1772%.That's how much pension costs have risen for Gracedale employees between 2008 and 2011. That alone is reason to sell this money pit. Of course, that means nothing to AFSCME, which reached a new low last week. After scaring Gracedale residents half to death into believing they were losing their home, they then carted them off in wheelchairs to complain to County Council. Taxpayers will pay the transportation bill, too.
But there is at least one public official who isn't running for anything, yet believes the County should keep Gracedale. Even in the face of a twenty per cent tax hike. Here's what retiring State Rep. Rich Grucela, himself a former County Council President, told County Council on Thursday night:
Mr. President and members of county council I am here tonight because Wayne Grube and Gene Hartzell can't be and I would have attended your last meeting but I was in another part of the state on legislative business.
If Wayne and Gene could be here I believe they would agree wholeheartedly with what I am about to say regarding your consideration of selling or leasing Gracedale our county nursing home.
Those of you who served with Wayne and all of us who knew him well know how he felt about Gracedale. To Wayne it was the "jewel in the crown " of county government. I have received more thank yous from people Wayne helped on Gracedale issues than any others and my guess is Wayne's wife Patti has a drawer full of those thank yous as well. Wayne himself told me on more than one occasion that if he ever needed that kind of care, Gracedale is where he wanted to go. He almost made it there and I feel the same way.
Gene Hartzell taught me a lot about government in general and county government in particular. I recall one budget year when we needed a tax increase and Gracedale was part of the reason. It was also a reelection year for my council seat. Gene called me into his office and told me never to be afraid to vote for a tax increase for the right reasons. He further told me that budgets are more than numbers of dollars and cents, they're about people and that counties have a moral obligation to provide services for the elderly and the needy that they cannot provide for themselves. I voted for the tax increase and was re-elected.
I and many public officials can tell you a vote for a tax increase for the right reasons can still win re-election. My guess is the same is not true on a vote to sell or lease Gracedale.
On the whole I do not believe in the sale or privatization of government services, but there are a lot of other areas of county government you could sell or privatize rather than Gracedale. Also you don't need to hire any outside consultants to make recommendations, there is enough volunteer expertise in the county, some of it right here in this room. A few months ago I called the county executive and offered to serve on any committee to study Gracedale operations and make recommendations? I never got a callback.
Finally, I believe it is unfair to blame any county financial problems on Gracedale and doubly wrong to place that blame on the Gracedale employees. There's a reason the quality of care is excellent at Gracedale and it's the staff. Do any of you know Bellauh Young? She had a birthday yesterday! she's 110 and possibly the oldest person in Pennsylvania if not the US. She's a resident at Gracedale (been there for 5yrs) and I will be at her birthday party on Saturday and I'll ask her opinion on the issue.
Abraham Lincoln once said "The legitimate objective of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all or cannot so well do for themselves..." and a century later Hubert Humphrey said (and I paraphrase) "The true test of government is how it treats those in the dawn of life, our children, those in the twilight of life, our senior citizens and those in the shadows of life, those with special needs."
In memory of Wayne Grube and Gene Hartzell and the hundreds if not thousands of families in this county I respectfully ask you not sell or lease "The Jewel in the Crown." Thank you.
61 comments:
Couldn't agree more. About as clearly put as possible. In today's world of divisive politics of teabaggers and slogans we forget government is ultimately about people and dignity.
"The legitimate objective of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all or cannot so well do for themselves..."
Aren't there like 10 nursing homes withing 10 miles of Gracedale already?
He is pandering for votes on his way to a run for county executive and a third public pension that will give him credit for Council time as well. What a coniver...what a ...aw forget it !
Is Rich running for County Executive. I thought he said he was retiring from political office.
Rich may run for exec in three years, but at least that's three years off. Dertinger is running now and Barron is running next year.
Rich will run for anything that pays another pension for doing nothing.
Sincerely,
One Of The Do-Nothing Taxpayers Rich Despises
@12:27 a.m.
"...divisive politics of teabaggers", "...people and dignity". All in the same sentence.
Bernie, you need to recruit a better class of troll.
Are you saying pensions increased
1000 percent? That's not a typo?
We too thought Grucela was retiring. What's up?
Bernie
You won't forget that Feinberg real estate issue raised over the weekend?
Bernie
Maybe we're wrong here, but is there a way you could add some type of entry to the comment section of each blog that would enter the actual date of new comments?
check out the morning call's question of the day .... should gracedale be sold ? 70 percent say a resounding NO!!!! almost 2500 votes before 8:30 am ~ save gracedale ~
The county is going to do what they are going to do..This council is new and they will do whatever the county Executive wants them to do...Doesn't matter whether they raise taxes or not, most of them will not bereelected in four years because workers found out the hard way what happens when they sleep through elections and do nothing.Also in four years you are guarentted to have a County executive race which will bring out alot more voters..So if you are on county council whether you increase taxes or not it probably wont matter politically..So my guess it is just time to do what you think is right and screw the politics of it all..
Who cares about the stupid Morning Call poll..Council elections next year will fall the way they always do and the other election isn't for three more years..So why should anyone care about the stupid poll.
one reason to care about the poll is because it reflex what the taxpayers really want to save gracedale ~ secondly if you think for one minute if they sell gracedale they won't raise taxes anyhow your kidding yourself ~ gracedale is important to so many people for so many different reasons and it's worth it to look at every possible way to save it. i think grucela laid out many good reasons why and some excellant points .
"Are you saying pensions increased 1000 percent? That's not a typo?"
I'm saying the county cost of these pensions has increased 1770%, and that is no typo.
"Maybe we're wrong here, but is there a way you could add some type of entry to the comment section of each blog that would enter the actual date of new comments?"
There is, but to do that, I need a new blogging template. I knida' like the one I have, but have been playing around with a ew others. Maybe after four years, it's time for a change, eh?
"check out the morning call's question of the day .... should gracedale be sold ? 70 percent say a resounding NO!!!! almost 2500 votes before 8:30 am ~ save gracedale ~"
I believe the ET had a similar poll and the vote there was to sell. Let's face it, if these online polls had any validity, Ron Paul would be President.
"You won't forget that Feinberg real estate issue raised over the weekend?"
I have not forgotten an have called Feiberg's law office to ask him about that as well as his consulting for Bethlehem. I will add that I have no reason to believe he acted unethically and will make no such claim unless the evidence is very clear.
Anyone who is a good legistator would never make such ridiculous remarks. If you are going to defend keeping Gracedale on the taxpayer dime, then get up and lay out the problems, and then the solutions. This was nonsense pandering. You don't keep something the way it is bacause of any person and how they would "feel"! I would love to have Gracedale succeed just as it is. They took wonderful care of one of my family members. Unfortunately, inept government management on site and at the Courthouse, and greedy unions (let's distinguish between employees and the union) have brought us to this point. NOW, we don't like it.
Time to grow up, folks, and work out how we are going to do this without undue stress on struggling taxpayers while maintaning care for people who need it.
Rich's remarks were absurd!
Permission to post
Bernie,
Are you going to that zoning meeting this Wed night in Bethlehem? Also, we read your comments about last week's meeting. Thank you for this extensive report and for staying four hours! Also, today's Call reveals the grocer's name, Bottom Dollar, so that secret is out of the brown paper bag. Why were they secretive anyway?
over three thousand votes on the morning call poll and you say it means nothing ? it's my recollection the express times poll had the same result but you dismissed that one because not enough people voted that one.
At least the union people aren't forging documents, or filing suit on deceased relatives estates, now that would be low!!
Any truth the rat was deloyed prior to the failed union negotiations even started on thursday?
Would this be Grucela's third or fourth pension? How's his retirement plan doing?
He offered no solution to Gracedale's woes. His plan seems to be to pretend, like that hack Barron, that everything's just fine. Higher taxes will cure everything.
He's never shown leadership on any issue of importance and has no idea what he's talking about.
I'll bet he knows his pension payouts like the back of hand, though.
Go away Grucela. We can't afford you anymore. You've already taken enough and all we have is your mess to clean up.
I feel like Stoffa needs to step up here. I seem to recall when this all came to head a few weeks ago, he was amenable to including stipulations in the RFP that would provide for employee retention and provide for the current residents to continue to reside there, as well as a provision for low income or no income residents to have a home in the future. Now that is off the table, right when the union is giving $3 million in concessions. I just find it fishy. I wonder who's driving the ship - Stoffa or Angle.
I also agree with Lady Rep. There's a BIG difference between the union and the employees. Most employees are just looking for someone to protect them, not everyone is in it for money and to screw over the county. That's why there is such a negative connotation with the union at this point - there are those both in the union and in administration who view each other as greedy and morally wrong. If everyone actually went to negotiations with open minds, so much more could be accomplished. I fault both sides here. The union can't expect that all employees should be able to keep their jobs if Gracedale is sold or leased. Conversely, the county could have included the provision in the RFP that a certain percentage of employees retain their jobs, and terminate them based on seniority.
It doesn't seem like anyone cares about the worker in todays society. No one seems to care that many of these people have worked there right out of highschool and are still there. What do you do when you have twenty some years of employment. Like I said before..I haven't gotten monetarily rich working at Gracedale however it is a morally rewarding career. People have referred to us as Union Pigs which is hurtfull. I don't wish job loss on anyone. I feel years of loyalty should count for something. We didn't set our pensions up...we followed what we are required to do. Even with our benefits, our last contract we started contributing. It is very disturbing feeling like the powers that be don't take the human side of things in to account. We all have families and responsibility and some workers are even the sole providers since their spouses have lost their jobs. I think us Gracedale workers feel like we are being singled out when we are not the only county workers. We are willing to make concessions....are the rest of the county workers willing to do so??
"I feel like Stoffa needs to step up here. I seem to recall when this all came to head a few weeks ago, he was amenable to including stipulations in the RFP that would provide for employee retention and provide for the current residents to continue to reside there, as well as a provision for low income or no income residents to have a home in the future. Now that is off the table, right when the union is giving $3 million in concessions. I just find it fishy. I wonder who's driving the ship - Stoffa or Angle."
I believe language like what you suggest will be included in the RFP. Stoffa is at the helm, but even if it were Angle, that langauge would be included.
"We are willing to make concessions...."
Really? Last week, during the second negotiating session, the union took back the concessions it had granted in the first meeting, and demanded the County agree to a successor clause. That's pretty idiotic, especially since the whole point of sitting down was to avoid a sale. It looks as though your union bosses reached the conclusion that Gracedale was being sold when Angle was sitting dowmn and trying to get union concessions thta would keep it in County hands.
Now, if you are serious, and if you represent a majority of union workers, you had better call a meeting pronto bc you are being misled.
The union last week was blowing up the rat at the very time it was supposedly dealing in good faith with the county.
You'd have to give up about 1/3 of your benefits, then the County would do its best to help you by hiring provate management to run Gracedale, as should have been done some time ago. But if tou want to keep Gracedale in County hands, you really need to call a meeting. If your union agent is not playing straight with you, and I don't think AFSCME is, then you need to replace him with someone who will play straight. I believe Mr Greene of the Steelworkers is an honorable man, and I do not think he would deceive his membership intentionallly, but AFSCME is a different story.
OT. But could Nazzy be next?
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/08/23/2010-08-23_cashstrapped_philly_bloggers_must_pay_for_business_license.html
I don't think this would hold up in Court. Basically, it has a chilling imact on speech, and could be used to silence voices as newspapers disappear.
Bernie:
Anon 5:12 here. As long as that language is included in the RFP, specifically taking care of the current and future residents of Gracedale, I think there is no harm in seeing what's out there. My concern is for the residents, then the taxpayer, then the employees, in that order. Understandably, our elected officials have different priorities, and their allegiance may be to the taxpayer, but I think they'd be amiss if they didn't remember the residents, both current and future.
As for AFSCME...I am not impressed with what they do as a union. I have been pretty vocal about that, and being a union member, I wish we had better leadership. That's why I feel you need to be careful in lumping all employees represented by the union versus the Union itself. We're not all the "union pigs" that we're made out to be in the press.
" My concern is for the residents, then the taxpayer, then the employees, in that order. Understandably, our elected officials have different priorities, and their allegiance may be to the taxpayer,"
Actually, I think Stoffa and Council share that priority. I do not know a single member on Council who will agree to a sale unless assured, in writing, that the same heigh level of care is continued. So I do think that will be included in the RFP. I will ask for a copy of the RFP languauge and post it here if it is public information, as I am sure it is.
I will also try to remember what you say about lumping everyone together. I've been guilty of that myself, and for that, I apologize. I do not think you'll be able to work any miracles within AFSCME, but want you to know that the County would have been very happy if employees had agreed to give back about 1/3 of their benefits, at least temporarily. Then it would have installed private managemet and really tried to make it work. Insisting on a successor clause was basically jumping the gun, a very poor strategy.
He is very articulate.
Agree with Grucela. This bunch on Council and that fellow that holds the Executive seat are simply warped. For one, I am not a County employee. Two.. I am life long resident of Northampton County. Three.. I don't have a family member in Gracedale. However, I am aware of the important role this "paupers" facility provides and should continue to provide. How bout this.. nix the Prison expansions and put that money into Gracedale? Oh, I forgot, instead of taking care of our most down and out, we are going to invest in Heroin and Booze addicts.
This is precisely the kind of bullshit argument that Bruce Gilbert warned against Thursday night. McClure tried to make it and was shot down. The County has no legal obligation to provide a nursing home. The County does have a legsal obligation to provide for the Courts, and that includes jails, whether we like ir or not. Anf last time I checked, they are just as human as Gracedale residents, although they are fed Grade D meat that you would not give to your dog.
Speaking of "carting" the residents to the meeting. Wouldn't it have been interesting if they could have "carted" former Gracedale resident and now deceased Donald Snyder to the meeting. Unfortunately he has passed away. Prematurely I might add. What do you thing he would have said? Do you think he would be in favor of home care? How about it Bernie? Did you ever hear of this man?
This is yet another attempt to deflect attention away the actual issue bc, on the merits, you lose.
Hey Bernie
Thanks for the information on getting the referendum on the ballot for November. And the challenge to the workers to step up and get it done. You seem to know what your talking about. I'd like to then ask a question. A obvious learned man like you offered this suggestuon, why then didn't you include the fact that it is too late to do so? It has to be SIGNED SEALED AND DELIVERED 13 weeks prior to election to be put on the ballot. 10% of total registered voters signatures equals about 19,100 in Northampton County as there is 191,000 registered voters. A tall order even if there were a month to complete it. I think you are getting some sort of perverse thrill watching the employees squirm and beg for their jobs.
Just sayin'.
And In the court of law Donald Snyder will win. Federal time I hear.
"The County has no legal obligation to provide a nursing home. The County does have a legsal obligation to provide for the Courts, and that includes jails,..."
As has been said before on this blog:
There is what is legal, and what is right.
The county never had an obligation, but at some point felt the need to do so, and now wants to punt on its moral promise, one that it made of its own free will, because of its outrageous ineptitude and mismanagement over more than one administration. Meanwhile, we will continue to provide double and triple dipper pensions to underperformers whom we've spent a lot more money on than Gracedale patients, per capita.
I have no horse in this race and on just about every other issue I've commented on, I am to the right of the likes of Scott Armstrong and friends. But, there is something disgusting and sleezy about screwing this up and then just walking away after such a commitment has been made, and for what? A one-time score that will let those in power continue their epic fail?
I have a sibling who had risen from clinical service provider to management at one of the so-called premier nursing home operators, and has told of many horrors regarding billable hours and such that rule private sector nursing homes that serve the less-than- well-heeled. It will not go as promised.
Grucela is amazingly running for something again and O'Hare is already helping his campaign.
Here we go again. A teacher, state rep and then County Executive. He is going to top even Stoffa in the number of public pensions. Why is it that we keep electing people who have never been in charge of anything.
So far teachers have been less than stellar leaders. Give it a rest. We need competence and leadership not fancy practiced speeches.
"There is what is legal, and what is right."
Give it a rest already. There is no one advioocating thissale who is acting immorally or who wants to screw seniors. The very suggestion is insulting.
True, some private nursing hiomes cvanbe pretty shitty, and smell that way, too. But guess what? So can a County nursing hime. As the County struggles to find ways to pay the bills, has it dawnwed on you that Gracedale will probably be better off in private hands? Have you ever stopped to consider the patient whose arm was broken by a Gracedale staffer? Have you wondered why it only gets 2 of 5 stars by Medicaid?
You're right. There's legal and moral, and there are all kinds of moral reasons to sell Gracedale, not the least of which is the County's inability to continue funding it.
Bernie said deflecting from the issue you lose
I find it odd that this County has elected a accused and devils advocate here
"innocent until proven guilty"
man to make this type of choice for them. This issue is about the nursing home Angle must have some hidden evidence against him there he needs to get rid of. hmmmm
Here we go again. A cowardly anonymous ad hominems by someone who wants to divert everyone's attention away from union greed. Angle is not the sole person behind this. John Stoffa made a career of human service, and he thinks this is the "moral" thing to do. So do 5 other Council members.
How many broken arms does that make
a........1
and just like we can't control what deficates from your mouth an employer can't control a rouge employee. Its like trying to guess who has the bomb tied to them in Baghdad
I don't know that it is just one rogue employee. What I do know is that abuse occurs, even in a county-run nursing home, so let's stop pretending we're morally suerior.
" just like we can't control what deficates from your mouth"
No, you can't. Must really bother people like you, who want to control the information highway.
Oh and I don't agree with unions greed.
The employees should give back
however the man you hold in high esteem seems to be a morally bankrupt individual who deserves to be punished.
I repeat I am anti-union
If I were those people I'd request new representation
And not "HOT TUB" JERRY GREENE
who I know and
who has pulled the wool over your eyes.
Sometimes I wonder about you Bernie
"why then didn't you include the fact that it is too late to do so? It has to be SIGNED SEALED AND DELIVERED 13 weeks prior to election to be put on the ballot."
It's by no means too late. You have plenty of time to get it on the Spring ballot. I doubt a sale is going to occur right away, not the way this County moves.
A few days ago, one of you anonymously commented that you were working on it. So was that a lie?
If idiots like Justice spent as much time looking at the Charter as he does blowing up inflatable rats, he might hav realized this backk in December, when the sale of Gracedale was first broached. I guess you get what you pay for, which in this case is nothing.
Gracedale will be sold by then end of the year. After all isn't that then intent? Again with half truths. The idea to sell or lease is based on 2011 operating costs. There cannot be a finalized budget without tax increase if they keep it until spring. Oh and nice try, have it on the spring ballot when all of 13 people vote and 12 of them are Republicans. And FYI there are 4 or 5 petitions circulating and signed at Gracedale and in the community as we speak. Would you like to sign one or all? One says we should ask Bernie O'hare to move to the moon so he can be with his own kind.
"John Stoffa made a career of Human Service", not really, he collected a check but he sure as Hell didn't help anyone. He was despised in Lehigh County where he spent more time organizing Reading Philly trips then watching over Human Services. In Northampton county Mr. Seyfried regretted appointing him when he realized he couldn't trust him. Of course when the Lehigh County children died he just blamed everyone but himself. Yeah, that John Stoffa, he has always been a class act, not!
Little comments like that, posted by an anonymous and cowardly troll, make very clear the kind of people Stoffa is up against. Thank God he's the Exec and not one of your goons.
Bernie can you answer
What children died
who is Donald Snyder
and why would Angle face prison time?
These posters in here are being cryptic.
I searched the Snyder and children thing to no avail. Thanks
I've enjoyed reading your defense to the union/left's hyperbolic imperatives. And Bruce Gilbert is a very smart guy.
"It looks as though your union bosses reached the conclusion that Gracedale was being sold when Angle was sitting dowmn and trying to get union concessions thta would keep it in County hands."
My guess is that they concluded that Gracedale was being sold when Angle was fielding calls about the sale of Gracedale!!!!
Sounds fishy and unethical to me, but afterall this is the same Will forging family suing money hungry, back stabbing slug who is selling Gracedale for his own money saving needs.
I've reread Grucela's remarks and I want to know where he was earlier on when Gracedale was tanking? Now he wants to "solve" it with a tax increase which he can afford with pensions that we paid for. Rich, you are what's wrong and what people are protesting all over this country! Take your pensions and just go home. Nothing you are saying is a real solution. Everyone was asleep at the switch as usual.
I know I've already commented on this, but it's that kind of mentality which is rife and has gotten us to this point of having to probably sell this facility which has been good for those in need. Ineptitude and greed!!
Rich, yes, please run for office again so I can support your opponent since you've been so proactive. So glad you decided to show up.
Why isn`t the union advocating for a tax increase? Who cares about 110,000 property owners anyway ? Oh ,and by the way didnt Jerry Seifert say he wouldn`t vote for a tax increase last year ? Courageous guy ain`t he ?
Mr. Gibert was shocked that gambling was taking place in the establishment. What crap. This guy jumps on McClure for "yellow journalism", Hell that is how Angle and O'Hare made their names.
McClure was damn correct in tying all this nonsense together. Not everybody is as stupid as your teabagger handbook claims Mr. Gilbert.
You are either very naive or you are very sly. This vote was indeed the first step in selling Gracedale and anyone with an ounce of common sense got it and knows that is what six people want to do and will do. Except Angle will probably vote no if he has at least five votes. There is no doubt that with the Gracedale money Stoffa can help out his buddy Atiyeh.
Nice job guys, you are all following the script to the word. What a bunch of BS.
Anonymous 10:47, Donald Snyder was a gentleman in Bangor, Mr. A had him in an apartment in Bangor, feeding him Tastykakes and cashing his checks for which Mr. A had to return. It is my understanding that the county has pictures.
Got the guilts Bernie?
All the arm breaking comments were deleted, I thought them disgusting myself.
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