The best way to save Gracedale is by privatizing it. At today's budget hearing, we learned that the County nursing home will cost taxpayers $6.3 million this year, and another $5.9 million next year. In addition, if the County were to retain the facility, it would need to invest $12 million over the next two years in capitol improvements.There simply is no money.
But a group of Gracedale advocates, led by a preacher who claims his church is the streets, wants to shackle county taxpayers and force them to continue funding a losing proposition. As they begin their attempt at a referendum, they have started a blog, Saving Private Gracedale. Its ostensible purpose is to "provide information related to the proposed sale of Gracedale," but the very first post demonstrates another goal - The Beginning of the End for the Northampton County Chair.
Naturally, Angle is likened to Hitler. "The people of Northampton County are sick and tired of you Mr. Angle, and of the company you keep. And rest assured that we will no longer allow one elected official, or a governing body like the current one to dictate their will on the very people they were elected to serve."
Ron certainly brings out the best in people. I was unaware that some phony Reverend, who looks and acts an awful lot like an angry Pancho Villa, speaks for the people of Northampton County.
Geez, what is the world coming to when they allow just anyone to blog? Next thing you know, there will be alcoholic, disbarred lawyers joining the fray.
Northampton County Exec John Stoffa, incidentally, will allow the referendum petition to be circulated from a station in Gracedale itself. He does speak for the people of Northampton County.
15 comments:
This action is no worse than the waste of taxpayer money you perpetuated with your numerous goofy lawsuits against the County in the past.
By the way O'Hare it is common knowledge that the consultant was told to not seriously consider keeping Gracedale and only look into a lease or sale. The numbers are bs, based on a year not at all reflective of normal operating for the facility. Why the rushed vote? The fact is their are very good reasons to keep the Home and privatizing it will just create another Rehab facility that will turn down poor sick elderly they don't want to take care of.
The Angle/Stoffa team have wanted to sell Gracedale for years so why should we believe any numbers these two come up with.
Next thing you know you will claim Angle has it in a will he found.
Very quick of you YOGI.
I will give Mario a heads up as far as you serupticious intent by joining. However you and BOO BOO will lose in the end. Good luck to BOO BOO when Ranger Smith imprisons him. Look at it this way if it wasn't for one thing it would have been for another.
And one other comment I intend to reveal my identitiy to you and that poor excuse of a council person soon.
No, I'm a sexist.
Its' Bedtime for me after this comment. It seems as though the thumbscrews have been tightened, I detect a little sweat on your brow and the butterflies in your stomach. This through your hasty commentary on the story page. I think the last resort appealing to the pocketbooks of the taxpayers is not going to succeed. And blatent slamming of someone over their ethnic background does not win you any points.
Zieg Hiel!!!
Th phony preacher does look like Pancho Villa. I can't help that. You should be out collecting signatures. I'm sure there's a few dead people wlling to sign.
The numbers are bogus. The Nursing Home will not cost that much and people in there know it. Angle/Stoffa is playing to the anti-government crowd by gaming the numbers.
Sell out the elderly to balance your books. Maybe if Stoffa hadn't given away over half the Casino revenues to Allentown in his bonehead move, the County would have money. The mis-management by his incompetent Administration over the past five years is now placed at the feet of Gracedale. The elderly must pay for his inept performance. He inherited the largest cash surplus in County history, gave out 9% pay increases to county caseworkers and is now broke. Yeah that is the fault of the elderly sick at Gracedale. Shameful, just shameful. These two "public officers", are a shameful example of what is wrong in arrogant, uninformed officials. They are out of touch with the people.
All O'Hare can do is employ his racist humor. That is what he does when he wants to demean people who disagree with the motives of his mancrushes.
I looked at their blog. They are haters who cold use a few spelling lessons.
"I'm sure there's a few dead people wlling to sign"
That is a risky thing to pull off. Just ask your boy Boo Boo how it worked for him!!
How dare you blast these people when they are simply doing exactly what you are doing?
They have every right to use the blog world as their outlet for their stance and beliefs, just as you are doing.
How dare I blast these people? I do not do so bc they started a bog. I've written about it and even have a link to it on my sidebar. I blast this group for lots of reasosn, but mostly bc they believe they represent and speak for the people. Whether they like it or not, that job has been taken by the County Exec and Council.
Rev Martinez is a phony who, on the first day I saw him, cut in line to get into the courthouse in front of numerous other people, includig me. I hate when people do that.
hen I questioned his qualification, he blocked the doorway to Council chambers, looking for a physical cofrontation. This supposed Man of God had his finger in my face, screaming, "You're lucky I'm a man of God." This supposed apostle of Christ had to be pulled away by deputies.
When this group comes to a meeting and decides to leave, they stand in the hallway and carry on, making it impossible for people attending the meetings to hear what the people who actually were elected have to say.
They have engaged in vicious personal attacks from the podium. So no, I don't really care much for this crew.
But they certainly have the same rights that I have. And just as they criticize me anonymously, I can criticize them, except I take responsibility for my words. They are so cowardly that the blogger (Martinez) refuses to identify himself.
putting aside the personality of the organizers, it seems to me that the public does have a right to input on this most important issue, beyond just electing officials to represent him. if a majority of the citizens find that maintaining a county nursing home is a priority, then the executive and council will have to find a way to finance it, including raising taxes. already northampton council members are telling the media that if the ballot question is approved, their taxes may rise as much as 20%; then again there may be other county services that the public would be willing to sacrifice.
O'Hare hates anything hated by Angle/Stoffa. Angle/Stoffa hate Gracedale so anyone who wants to help Gracedale is to be made fun of. It is classic O'Hare.
CarePathways ratings:
4 Stars Cedarbrook Lehigh
2 Stars Gracedale Northampton
Privatized Nursing Homes referenced in Complete Healthcare’s Report
1 Star Mountain View Privatized
2 Stars Laural Crest Privatized
1 Star Lackawanna Hlth Privatized
1 Star Weatherwood Privatized
The only reason Gracedales rating is lower than Cedarbrook is that Stoffa and Marcus are not letting the Gracedale Managers do their job. Angle and Stoffa want the place to look bad and have chocked off all the efforts to improve the workings of the Facility.
This is a sad fraud perpetrated on the citizens of Northampton County.
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