The Express Times has published a Ron Angle op-ed about the recent Gracedale initiative. Voters may have overwhelmingly voted to keep the County's nursing home, but authorized no tax increase and likely thought very little about the financial consequences.Now Angle, who supported Gracedale's sale as the best thing for us and its residents, could have reacted vindictively by punishing the voters with massive tax hikes. Instead, he apparently views the vote as a challenge. He, Executive John Stoffa, and Council member Mike Dowd are trying their best to find ways to reduce the financial burden.
Stoffa has already started the process for new management. Angle introduced a "road map" resolution that would establish a separate fund for Gracedale and divert unused County bond projects to the nursing home. And at last night's Council meeting, Mike Dowd introduced a resolution inviting state legislators to appear sometime this month and explain why publicly-owned nursing homes get millions less in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements than privately-owned homes. It passed unanimously.
One group that won't be helping Angle is the "Coalition of Altzheimer Families," a group I call the Gracedale Goons.
Just two weeks ago, several of them pledged to work with Council at making the County nursing home cost effective. After the meeting was over, the Fake Rev and Mary Ann Schmoyer both rushed to the dais to shake Angle's hand.
Angle decided to reach out to both of them, thinking they might be willing to put pressure on state representatives over those reimbursements. Not only did they unanimously refuse to even meet with Angle, but at last night's Council meeting, one
of them - Peggy D'Alessandro - made a point of stating publicly that they won't deal with Angle.
According to D'Alessandro, the "onus of making Gracedale" profitable is on Council and the administration, not them.
She also denied their group is political. "We have never been, nor are we now, politically motivated," she said.
Really?
That very evening, at 10:23 PM, the Gracedale Goon blog posts information about a fundraiser for Angle opponent Scott Parsons, and adds, "If anyone wants tickets post in here and I'll provide you a private email to contact me."
Sitting in the peanut gallery at last night's meeting was a woman from North Catasauqua, who was at her first County meeting. She liked Angle, who was talking about money being wasted to a swampland easement in Upper Mount Bethel. When she whispered something, Gracedale Goon Mary Ann Schmoyer heard her, and told her, "Shut your damn mouth." After the meeting was over, the mob wanted to know all about this woman who dared say something nice about Angle.
Angle will try his best to implement the people's will, but won't be getting any help from the group claiming that is their major goal.
21 comments:
I fully expect this post to be deleted, but I will try anyway. My name is Peggy D'Alessandro and Bernie did quote me correctly. However, not fully.
The Coalition of Alzheimer Families is willing to work in an
advisory capacity with the Council if asked by Mr. Cusick or his designee.
Mr. Angle wanted to give the scoop on dealing with the other members of council as indicated in his phone call to one of the members contacted. We are not interested in this type of backdoor behavior.
The day after Mr. Angle lost his position as Council President, he called my husband at 8:15 in the morning to have Jack facilitate a meeting with the union and him behind council's back. Of course Jack didn't comply.
Mr. Angle has his own methods for obtaining what he wants. We do not always agree with those methods.
Bernie, I believe you to be an extremely intelligent man. Why you have chosen this path to be a sel-proclaimed "bottom-fedding blogger"
is beyond my comprehension.
Also you seem to have the ability to hear people say things that other people do not hear. Example, Mrs Smoyer DID NOT tell anyone to " shut your damn mouth".
Nor were anyone of us interested in who the woman was.
Unlike you, we don't remove everything we don't like from our blog. If someone want's to post about an event for Scott Parsons they can just as anyone could post about an event for Angle.
Ms. D'Alessandro,
Let's cut the baloney. You and I both know that your group is actively supporting Scott Parsons and already hosted a meet and greet that was partially for his benefit. For you to claim that you are nonpolitical is disingenuous, to say the least.
Angle is interested in making Gracedale work. He did not approach you, but was approached by 2 members of your group after the last meeting, who shook his hand and praised him. His purpose in calling was not to do an end run around Council (he does not have the reputation of stabbing other Council members in the back) but to enlist your support in getting some help from state representatives and senators. Your group refused.
As for Ms. Schmoyer, she most definitely did tell that poor woman to shout her "damn mouth." That comes from the victim herself, who was there as a citizen, just to observe what is going on. Moreover, your group attempted to intimidate her.
This is why I call you goons. You are dishonest. You bully people.
I think there is some unfortunate psychology involved when referring to the actions of the COAF. Those who will stop at nothing or no one to get what they want, but then refuse to be accountable for their actions are labeled in our society.
They are called sociopaths.
Now that Gracedale must not be sold, the group is asked to help, so that maybe the taxpayers wont be enslaved by tax hikes.
No surprise they come up empty. They are, exactly what I thought they were, and nothing more. Flamethrowers , with no substance, just flames.
Bernie/Brenda
How easy it is to call other people derogatory names. But that is okay. I'll just consider the source.
The COAF members are not all members of the same political party. Our activities aside from the Gracdale issue should be a non-issue. This is America.
As a Group we held a Thank You Party for people who helped with our petition drive which was open to EVERYONE.
You do not know what we are doing to encourage our legislators/ politicians to increase funding to county owned nursing homes. Not everyone needs notoriety to get thru the day.
I have said all I have to say..as always I wish you and Ron the best.
Peg Dalessandro
Did anyone really expect that the opposition would step up and assist. They have shown by their actions that they were willing to falsify petitions, this includes Mrs. D'Alessandro, and were willing to initiate a financial campaign for their cause without filing the proper paper work until someone caught them in the act of cheating. They are union thugs and will never rise above that status in life. With the economy appearing to go into a double dip recession/depression, we will all finally recognize are situation when the money is no longer there.
Ms. D'Alessandro,
You just accused me of posting as Brenda, and incorrectly, as it happens. You just made the snide remark, "consider the source." So you should know better than most how easy it is to engage in derogatory name-calling.
As for my own epithets for your group, they are entirely accurate. You proved again why that name is so fitting.
Last night, your group did bully a citizen who came to Council. Your group did try to find out just who she was. Your group has bullied another woman whose sole offense seems to be that she sits next to me at some Council meetings. Her personal information was posted all over the Internet, along with lewd and vile suggestions.
Are you proud of this kind of behavior?
Are you proud to have a spokesman who calls everyone who disagrees with him Satan?
Even now, you just can't tell the truth. Sure, that little party was a thank you, but it was also a meet and greet for Parsons and Barron. Do I have to post your own blogs in which that is exactly how you describe it?
I told Ron he was making a mistake in trying to reach out to you. He has learned.
This D'Alessandro is why the layoff announcements will be so sweet. Won the battle. Lost the war. Next stop: karma.
Making Gracedale profitable is the responsibility of the Administration NOT COUNTY COUNCIL. Stoffa must come up with a plan, present it to Council, Address Council's Concerns, and then implement the plan. Any negotiations with the UNIONS is the responsibility of the Administration. You're right Bernie, the people have spoken. Now move ahead and come up with a plan than can be implemented and adresses the negatives of the present operation.
My vote in November will reflect the honest efforts of our elected officials to do what is right with no malice toward anyone.
a holes on both sides. the proof will be in the pudding. can the idiots work together to resolve the problems? Dream on baby. Norco is consummed with it's own stupidity.
to all that are concerned...
ms D'Alessandro and the rest of the COAF are NOT union members and have nothing to do with Gracedale finances. We the "union thugs" will be negotiating with the county and not county council! We are willing to mend the fences and work together. So please stop these demeaning converstaions. This is getting old, and we must move along. and so what if they want to back parsons. that is democracy in action.
Anybody that supports Angle for council and also works for the County must be incredibly ignorant.
Angle took his stand against the workers and against gracedale and now he shouldnt be surprised that all of these folks want him out of office...What's the big surprise here???
let's have the best of both worlds. impeach the entire council and desolve the greedy unions.
Anon 7:10 - although I was a staunch supporter of the Gracedale sale I agree with you that the people have spoken and it is time to move on. It is the administrations responsibility, with Council oversight to find a way to run Gracedale in the black. There are difficult decisions ahead that are far too serious for petty insults to the COAP folks.
I admire Angle for at least being the only Council Member to even mention the giant elephant in the room. Where is McClure who assured us the money was there? The only thing that worries me is that the parking lot in Bethlehem and the other things mentioned won't bring anywhere near $15 million. Where is this money going to come from? Martinez better be praying to Jesus pretty hard for some cash.
There is no white elephant. The tax increase like the numbers on Gracedale are all a scam. They were made to promote a sale. Christ people do some independent research. the newspapers don't but you can.
The Gracedale sale was the biggest scam in the history of the county. And they almost pulled it off.
we will see what a scam it was come budget time. angle is doing what he can to reduce what he said is inevitable, but there is almost no doubt in my mind that a big one is coming.
And the unions and Gracedale Goons will tell Council it's their problem.
Of course a "big one" is coming. It will be blamed on Gracedale but it has nothing to do with Gracedale. Stoffa needs mega dollars for his drug addict lounge. he also needs to shore up the treasury that he has depleted with bad financial decisions.
Gracedale will take the rap but the truth is known by people in the know.
You are obviously not one of those people who are "in the know." You are blaming a DUI center that may very well have no impact on the budget.
Bullshit!! No one trusts Angle that is why no one is willing to go alone with any of his self-serving projects. The guy is conniving double dealer from way back.
Trust is earned not decreed. Angle has earned no trust in his life. He is a self-centered deceitful man who would sell you in a minute if it fattened his purse.
He played a game with Gracedale and he lost. There is no one ready to accept anything this man says as anything more than shameless self-promotion and self-preservation.
Fact is District four is tired of his antics and want a grown up to represent them for a while. If we change our minds in the future we can always put Angle back in, since the good die young, he will be around forever!
Morning Bernie, everyone knows that I am not an Angle fan; however, I do try to be fair and honest. Why didn't Mr. Angle present this methodology for the functioning of Gracedale in the very beginning instead of all the time and energy spent on closing or keeping doors open? By the way, let's use some common sense and forget the R & D in reference to filling the council seat, Jerry and Ron would both be excellent, they understand running Gracedale and the county. I would support each of them even if they were an R.
Good morning, Carol. I would support Jerry or Ron in a heartbeat. I know Jerry is not interested.
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