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Friday, August 28, 2015

Muller to Unveil 2016 LC Budget at Cedarbrook

Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller has chosen Cedarbrook as the backdrop for the release of his 2106 Budget. He's expected to make it official on Monday at 1 pm.

Muller and Lehigh County Commissioners have sparred over the nursing home.But according the Commissioner Vic Mazziotti, the prognosis is good. On Thursday, he told Lehigh Valley Business that he'd like to renovate or rebuild the existing 451-bed facility. He's been critical of housing four residents to a single room, and would prefer to see two to a room, with bathroom access.

Muller has accused both Mazziotti and Commissioner Lisa Scheller as supporting Cedarbrook's sale, a charge that both deny.

What amazes me is how Lehigh Valley state legislators turn a blind eye to the very real financials crisis facing publicly owned nursing homes in both Lehigh and Northampton County.

Tom Killion, a State representative from Montgomery County, has introduced legislation that could make more Medicaid reimbursements available. In Northampton County, that would translate to about $2.5 million per year, and my guess is that a similar sum would go to Cedarbrook.

To date, the following Lehigh Valley State Representatives have NOT signed on as sponsors: Gary Day, Ryan Mackenzie, Steve Samuelson, Pete Schweyer and Justin Simmons.

I should point out that sometime between my irst story about this house bill and now, Mike Schlossberg did sign on. Geoff Brace, who works for Schlossberg, is a Lehigh County Commissioner and should have been pushing the matter long before I did. Lehigh County Commissioners have yet to adopt a resolution calling on the their local state house delegation to sponsor this important bill.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

It never made sense why a private nursing home would receive higher reimbursement rates than a public nursing home. Reimbursement rates and quality of care expectations should be equal.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Lisa Scheller loves the little people on the plantation.
Rid the country and its taxpayers of old folks,
theu are such a money pit.

Anonymous said...

Geoff Brace is an asshole among assholes.
Of all the cheerleaders he is one of the most pathetic.

Bernie O'Hare said...

6:38, If you want to post a comment, don't fill it with dead space. That is why you are deleted.

Anonymous said...

Outstanding photo/mime!

Anonymous said...

sure wish Tom Creighton could convince his boss, Gary Day, to sign on to that bill.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I was unaware Creighton works for Day. That is incredible!

Anonymous said...

Brace is a bad joke, a first rate toady.
It's time to take a closer look at Jenifer Mamn,
that one promising legislator who became a major NIZ player and a caricature of a soulless sold out vacuous political shell.
These two creeps bookend the Boy Representatives and both deserve closer scrutiny.
They are, to use a turn of a phrase MM has recently adopted, how you say," pieces of shit".

Anonymous said...

I saw Jenn Mann a few nights ago holding court at the Hamilton. As a freshman she looked so promising.
The whole scene made me want to puke.
That'll be my first and last trip to that pretentious shit hole.

Anonymous said...

Give Brace a few years.
He's on track to be at least as pathetic a party operative as Jennifer M.

Bernie O'Hare said...

My only real criticism of Geoff was on this issue, and he appears to have acted. I suspect your disdain is prompted by the fact that he is a Democrat.

Anonymous said...

On the contrary, I'm a lifelong Lehigh Co. Dem., at times an active one. I'm also outraged by what has been happening in Allentown these last years and. nauseated by punk ass cheerleaders like Brace.
After 40 years as a D I registered Independent last year. I couldn't belong to a party with the likes of Ed, Jenn, Brace and the dick wads on City Council any longer.
They make me ill.
Long live Jeanette!!!!!
A true inspiration.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Then I stand corrected. Although Brace comes fro the School of Mann, I have always found him to be thoughtful and more interested in helping people like the others. I hope he has not been poisoned.