(Answers from challenger Ann McHale and incumbent John Stoffa are in two separate videos below).
Ann McHale: "A perfect example is from the revenue that we will generate from the impact fee. We're going to need to hire more employees, we will need to have those employees educated - they will have to get classes on how to deal with handling addictions. Not only that, you're going to have families where the father or mother is going to go to the casino and spend their paycheck and the kids aren't even going to have food on the table.
"Those are all issues that come into Human Services and I think it's important that we look closely at our own needs before we go to regionalization with the gaming fund."
John Stoffa: "The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will handle the treatment for those persons addicted to gambling. They have a contract with a provider throughout the state, so the County won't have to worry about that. But knowing how the state operates, we will have to worry about it.
"Human Services has always been a beleaguered program. It aways has more referrals than what it can handle. Since I've been county executive, we've put a half million more dollars into aging, We did it two years ago, we did the same thing last year, and we took $675 thousand additional dollars for Children & youth out of property tax revenue.
"We shouldn't have to do that, but that's because the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania broke its promises made in the late 60s and early 70s to fund these programs at ninety per cent. It's down now to 83 - 84 %.
"The same thing that happened to the school districts is happening in human services and that's why we're int trouble.
Ann McHale: "A perfect example is from the revenue that we will generate from the impact fee. We're going to need to hire more employees, we will need to have those employees educated - they will have to get classes on how to deal with handling addictions. Not only that, you're going to have families where the father or mother is going to go to the casino and spend their paycheck and the kids aren't even going to have food on the table.
"Those are all issues that come into Human Services and I think it's important that we look closely at our own needs before we go to regionalization with the gaming fund."
John Stoffa: "The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will handle the treatment for those persons addicted to gambling. They have a contract with a provider throughout the state, so the County won't have to worry about that. But knowing how the state operates, we will have to worry about it.
"Human Services has always been a beleaguered program. It aways has more referrals than what it can handle. Since I've been county executive, we've put a half million more dollars into aging, We did it two years ago, we did the same thing last year, and we took $675 thousand additional dollars for Children & youth out of property tax revenue.
"We shouldn't have to do that, but that's because the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania broke its promises made in the late 60s and early 70s to fund these programs at ninety per cent. It's down now to 83 - 84 %.
"The same thing that happened to the school districts is happening in human services and that's why we're int trouble.
I am really confused. Governor Rendell told us gambling was great and would be the panacea for all our financial woes. Cunningham and Callahan fought for a casino, and Roger Hudak sang of the salvation of South Bethlehem if we could only attract the one-armed-bandits.
ReplyDeleteYet, our BASD taxes are going up. All the municipalities of NorCo have daggers drawn as they fight for a few coins from the loot. And now, McHale says fathers and mothers are "going to go to the casino and spend their paycheck and the kids aren't even going to have food on the table." And Stoffa adds that "knowing how the state operates, (NorCo) will have to worry about it ("the treatment of those persons addicted to gambling")."
Am I stupid, or does "A NOT equal A" in this scenario?
Stoffa wanted to make that brownfield an alternative energy development site. It was the largest brownfield in the nation I believe. He ran on it and talked about it when he announced his candidacy. THat's why he chose Eugene Grace's grave in Nisky Hill for his press conference announcing his candidacy because you could see the smokestacks and that was his thing.
ReplyDeleteIt's still his thing. Only a small portion of the brownfield is consumed by that casino. As our energy demands increase, this is the perfect site for the development of alternative energy solutions. His dream is closer to reality now than it was just a year ago, thanks to a number of Obama initiatives promoting alternative energy. Congressman Dent is also an alternative energy advocate, so don't count it out.
ReplyDeleteAs a native "Bethlum-er" I think the Sands did a beautiful job restoring that weird suspended bridge thing. I was so happy to see it improve in appearance day after day. Then they started hanging the big red calligraphy S A N D S letters on it and my stomach did a turn. I think Grace turned a couple times in his grave that day. I hope the casino is a good investment for the city in general and not just for Sands.
ReplyDeleteThe big problem is and will be uncontrolled spending by Human Service departments. They cannot control their spending and the cuts haven't even started at the State level.
ReplyDeleteStoffa made a big mistake by not asking Ron Heckman to stay on as Director of Human Services, he really knew how to seoperate the real needs from the BS. John should have swallowed his pride and not have allowed his bruised ego to get in the way of making sure an exceptional Director was at the helm.
Raid Angle's Farm
ReplyDeleteStoffa got a Masters in social services related studies before his first government job for the County over 30 years ago. 30 years plus experience in Human Services, having run both Lehigh and Northampton County's Human Services Depts. vs. Mchale's insurance customer service experience and a few insurance seminars at St. Joe's makes me more comfortable with Stoffa at the helm if the Casino is going to put a strain on our Human Services and make it a looming crisis.
ReplyDeleteLet Angle's district pays for it. He has his hand out for casino revenue.
ReplyDeletewhat a great improvement from the old ore dump that was located at the new sands development. I Love the big red SANDS name on the re-done ore bridge. New roads, newly painted bridges, over 2,000 trees 24,000 shrubs and thousands of orentail grasses being planted on what was a waste area......but that's not an improvement say some. Open your eyes. The Sands people just invested over 900 million into our community and did a nice job on top of it. If we had a county health department then maybe they would have something to do....as it is...big john can't make his mind up as to what the color of bernies bird house should be, angle just wanted to be on the ground floor with his hands out for some greenbacks and we still don't have a candidate for executive in the county. Elect decent qualified people, first, then you may have a bitch.
ReplyDeleteAlternative energy is a joke considering cap and trade and the defunding of nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain. We're stuck with wind and solar and breathtakingly higher taxes, as Obama promised in order to force us to straighten out. I've tried to operate my Yugo with a sail, and it just doesn't work. But hey, the nation needs a new nuclear waste disposal location. Any hands up?
ReplyDeleteGobbledegook!
ReplyDeleteWhy would we hire new employees to deal with gambling addiction then spend money on training them? Shouldn't we hire people already trained and credentialed in addiction disorders?
Annon 7:43 nice snark at Ann you elitist snob. O'Hare will let it slide.
ReplyDeleteWant some reality. Human Service crises coming. Lets look at Stoffa's record in Lehigh County. State had to take over Chidrens Department after three kids die on his watch and Department is a mess. His comments in the paper, "I'm surprised it wasn't more". This guy was a disaster, ask the old employees. Even in Northampton County all he did was follow Jerry Seyfrieds orders.
"Annon 7:43 nice snark at Ann you elitist snob. O'Hare will let it slide."Not only will I let it slide, I intend to write a post about it. McHale is misleading voters in the LWV Voter Guide by claiming she has a college education that she lacks.
ReplyDelete" ask the old employees."I did. They taped videos endorsing him. A few are up on the Stoffa blog.
His old "close" friend Fosco is a sterling example of a "friend".
ReplyDeleteYou can dodge and weave but the facts are the facts and in Lehigh County, Stoffa screwed the pooch.
Get a real Human Services Director!
ReplyDeletePlease