While Ron Angle and I were discussing Gracedale on Business Matters, County Executive John Stoffa laid out his own approach to the Northampton County-owned nursing home at Council's first budget hearing last week. Here's what he had to say.
"I think when it comes to Gracedale, we need to think of a different way of solving that issue up there. We've been trying to solve the funding gap by cutting, and I don't think that's possible. It's my opinion we'll never be able to operate without a contribution from the County. I know of no county nursing home that doesn't get a county contribution right now. I think we'e going to have to realize that we're going to have to put in between $4 and $6 million per year. There's nothing wrong with that. We put about $7.4 million into Human Services.
"But I think one of the things we haven't done a good job of is looking for increasing the reimbursement rate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
"A lot of legislators have supported keeping Gracedale open. But ask yourself the question, What have they done to increase our reimbursement rates? "Nothing.
"I think our efforts should be towards getting the Commonwealth Department of Welfare to increase those reimbursement rates or else we're gonna' put more and more money into Gracedale."
Stoffa went onto point out that, despite $13.5 million in GESA improvements, another $7.5 million is needed for problems like a moon-crater parking lot.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Monday, October 15, 2012
28 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.
good luck with getting the state to contibute
ReplyDeleteSince Stoffa hasn't done anything to help in seven years except try to dump the Home, who cares what he thinks now. Everyone is just doing a deathwatch for a year, until his ass is gone and real solutions work.
ReplyDeleteAs usual he mnis-staates. Gracedale has been funded in the county budget every year it has been open. Gracedale always has and always wil lcost money to operate. Stoffa once agin does what he has always do0ne best, state the obvious and think he is Einstein.
He also shifts responsibilty and/ or blame. Another Stoffa tradematk. He is proabaly dumping on the state becasue Grucela gave his boy Anngle a schalacking on TV.
Stoffa lovs the backhanded shots, always has. Competent management and the Home would be fine.
His numbers are his numbers. Since he has lost all credibility as a county leader, we will all have to wait for more serious and competent people to make it work out.
Stop spinning for this clown. He could yell fire in a crowded theater and no one would move. Most wish he wopuld just resign.
Your gambit failed, Gracedale is safe, you boys didn't dump it. The system worked. Now just move on.
Under Obamacare the Medicare reimbursements will be further cut to Gracedale and more of the burden will be shifted to the County, not less. It should have been sold when you had the chance.
ReplyDeleteMove on, nothing to see here. Gracedale is a financial loser and will always be. Its just a cost of doing business and the taxpayer bears the brunt. Next.
ReplyDeletehave to agree with 6:14 -- maybe once its sold and with a new owner and the Union gone it will turn around.
ReplyDeleteBy "state" I assume Stoffa means "me", a taxpayer who does not live in Northampton County and will never see any benefit from Gracedale. What a crock.
ReplyDeleteWhy should any taxpayers out of NC contribute to this entity? NC decided to keep it to support the unions there, so they should pay the subsidy. Not saying it's not what they felt was needed, just not some other county's burdern.
ReplyDeleteEvery govt is trying to push costs on to others. Live with your decisions.
Diden't New Jersey send patients from Hagadorn to Gracedale? Where's our Jersey Money?
ReplyDelete2:00,
ReplyDeletecongratulations! you've learn to read straight off a union propaganda sheet. now if you ask politely and pay even more dues maybe your more worthless than you reps will show you how to walk and chew gum at the same time.
Stoffa is not asking the state for grants. He is stating that he needs state legislators to stop the declining Medicaid reimbursements. Thse who claim they want Gracedale county-owned should be pursuing this issue with state reps, but they prefer attacking Stoffa and Angle ... at 2 AM.
ReplyDeleteReplace the term "state legislators" with "Republicans" and you'll achieve greater accuracy.
ReplyDeleteTry again. I recall a meeting in the Fall, attended by several state representatives concerning Gracedale. They claimed not to have much knowledge n the issue, but promised thy would look into it. To my knowledge, this has not occurred. It is a bi[artisan failure, just like the NIZ. State legislators ran from that one, too, until they realized it might hurt them at the polls.
ReplyDeleteit should have been sold. No extraordinary effort should be made to do anything for Gracedale. All preparation should center in selling it. Time will be up shortly. Let's be proactive.
ReplyDeleteStoffa is right on this point..Many state legislators have come out in support of keeping Gracedale public but have gotten us little help from the state..Also, if that federal sequestration takes effect all nursing home s will get sliced..The idiots that are blaming Obamacare for any nursing home cuts are as usual , ignorant of the facts..They are pissed because Romney is getting his butt thrashed in Pa. and their vote isnt going to matter so they keep whining about Obamacare..Enogh already..It's the republicans in Congress that are slicing and dicing money to everything domestically these days and they are proud of it..Ask them..Stoffa is right to expect Federal and State help..Without it, not only Gracedale but even the private facilities will be incredibly strapped..
ReplyDeleteOnce again the colod unrealoistic foolishyness of the teabaggersw rises agaqin.
ReplyDelete"Give me my disability, social security and medicare and keep the government out of my life, damn it!"
"colod unrealoistic foolishyness of the teabaggersw"
ReplyDeleteat leat we can construct a coherent sentance with perfect spelling.
at leat we can construct a coherent sentance with perfect spelling.
ReplyDeleteirony....
Republicans control the House, Senate, and Governor's mansion...right, bi-partisan.
ReplyDeleteFleabaggers always crawl out from under someone's applesack to put unions before elder care. That's what happens when you've taken more balls to the chin than Johnny Bench. All perspective gets lost. I suspect the fake rev with the scrotum obsession. Either him or his "bear" friend with the man sweater. Roooaarrr. Creepy, rev, creepy.
ReplyDeleteJust sell the damn thing. Save the money. Who cares about old people anyway?
ReplyDeletePrededing post is by Tom Corbett.
ReplyDeleteobviously, the people who warehouse thier elders in Gracedale don't care about the elderly
ReplyDeleteIf you put gramps or granny in Gracedale, you probably don't care too much about them or else you wouldn't submit them to substandard care and an occasional strangling.
ReplyDeleteIt's truly ironic that John "Let's Float-A-Bond-To-Pay-For-$186,000-Parking-Spaces" is suddenly worried about Gracedale parking spaces. His administration has finally come full circle. Now, he's eligible for that next pension.
Fortunately the vast majority of people in Northampton County care about their elderly and disabled. The rantings of the radical teabaggers is just that and will have zero impact on the future of Gracedale.
ReplyDeleteI have an idea, run a slate of dump Gracedale candidates against a slate of pro-Gracedale candidates and let the people decide.
Oh, what's that? Not "that" kind of freedom.
You guys are a hoot!
Since the inception of Gracedale (when the County Commissioners were in office), The Nursinf Facility never made money for the County. It was never intended to make money for the County. It was intended to provide care for the sick and elderly when they were unable to care for themselves. In the nineties, when Graceale was supposed to have made so much money, the books were cooked to make it look like the facility made money. You can do anything with numbers. The fact remains....Gracedale never made money for the County. You will forever subsidize that facility and as a taxpayer I don't mind having my money go to help the elderly. Now lets do something about that damn prison. Doesn't someone want to buy that facility. It only costs us 30 million dollars a year to keep the dregs of society housed there. Why aren't you readers on their case?
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we have a real debate, an honest debate, about what the Nursing home "actually costs". I would attend that in a heartbeat. No "Union", no "Rev", just honest knowledgeable individuals that would tell us the truth. C'mon Bernie, You would be a star for putting that one together.
ReplyDeleteWhenever that was attempted, the Fake Rev and what I call the Gracedale Goons would show up and attempt to shout down every person whose view differed from theirs.
ReplyDeleteSo Bernie, a real non-biased person on Gracedale, should put together an "unbiased" debate on Gracedale. Yeah, right, OK. Maybe the unbiased Stoffa and Angle could just debate each other.
ReplyDeleteOn Business Matters, Ianneli is Angles asshole buddy and stacks the deck with who he allows and has othjers not allowed and they still can't make their points intelligently.
During next years county elections, I am sure Gracedale will figure prominently. The only person shouting and interrupting has been Ron Angle. Lets see if he can control himself when normal people try to debate the issue.
Maybe the fate of the county owned home could be debated fairly on Fox. Nevermind, Business Matters is close enough.