When Northampton County Council meets on Thursday night, it will likely be in Courtroom #1. The County workforce is upset over health plan changes that will reduce their overall compensation package. ... Again. Many plan to bring their concerns to Council.
Meetings between employees and Human Resources start today.
45 comments:
As I recall, wasn't Riebman's fiddling around with the heath care plan that inspired John Stoffa to get off the sofa and run for office?
He'll do what he wants regardless of employees' concerns.
Reibmen got the employees great health care. Stoffa gave it to BC. Should have stayed on the sofa.
Recall better, son.
Council needs to send a message and vote down the budget based on this unfair plan change. Brown is way off base here. His Tom Follery will be exposed for council and the public to see what really is going on. No raises will be in the budget either. It is time for council to stand behind the workers of the county and show they do care, not just speak like they do at town hall meetings like Brown does.
Ask not what your county can do for you. Ask what you can do for your county.
Brown is right on target here. It's time for Council to stand behind the taxpayers of Northampton County. The surplus is gone thanks to swaptions, swampland purchases and Gracedale's continuing deficits. Something has to give. If I wanted a tax increase and fiscal shenanigans I would have voted for Callahan. County employees have benefits and pensions unlike anything in the private sector. Let's hope Council listens but isn't intimidated.
7:23. You are so off base, you have no idea what plan theses people have, or what they bring home in their paycheck every week. Please get a little edecutated before you start making broad statements
Bernie, have you heard anything about a rally by the employees before the council meeting tomorrow?
First time Brown has been right since he took office.
health care is not a right. they should pay at least 50% of the costs
This health care plane will surely put workers into debt and many will have their homes foreclosed on. County workers are not rich and do not earn what private sector employees earn. Mr. Brown is requesting that I pay 25% of my salary for health care benefits, when the county does not even pay for my health care benefits in the first place, the state reimburses the county. So where is Mr. Brown spending the health care dollars?
"Bernie, have you heard anything about a rally by the employees before the council meeting tomorrow?"
I have heard there will be a crowd, but do not know about a rally. But it would make sense.
6:19 - The Republican council and the voters who elected Brown WANT to cut your compensation. They don't give a shit if it's "unfair" because they despise you and the fact that you are a "taker". We've come to a time, on display here daily, where the public civil servant is equivalent to a food stamp recipient sitting on his stoop instead of looking for work.
9:04 - I assume you are on Brown's side on this one?
Geisenger on Bobby Gunther this morning. This is what you voted for, enjoy the race to the bottom.
And what did he say?
How's the county workforce turnover rate compared to other counties and private businesses? Is the county having any problem keeping desks filled? It's difficult to face budget tightening. Many of us working poor have had to do without a lot of things in the last seven years. 93 million able body adults don't go to work each day. Would they take a county job at the current compensation level, or slightly less? Probably; very quickly. Calling an opportunity for those 93 million a "race to the bottom" is mean-spirited to those struggling through un- and under-employment. There are good people looking for work who would gladly take those jobs. It beats not working and losing your home or begging the power company not to disconnect you.
I am a county employee, I have not heard about a rally tomorrow evening prior to the meeting. I am sorry that so many people hates us and what we do. It is sad that I have spent 20 years in child welfare for this. I have children on my caseload that have severe mental health issues or intellectual disabilities, some through no fault of their own and often through no fault of their parents. Maybe we should just close our doors and these children will die, run the streets or go into a school and begin shooting because they have no idea what they are doing or why. But as long as you don't have to pay property taxes, that's will be fine.
I love the attitude "if I have to do it so do you" instead of "something has to change". Let's not stand together anymore. Let's step on each other.
9:44: do you work in the drama queen section of the county?
I don't hate county workers and don't wish anyone ill. I'd like the world to be different and attempt to vote the right way every chance I get. In the interim, spending and taxes must be brought under control. Any cuts are going to be accompanied by tax increases. Everyone is going to make sacrifices. Gracedale has a lot to do with this. Voters demanded it stay open, and now, we're finding out the cost of that popular decision. It could still be sold. It would remain open. Patients would continue to receive the same level of care, if not better. Most employees would continue to work there. And a whopping $10 million dollar deficit would disappear. As Gracedale is the third rail of county politics, it's not going anywhere and we must sacrifice more tax dollars and budget cuts to support its operation.
sounds to me that mr.brown has a personal vendetta against county empployees ...to all of you who whine about county workers ...we get up everyday and go to work ,without a raise for the past few years ...we don't have a cadillac plan ours doesn't compare to those who do ...what family member or you yourself works without a raise for years and is asked to continually pay more ,would any of you like it ? the employees didn't create this problem ..if john brown had any balls he stand up say I can't do this to all these people...he's rotten to the core!
9:44: do you work in the drama queen section of the county?
Sounds like he works in the "real world" and not in fast food management or widget production like you.
And there's proof of the gummint goldbrick mentality. Fast food managers and widget production workers are your boss and pay your salary. Keep insulting them - all the way to your 99 weeks.
":44: do you work in the drama queen section of the county?"
Most of the human services people do. Most are the biggest drama queens around. They are never satisfied and end up haying all their bosses. They love to bring up all the people they serve, yet they themselves are greedy and self-centered.
They begged for a new building and rallied to every word that agreed with them without even checking. Go ask Mr. Brown how much that lease, upkeep and local tax bill is going to cost every year. It goes up and up and up. But hey, it was for the "people". Welcome to the real world. You can tell your "people" how a nice new unneeded multi-million dollar building for you and them is better than more employees and services.
You are a bunch of whinny dumbasses!
Vic
are you serious ? county employees have no decision making power john stoffa wanted a building named after him... it is a ridiculous expense but we didn't have a say about it ..get real would you ...by the way john browns administration is being short sighted on salaries..furthermore he doesn't have a problem spending money ,he's proven that . the reality is he has a vendetta against county employees ..
that should read not being short sighted
"but we didn't have a say about it"
You came to the meeting and did a slide show for Christ's sake. You cried about the horrible conditions. Something you guys do a lot. When a shinny new building was waved in front of your eyes you begged for it. You didn't do your homework and just bought what you were told. Stop being so self-centered and learn to do some research. That thing will drain your resources dry within a few years.
McClure tired to warn you but you had your union bosses strong arm him.
All this animosity towards county employees is sickening. They have become pawns in this budget battle. Most of the employees are dedicated and hard-working. Brown and his minions with their incompetence have created an atmosphere of distrust with workers he insincerely refers to as the "backbone" of county government. More like the tailbone the way he is kicking them around.
Bernie, any chance they can arrange to get a couple of cameras in CR 1 to live stream Thursday's meeting? It shouldn't be that difficult for Xerox to facilitate. At the last meeting if anyone had an ounce of problem-solving skills, the county could have opened up the training room across the hall from the council meeting room and used the flat-screen TV in there to broadcast the video feed of the meeting. Would that have satisfied Sunshine Act requirements? Then citizens at home would not have been sacrificed in watching the proceedings.
This hatred is nauseatiung. In addition, there is some bullshit being slung. Had the County not moved to a centralized human services building, that means that those services would be split up between Governor Wolf and Bechtel. Both needed $4.3 million in capital improvements, but Wolf in particular was in very bad shape and in need of immediate infusions of cold, hard cash. Visitation was going on in rooms with peeling lead paint. Therer was also a vermin and even an asbestos problem. It was no place to tell people you care about children.
Both Wolf and Bechtel sold for more than the county projected. Stoffa avoided the need to make those repairs and provided a new, centralized facility that tells 18,000 county residents that they matter. The savings realized from Wolf and Bechtel have made this matter revenue neutral, and has positioned the county for more grant dollars.
It was the right thing to do. The only person I know who opposed it in the end is currently in a state prison, where he belongs. His moll is probably speaking for him anonymously.
And there's proof of the gummint goldbrick mentality. Fast food managers and widget production workers are your boss and pay your salary. Keep insulting them - all the way to your 99 weeks.
That may be so but the "gun mint" (it's government, genius) actually provide an important service to society and in return are compensated by the entity which employs them. That entity's revenues come from taxes and those taxes are directly related to the number and quality of services offered.
These people go home and sleep well knowing they helped people in some way. You go home smelling like french fries. What they do is so much more important yet they are treated like shit by Fox News blowhards with little education.
1:42 - These anti-government people don't care about dilapidated buildings. As far as they are concerned, these people should suck up their problems and not seek out services. They don't believe in a society - they believe in an Ayn Rand selfish "I've got mine" worldview. The problem is as soon as something goes awry in their lives, they are the first to be begging for assistance. They are the worst of the worst and they have been systemastically created by right wing media shaping dullard minds. They have no ability to critically think. None.
Why don't all county employees call in sick on a predetermined day and shut down county government ?
Stupid idea. County employees will only garnish even more hostility from the public by engaging in a sick out. AFSCME should hire a PR firm to improve the image of their rank and file with the public. Sahl Communications would be an excellent choice for this campaign.
Animosity by public workers toward Brown is justified because of his contracting with a PR firm for $74,000. Subsequent to this he announced and/or leaked to the press that he will give no raises while cutting pension and health benefits while declaring there will be little or no compromise in his demands. In February his proposal to hire a financial consultancy at $200,000 plus per year for 3 days a week work was rejected. His willingness to generously compensate supporters does not seem to be a problem.
I hope that the County Council and Exec has plan C as turn out maybe more than what Courtroom 1 can hold. And the sunshine act is clear it must accommodate the people to attend a public meeting!
What a slap in the face to the county employees. John Brown to introduce his 2015 budget that he is balancing on the backs of the county workers at the Human Services Building where a majority are located. Didn't think he could kick them in the ass even more than he already has.
County employees forget employment is a privilege and not an entitlement. They cry about having to pay a little towards healthcare. If they don't like it perhaps they should get another job and find out how difficult it really is out here in the real world.
I am a county employee and I'm grateful for my job. Even not receiving a pay increase I recognize a change is needed and I'm willing to compromise however a 10% co-insurance will surely bankrupt anyone that has an illness or needs a major procedure. Also why can't this be a gradual increase spread across the next few years? Mr. Brown I hope you enjoy this term because county employees will make sure it will be your last.
Your proposal is reasonable and is what Brown should do.
The 10% coinsurance is what has employees the most upset. There has to be a better way. Think about it Mr. Brown. Do something right.
The thing county employees are missing is a contract along with pay to help with the cost of the healt care increase!
We never wanted a new building. You have no idea what you are talking about. if you want to blame someone blame the politicians who just like in the current situation make stupid deciesions for tempoary glory on the backs of all taxpayers and employees.
Thanks, Bernie for being fair minded and logical.
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