Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
Thursday, December 02, 2010
19 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
Angle owns a tie?
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI love this.
ReplyDeleteThis was too creepy.
ReplyDeleteAngle's tie will come in handy at sentencing, when one always tries to look one's best.
ReplyDeleteI have seen these kind of videos dealing with quantitative easing/Bernanke and Keynesian economics/Obama....now this. Is there a website that you can go to and make this little videos?
ReplyDeleteLighthouse: http://www.xtranormal.com/
ReplyDeleteThat is correct. I think I'll be doing a weekly cartoon.
ReplyDeleteVERY CREATIVE bERNIE...YOU ARE GOING TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET
ReplyDeleteSee 'ya there.
ReplyDeleteAh, the famous "big lie", a private company can do a better job. It proves the old axiom that if you repeat something often enough, enough fools will start to believe it.
ReplyDeleteNice Stoffa propaganda though. Only question is which poor little boys did you grab to do this cartoon and did you let them go home when you were finished with them.
What a weird little troll you are.
ReplyDeleteI still find it utterly amazing that anyone can believe that Gracedale can and will be sold to some mysterious company to run a service that only accepts the indigent population of the County! By nature of the type of residents at this facility, how can it really make money unless there are huge numbers with low staffing? Hence, the need for tax dollars to fill the gap. I can not imagine any company that will profit from accepting strictly medicaid/welfare patients and those with no money.
ReplyDeleteYou find it "utterly amazing" because you are utterly misinformed. Had you attended any of the public meetings held in the four corners of the County, you would know this:
ReplyDelete1) Gracedale is screwed right from the start because the reimbursement it gets for Medicare and Medicaid is $4.6 million less than it would be getting if it were a privately run facility. That $4.6 million must be made up by the County.
2) The census at Gracedale has dropped signifigantly, but staffing levels ae nearl;y the same.
3) The County must pay benefits that amount to 70% of an employee's salary, as opposed to 38% in the private sector.
4) Gracedale kills itself from the start by having 4 patients in one room. Who wants to lie under those conditions? People there don't even have their own TV. The trend is towards more privacy, not dorms.
5) Quality of care is the measure that governs how people decide which nursing home to use. It is in a private company's interest to provide a high level of care in order to attract more business. Because of the financial demands placed by Gracedale on the County, it is only a matter of time before that quality of care begins to suffer. Some say we are there already.
6) In publicly owned nursing homes that have gone private, the number of indigents receiving care has actually increased. To make certain that happens, it will be built into the agreement of ale and will be made part of the Deed, thereby binding subsequent owners.
I'm sold on all counts, but the indigent issue is the only thing that makes me nervous. How can people make sure they're honoring the contract?
ReplyDeleteA few reasons.
ReplyDelete1) Private business has no reason to care about poor people, but they have plenty of reason to care about Medicaid reimbursement. The County gets $256 per day for every Medicaid patient. Private business will get more. So it is in their financial interest.
2) Statistics at Spring Creek and other public-yurned-private nursing homes bear this out. The %age of indigent patients has actaully increased there.
3) In any agreement of sale, there will be contractual language requiring that "priority" be given to a certain %age of Medicaid patients. I do not know the exact figure, but believe it will be close to 80%. In addition ato the language, periodic reports will be required. Fines will be imposed if the home dips below the requisite number, and specific performance remedies will be explicitly provided. In addition, the language will be made part of the recorded deed, meaning that it will bind future owners. It will be a covenant running with he land.
4) John Stoffa's career was one that dealt specifically to the needs of differently abled and indigent. He cares deeply avout them, and will not sign off on any agreement of sale unless he is personally satisfied that appropriate provisions are made. In addition, not one council member will sign off unless satisfied.
This is a sad situation in which the County has finally come to the realization that the best way for Gracedale to continue is as a private entity. There are some who oppose this move precisely out of concern for the indigent. People like Grucela and Ron Heckman. I have the greatest respect for them. What I do not respect is people whose only real concern is the continued viability of the union, or people who have made this a political football.
Bernie 38 counties have sold their nursing homes and 7 others are looking into selling in Pennsylvania. This wave continues across the country not just in Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHH
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:17, You are correct. 38 Counties have no public nursing home. 21 counties have recently sold heirs. 7 Counties are considering a sale, if you include NC. And it is a trend.
ReplyDelete