Gracedale Has Strategic Plan For Future, But It Will Have to Wait Until Next Month

I published three stories on Thursday, all of which were related to Gracedale. One dealt with about half of the $5 million retention bonuses authorized by NorCo Council for Gracedale career service workers that was spent instead on operations. This happened without the assent of Council. Executive Lamont McClure told Council that even he was unaware of this until January of this year. A second story dealt with a daycare at the nursing home that was approved by County Council over three years ago but is still waiting for a state inspection and license. The third dealt with the agency nursing at the facility, which is somewhere between 70 and 80% of the staff. Council members want to know exactly how many agency nursing staffers are used there and what we've been paying them. I actually could have written more. Once again, the Controller's office was peppered with questions about the audit. And Council member John Brown has repeatedly claimed that finances there are a mess, and that the county is covering a deficit. This has been repeatedly denied by McClure and Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron with answers that make sense to me, but Brown has basically called them liars in his monotonal condescending style that would otherwise put you to sleep. Last night, Council was supposed to get answers to its questions with a presentation from Michelle Morton, Gracedale's new administrator. But it didn't happen. Instead, County Council listened for nearly an hour to a presentation from Battle Borne, leaving precious little time to discuss Gracedale before the Energy Committee was meeting. So most of Council's questions will have to wait until next month. 

Council member Ron Heckman suggested that the next meeting of Council's Human Services Committee should be devoted exclusively to Gracedale. He recommended that all management staff should be present as well. "I'm very concerned about what's happened. I'm very concerned more so for the future." 

Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski said that administrators have come up with a "strategic plan" for the home, and that will be provided next month. 

Gracedale Administrator Michelle Morton started at the home in mid-March. She has over 40 years of experience in long-term care. Between January and May of this year, the nursing home has paid $9,102,000 for agency nursing staff.  They worked 164,000 hours through June 6, which means the home is paying an average of least $55.50 an hour for outsiders. 

Morton told Council that the home's nursing staff is 70-80% agency. 

Although Morton's strategic plan will have to wait until next month, she said "we have already made a lot of progress moving forward. ... We have the right team in place."

Council member John Goffredo demurred. "From everything I'm hearing from people who have been there a long time, that's not the case." He noted that the home is only 25% staffed by actual employees. "We can't keep going at the rate we are. We're here to help but we need to be told realistically what's going on." 

Two other Council members had a diametrically opposite view. Council member Jeff Warren thanked Morton for taking care of his mother in the rehab facility for the past two weeks when no other rehab facility would take her. Council member Kelly Keegan noted the home has improved in census, nursing care time, an increased rating and a decrease in overtime. She added that Gracedale cared for her grandmother once her funds were exhausted at other homes. 

She questioned why, with all the improvements at Gracedale, half of Council continues to put out "an illusory truth effect", i.e. repeating the same false information until it is believed as true. 

I am very dubious about Brown's claims, although even Executive Lamont McClure has agreed that discussions about the home's finances are always worthwhile. And there is no dispute that a home that is staffed largely by outsiders is unsustainable. And Ron Heckman is absolutely right to suggest that the county needs to plan long-term. While nursing homes like Gracedale are indispensable now, will they be needed in 50 years? Will any nursing homes be needed? 

McClure: Retention Bonuse $ Spent on Gracedale Operations, It Is Not Missing

Back in March, NorCo Council member John Brown wanted to know what happened to $5 million in retention bonuses, set aside by Council for Gracedale employees. By a 8-1 vote, Council tasked Controller Tara Zrinski with finding out how much money had been spent, and what was left. Brown was the sole dissenter, and that was because he wanted a report within 20 days. 

Council had the right to wonder what had happened. They, and not the Executive, control the purse strings. And it is they who directed that $5 million in federal pandemic funds be used to stop the bleeding of nursing home staff. They actually did so at the request of Executive Lamont McClure. It was his idea. 

Zrinski's audit concludes that, of the $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. Three bargaining units at Gracedale gave up the bonuses in exchange for higher pay. These agreements were unknowingly ratified by County Council. Had they known that the retention bonuses were ending. But there was no agreement with career service to end bonuses in exchange for higher pay. They just ended.

In her audit, Zrinski notes that since the money was commingled with other Gracedale funds, it is impossible to state exactly how each dollar was spent. 

McClure addressed this issue again at last night's Governance Committee.

"You continue to say things like '$2.6 million is missing.' Well, it's not missing. The Controller's report said it went to operating expenses ... . I provided you with an explanation as to what happened. I can provide you with further explanation as to what occurred. " 

He then said he was providing Council with Gracedale's expenses in 2024, which consist of 4,000 invoices over 12,000 pages "so you can be definitively sure that all of the money was spent at Gracedale." He added that, after a review for possible HIPPA restrictions against public disclosure of sensitive health information, these records will also be released to the public. "Most of it went for agency expenditures, overtime for agency folks and overtime that shouldn't have been paid."

McClure went on to say that "I was as angry as you were when I learned they had spent all the money. ... What I found when I was doing my investigation is what's akin to waste, fraud and abuse in overtime. with respect to some of the very folks [career service employees] that you're concerned about not having that final retention bonus payment."

McClure went on to explain that these non-nursing career service employees claimed an average 324.78 hours of overtime per pay period in 2023. In 2024, they claimed 270.35 hours of overtime per pay period. He said this added up to about $1 million over two years "that didn't need to be spent." He said that, as of today, there are 47 hours of overtime per pay period.

Council member Tom Giovanni wondered why McClure failed to come to County Council once he discovered this problem. "You should have done that in January, you already knew something was going on in January."

McClure acknowledged that he should have told County Council in January about this problem. 

UPDATED: What Is the Status of the Daycare at NorCo's Daycare?

On May 19, 2022, Northampton County Council approved the appropriation of $2 million in federal pandemic funds to establish a daycare at Gracedale to attract and retain staff at the nursing home, and if possible, at the 911 and forensic centers as well. 

Council was advised that this daycare is a pilot program and might ultimately be expanded to include the entire county. 

The only Council members opposed were John Brown and John Goffredo. 

Over a year passed before the daycare renovations were completed. The county spent $562,399, split among General Contractor – CMG of Easton, Inc.; Mechanical (HVAC) – JBM Mechanical; and Electrical – Billitier Electric. The daycare will be operated by Learning Locomotion. It will accommodate between 30-50 kids and operate between 6:30 am and 7 pm for children from 6 weeks to 12 years old. 

After that, a certificate of occupancy was needed from Upper Nazareth Township. It was finally obtained in April or May, and the next step is licensing. 

The state must inspect the proposed daycare before issuing a license and is expected to do in August, according to Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski. She told County Council yesterday that the state will probably need to inspect the property twice.  Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron also reported that the county has set aside $800,000 in pandemic funds to pay for the daycare's operation through at least one year. 

Since County Council appropriated $2 million for the daycare, and only $1.3 million is accounted for, where is the remaining $700,000? Hopefully, it's not in Gracedale's general fund. 

UPDATED 8:17 AM: Administration sources tell me the remaining $700,000 has been spent on licensing, permitting fees, payments to the vendor and outfitting the daycare with furniture and supplies. I would expect that, given what happened to the retention bonuses, County Council would ask for a breakdown of how the $2 million appropriated for the daycare has been spent.

How Many Agency Nurses Are at Gracedale and How Much Have We Spent For Them?

During a Finance meeting yesterday, Council members John Brown and John Goffredo asked Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron to provide a written report on exactly how much the county has spent for agency nursing in 2023, 2024 and this year. They also want a breakdown of agency staff employed at the home and have asked for copies of all nursing contracts between Gracedale and outside nursing agencies. 

Human Services Director told Council that outside agencies had provided 80% of the nursing duties at Gracedale, but the percentage has dropped to about 70%. Goffredo responded he wants to see the numbers. 

At tonight's Human Services Committee, Gracedale administrators are expected to provide a full report on all operations at the home, including agency nursing. 

UPDATED: Following the Money in the Pa. 07 Congressional Race: All But One Croswell Donation Comes From Outside the District

There are currently four Congressional candidates in the Pa. 07 race. Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie and Democrats Lamont McClure, Carol Obando-Derstine and Ryan Croswell. 

Croswell, a Republican who recently turned Democrat, is the newest of the bunch. He only announced in June. According to his July quarterly, he has already raised $320,979.91. But interestingly, all but one of his contributions are from outside of the district. In fact, most of them are from outside of the state. 

This should come as no surprise, as he has resided pretty much everywhere but in the Lehigh Valley he now wants to represent. 

McClure raised $87,121.93 between March and the end of June and currently has $92,768.15 in his campaign account. Although much of his money comes from within the district, they also include people who are employed by the county. He also reports $27,000 from five different trade unions. 

The July quarterlies for Obando-Derstine and Mackenzie are still unavailable to me. I was able to examine the "raw data" online for McClure and Croswell, but the information for the other two candidates is still unavailable. 

UPDATED 2:40 PM:  The campaign finance reports for all four Congressional candidates in the Pa. 07 race are now available on the FEC webpage. 

Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie has raised $1,469,186.04 between Jan 1 and Jun 30. He has spent $377,620.50, leaving him with a treasury of $1,194,805.45.

Democrat Lamont McClure has raised $229,386.04 between Jan 1 and Jun 30. He has spent $136,617.89, leaving him with a treasury of $92,768.15.

Democrat Ryan Croswell has raised $320,979.91 between Jan 1 and Jun 30. He has spent $66,976.62, leaving him with a treasury of $254,003.29.

Democrat Carol Obando-Derstine has raised $208,573.23 between Jan 1 and Jun 30. She has spent $85,603.29, leaving her with a treasury of $122,969.94.

Mackenzie has raised more money than all three Democrats combined. 

Boscola Wants to Reduce Size of State House and Senate

Pa. State Senator Lisa Boscola (D - Lehigh/Northampton) wants to trim the state house membership from 203 to 101, and the state senate from 50 to 38. Though no Bill has been formally submitted, she has circulated this memo to seek cosponsors:

Soon, I will be introducing legislation to reduce the size of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Under this proposal, the House of Representatives would decrease from 203 members to 101 members, and the Senate would decrease from 50 members to 38 members. 

Pennsylvania currently has the largest full-time state legislature in the nation. While the importance of strong constituent representation cannot be overstated, the size and cost of our legislature have become unsustainable and outdated for the needs of a modern and efficient government.

 This proposal is about responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Fewer legislators will reduce the overall cost of government by lowering expenses related to salaries, benefits, staffing, and daily operational costs. It will also allow us to modernize how we serve our constituents, taking full advantage of technological tools that make it easier than ever for elected officials to stay connected to the people they represent, even within larger districts.

Beyond the fiscal and procedural benefits, this reform is a direct response to what we continue to hear from voters across the Commonwealth. Pennsylvanians have repeatedly expressed their desire for a smaller, more efficient, and more accountable legislature. This legislation offers a real opportunity to deliver on that expectation.

I urge you to join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

She has also suggested that the state should go on a two-year budget cycle, which would certainly be helpful to county and other municipal governments. 

Unfortunatley, similar efforts in the past have failed. 

How Will One Big Beautiful Bill Impact SNAP (Food Assistance)

How will the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) impact snap benefits? It will reduce them. The National Association of Counties has analyzed the changes. Here is a summary:

1) Previously, the federal government fully funded SNAP. But states overpay out an average of about 10%. Now states with a payment error rate over 6% will be required to pay between 5-15% of the benefits. States that keep their payment error rate under 6% will be fully funded. 

Pennsylvania currently receives $4,268 millions in federal food aid. Its payment error rate is currently 12%. It has until FY 2028 to lower that rate but could get that extended until FY 2030. 

2) Administrative costs are being shifted. Feds currently pay half of the costs of administering SNAP, but that will drop to 25% in FY 2027.

3) Able bodied adults without dependents between the ages of 18 and 64 will have to work 20 hours a week. If they don't, they can still get SNAP for three months. Although this change is controversial, the previous law also imposed a work requirement on those between 18 and 54. 

Since this change to SNAP is conveniently delayed until after next year's midterms, no one is going to be feeling any pain until then. 

LC Comm'r Jon Irons Refusing to Stand or Participate in Pledge - A Photo

Yesterday, I told you that LC Comm'r Jon Irons refuses to stand during the pledge of allegiance. As I noted, this pledge is voluntary In fact, he has a constitutional right to decline to participate in what could be criticized as "performance patriotism." 

I think those who voted to put Irons in elected office as their representative have a right to know that they elected someone who refuses to participate in an expression of unity around our American ideals.

A reader has sent me a photo of Irons refusing to participate from the June 25 meeting, and I thought I'd share it with you. 

Lehigh County Comm'r Refuses to Stand For Pledge, Encourages People "To Stand in Front and Block Ice"

Jon Irons was elected as one of Lehigh County's nine members of its Board of Commissioners in 2023. He refers to himself on his Facebook page as a "Police Abolitionist, Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Racist, Lehigh County Commissioner."  He and several other Comm'rs participated in the July 9 meeting via Zoom, but when he has been physically present, he has refused to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance that usually kicks off public meetings. He also recently encouraged people in a NBC televised broadcast "to stand in front and block ICE from taking neighbors whenever possible."

This was pointed out by my evil Republican brother, Mike O'Hare, at that meeting. My brother acknowledged that this pledge is voluntary. We are, after all, a free country. I could understand someone who is upset about the direction in which this nation is heading. But the pledge itself is an expression of our unity around the noble principles upon which this country was founded, as the Constitution expresses, "to form a more perfect union."

Attorney Ettore "Ed" Angelo, who also spoke at that meeting, defended Irons. "It's called freedom," he said, and it is. And I think the people who voted to put Irons in office should know he has so little regard for this country that he refuses to participate in the pledge. Even I do that. 

I also think it's dangerous to instruct constituents to physically obstruct law enforcement from doing its job. That is actually criminal. There are legal ways to take law enforcement to task when they act like cowboys. Obstruction is about the most foolish thing an elected official should say to anyone. 

As my brother observes, "An elected official should never encourage anyone to knowingly and willingly put themselves in a position where they may face arrest or violate any law. Such statements are reckless and irresponsible. They carry additional authority when made by an elected official and may put people and the County in needless jeopardy."