previous post Bernie that you mentioned...i saw in a previous post Bernie that you mentioned that Gracedale was on its way to break even and was projecting a 2.1 million dollar loss. <br /><br />Is that before or after the county's contribution? Or said another way, if the County gave 10 million, it would have needed to give 12.1 million to break even<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-60984842963463080772016-02-19T07:54:33.720-05:002016-02-19T07:54:33.720-05:00Too many cooks making the soup here! Leave Graced...Too many cooks making the soup here! Leave Gracedale as is and it will be fine in the long run. Randy U.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12662698411823190587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-39450899260589683102016-02-19T07:34:42.112-05:002016-02-19T07:34:42.112-05:00I find it hard to belive that taxpayers get mad ab...I find it hard to belive that taxpayers get mad about gracedale when it inly uses a few million tax dollars each year but the prison needs about 20 million for its budget Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-81409971421528636992016-02-19T05:57:44.196-05:002016-02-19T05:57:44.196-05:00"It is a sad story. Since the effort to sell ..."It is a sad story. Since the effort to sell Gracedale the facts and information has been muddied and muddled. Half-truths, rumors and out and out lies have permeated the debate and poisoned the process. It has pitted citizen against citizen.<br /><br />This all could have been avoided with an in-depth and honest discussion and research. The problem was the players back in 2010 knew what they wanted to do and made the information fit the strategy. People who had other ideas and knowledgeable facts were shouted down and berated by Angle. Stoffa would tell one thing to council and another to the families. It was a real fiasco.<br /><br />You hate that Bernie but in this case Stoffa and Angle created more of a problem than ever existed before the debate began. It was bungles from day one.<br /><br />Let’s tell the entire story and not sanitize it to protect some people. You are doing as much if not more of disservice then the alleged wrong doing by Brown”.<br /><br />This is an important part of the Gracedale story and why we are where we are today. Very Sad!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-69078977372741415682016-02-19T03:56:04.880-05:002016-02-19T03:56:04.880-05:00please Lord, rid us of this perverted abomination ...please Lord, rid us of this perverted abomination and all the wasted monies paid to over manned and over paid county lackeysAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-33302369805468011572016-02-19T03:30:53.550-05:002016-02-19T03:30:53.550-05:00No one spoke during courtesy of the floor, which w...No one spoke during courtesy of the floor, which was before the presentation. That presentation evoked a concern from a Gracedale worker. There is simply no reason why Cusick could not have permitted her to speak. Had Council decided to vote that night on a resolution, his refusal would be a Sunshine Act violation. There is no question he wants to push nonprofit status, as a remark he made at the end of the discussion indicates. But frankly, I think he is alone. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-83189422518873206762016-02-19T03:22:42.588-05:002016-02-19T03:22:42.588-05:00John Cusick one of the past "dump Gracedale&q...John Cusick one of the past "dump Gracedale" boosters once again showed contempt for the people. He was part of the old gang that tried to control the discussion the first time around with Gracedale and he is picking up where he left off. His utter contempt for the employees and public that do not agree with him is emblematic of how the sell Gracedale crowd handled itself in 2010. He is trying to bring back that shameful episode in county history.<br />He and those of his ilk are contemptuous of opposition and cannot accept the will of the people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com