He said he come into office with a major money problem. Former Executive John Brown had committed the county to a $38 million project that would repair or replace 33 county bridges, but with no dedicated funding source. In addition, the county was was leasing a Human Services Building in Bethlehem Tp at a total cost of $28 million. Though the county could purchase the building, it would lose nearly $1 million it receives from the state every year to pay the rent. Finally, Coroner Zach Lysek was working out of an old farmhouse at Louise Moore Park and in desperate need of a forensic center. McClure credited Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron with solving this problem with an "incredibly innovative" plan. That plan involved borrowing the money to purchase the building. That way the county would still get its annual payment from the state. That way, funds would also be available to pay for the bridges and finally build a forensic center. The icing on the cake is that the county would actually save money by borrowing money.
He said it's little wonder that Barron is referred to as NorCo Money Man. But his highest praise was for Budget Director Doran Hammond, who will retire at the end of this year after 40 years of service. He said that Northampton County in past years was often a circus, but that Hammond made sure the county stayed on an even keel and that the clowns got paid and animals fed.
From his secretary to his top Administrator, McClure thanked everyone. He called Deputy Administrator Becky Bartlett his "eyes and ears" at meetings he is unable to attend. He credited Amy Cozze for her work on selecting new voting machines with a paper trail. Her choice just happened to be the choice of a vast majority of election judges. "I don't think the Russians will be able to get into our machines," he joked.
He praised his Public Works Director, Mike Emili, with finally getting new generators at Gracedale,a project that had languished for five years. Residents at the county-owned nursing home were without power for several days after Superstorm Sandy. He also said Emili is working on a separate entrance for admissions of new residents, who often arrive on stretchers.
For decades, the county has had no forensic center. Some have said it's unnecessary."Talk to Zach [the Coroner] about it," he suggested. "It's been. Zach's sheer force of will that murder cases haven't been thrown out because he's made sure evidence has been preserved."
He also touched on Gracedale. At last weeks Council meeting, a bevy of nurses complained about low wages and poor staffing Gracedale exceeds the state average standards. The staffing issues might be created by the nurses themselves. McClure noted that family and sick leave is 30% at Gracedale, more than twice what it is at 24/7 operations like 911 or the jail. He said at that number, it's time to question whether family leave is being abused. He added that, while he believes the county has a "moral obligation" to keep Gracedale, it would be unfair to the taxpayer to run it at a $6-10 million deficit.
The RNs have rejected McClure's contact proposal, but a similar contract was accepted overwhelmingly by six other unions, including other Gracedale staff.
Nurses at Gracedale are paid an average of $77,000 per year. Four of them make more than McClure. Deborah Messinger, a registered nurse, was paid $121,000 last year
McClure also talked about increasing truck traffic, and said people have had enough. He said that the county can encourage farmland preservation and preservation of environmentally sensitive lad, but added that people want jobs, too.
His other state of the county, which details where the county gets its money and how it spends it, will be detailed tomorrow.
This event was hosted by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.
I sat at a large round table with plenty of room for about 1,000 people. Though I had taken my monthly shower and was wearing clean underwear, I was all by my lonesome until moments before the event started. This is what happened last year, too. My table did eventually fill up, but it was with people who had no choice.
You might think I was being shunned, but that's untrue. Fiscal Director Steve Barron, aka Norco Moneyman, walked right up to me. "I didn't think your coffin opened before 11 am," he said.
I'll deal with him after sunset.
43 comments:
Not so fast. According to the Facebook his speech was helped to be prepared by Zirinski and Cozze. They are pictured on the Facebook post helping him. So they helped write a self-serving speech? This gets more strange every day.
So far, the county has offered no raise to the court appointed professionals. We're grossly underpaid for the work that we do (especially when compared to nearby counties) and we recently left the union after years of crappy contracts due to their subpar representation. I hope that the county will treat us fairly in the end, but it's exhausting to have to fight tooth and nail for appropriate compensation for the important work that we do! My salary hasn't even kept up with the COLA over the past decade. I'm tired of losing experienced co-workers, it costs the county time and money and puts the community at risk. If the administration truly values the employees, prove it. Show that you're capable of treating your employees fairly without being adversarial and wasting time and resources on lengthy arbitration proceedings.
This guy really has you snowed when it comes to employees and our wages. Brown Stain started it and McClueless continues the abuse of his most "important asset", his employees. Wages have not kept up with the market because of the County's attack on our most "important asset".
Example. I make $30,000.00 per year in my job. I get a generous 2% increase in my wages and my wellness benefit costs me 4 1/2% per year. Plus what used to be covered 100% for my medical, I now have loads of co-pays and up front expenses. When I came to work for the County fifteen years ago, they told me my medical benefit package was part of my wages. Now, They charge me more than $2,000.00 in additional costs for medical while receiving a wage increase of $600.00. Our unions are only interested in union dues and as a career service employees, we have no protection against their abuse. You want to know why there is such unrest with County employees, you need look no further. I can't continue losing money from a base salary and maintain a quality of life when our wages are being gouged by McClueless and Barron.
"He credited Amy Cozze for her work on selecting new voting machines with a paper trail. Her choice just happened to be the choice of a vast majority of election judges. "I don't think the Russians will be able to get into our machines," he joked."
McClure has a CLERICAL TECHNICIAN/SPECIALIST selecting new voting machines. Something stinks still at the County! She obviously is NOT A CLERICAL person supporting Court Service director NOR getting paid it. TELL THE TRUTH MCCLURE AND BERNIE. What is she really not what McClure is covering with.
Yep. Everything is just great! Cue the music ...
What knee pads and lube do you prefer when attending these meetings? Asking for a friend...
7:18 - Cry baby union puke.
$121K for a nurse is excessive. Lower her wage and share the savings with other nurses. There's something wrong here.
And the taxpayers paid for this little love fest... Let assume $30 a pop for the facility, staff and food. 30 x 120 = 36,000. A lot of homeless could be fed for 36,000. McClure could have skipped the breakfast and just had a web meeting.
If this was Brown's event. Bernie you would have berated his grandstanding and backslapping and the Foia request for this soiree would have already been submitted and the disparaging blog post written, all before you sunset.
If you want us to believe you're not a McClure stooge, than submit a Foia request and find out!
Janus v. AFSCME
Your math is fuzzy 8:20 by 10-fold. Try $3600 & event sponsored by LVEDC so relax & let Bernie have some fun talking every year about no one sitting at his table until they run out of seats!!
Bernie was that the pig ladies pig being served up with them there eggs?
8:20, taxpayers did not pay a dime. It was hosted by KVEDC.
Many of the comments here come from jealous Rs who filled one table and glared.
6:46, perhaps you shouldn’t have decertified your union
LVEDC is funded in large part by the hotel tax. So indirectly "taxpayers" did subsidize it.
thank bernie's buddy mr ken "all union" kraft....it was real smart to put him in the sector
The event was paid for by Gross McGinley and it was open to the public. Of course, even if you attended and ate some attorney funded eggs you'd probably be mad that they didn't have pancakes. Stop looking for something to complain about.
She’s retired
12:01, she is retired and apparently jacked up the OT so she could pad her pension.
She was also at the top of the pay scale, Currently the starting salary of an RN at Gracedale is 55,448. Well below McClure.
No Bernie she did not "Jack up her pension ". She was a 40 year VERY dedicated employee who rarely used a sick day during that time. She was compensated for her many sick days. Vacation days and personal time she had on the books when she retired in December. Not to mention the many times she willingly came in to work on her scheduled days off at the request of her supervisors because they did not have adequate staff to cover the facility. Get your facts straight before commenting on something you clearly know nothing about.
"I sat at a large round table with plenty of room for about 1,000 people."
Wow, that's a very large round table!
This is very strange. Now he attacks employees at Gracedale. He uses sweet words and then nails them with actions. He has a puppet county council. The Cozze deal is a disgrace and Charles should be ashamed of himself. Letting Cozze and Zirinski write his speech is just silly.
You have really drank the kool-ade. You know this crowd but your hatred of Brown has blinded you to what you really know about McClure, Dertinger and all.
Bernie, can we get confirmation if King Allentown was in attendance? He loves eggs and Canadian bacon.
For those that have no clue, you try to work at Gracedale. You wouldn't last a day, underpaid, under staffed,and mandatory overtime just to name a few. Call outs happen because we are taking care of sick people and when you are ran into the ground from working double shifts or mandatory overtime how do you think you can survive. These people have every opportunity to leave! But they don't, it's not because of the money I can tell you that- its because of the love that they have for each and every resident within those walls. Please do not say money grubbers or union scum because the truth to that is we are on our own! We pay union dues and see nothing, we have no support. Not from the administration and not from the unions. People are so quick to cast the first stone. The nurses and social workers went over 7 years without a raise so please don't talk about padding pensions or reaping OT, we continued to work day in and day out and still do, with floors that don't even have nurses to cover them. Ask yourself why did 10+ full time nurses and social workers leave Gracedale in a matter of a months? I can assure you it WAS NOT because of the luxurious salary or benefits. I agree with 1:26 get your facts straight!
What? Nothing was said about his HR director? You know the person who doesn’t know the answers to anyone’s questions? Guess he want to keep her under wraps since she’s a defendant in a lawsuit in Allentown school district. Such winners.
What is, "padding" a pension? Examples please.
You have made this guy a God. You are over the top. Some say he is very think skinned and obstinate. Be prepared. The republi8can table you saw will be in office in three years. New County Executive and a new County Council.
The marijuana growing, green new deal transgender bathroom people will be out on their collective asses. With that record and their personalities they are out on left filed liberal land. The voters will say enough with the McClure/Zirinski platform. Is there a realist in the bunch? Nan!
What is, "padding" a pension? Examples please.
Public pension formulas typically are based on years of service and an average of the 3 highest years of salary. "Padding" and "spiking" of a pension occurs when an employee works extra or excessive overtime during their last year (or two) of employment to jack up that average prior to the final pension computation.
"You have made this guy a God. You are over the top. Some say he is very think skinned and obstinate. Be prepared. The republi8can table you saw will be in office in three years. New County Executive and a new County Council."
I have been very pleasantly surprised by McCure as Exec. Although anyone would have been a vast improvement over Brown, McClure has brought energy an passion back to the job. By just about any standard, I'd conclude he's among the best execs I have ever seen.
Having said that, I have not even nominated him for sainthood, let alone divine status. I have been critical of some of his moves, such as the appointment of a tainted open space board member.
I would be happy to support a Republican candidate who is acting in the best interests f the county, and have done so in the past. But I am sick and tired of partisan hacks like you, who judge people by the team on which they play.
" The nurses and social workers went over 7 years without a raise so please don't talk about padding pensions or reaping OT,"
First, the example I gave was very clearly one of someone who was padding her pension in her final year, probably with the collusion of fellow nurses. That is a rape of the taxpayer.
Second, I agree you went for years without a raise. That is unfair to you. But you unreasonably expect the county to make it up to you all at once. Not going to happen. That is unfair to the taxpayer.
Third, some of you actually want the understaffing bc you want the OT, let's be real. You get paid $1.50 per hour just for showing up on weekdays,and $5 per hour on weekends. But you want more. This is just too much. I have much more sympathy for corrections officers, who are not averaging 30% in FMLA. You complain about understaffing, but it appears that you are the source of the understaffing. Hard to operate when 30% of the staff calls off.
I am an employee advocate, but you are being unreasonable.
" Currently the starting salary of an RN at Gracedale is 55,448. Well below McClure."
Let's be honest, shall we? I sought and obtained the salary of every RN, both FT and PT. The average FT salary is $77,906.11, which is in line with what is paid to RNs elsewhere. Four of the RNs make more than McClure. Thirteen are paid over $70,000.
Some of you want the understaffing? Way to blame the victim! I don't work there and I try to refrain from commenting on situations I have little knowledge of, but c'mon. If there are staffing issues then that's on management and it needs to be addressed at that level. Are there part timers or per diems that can cover?
And throwing around accusations of fmla fraud without anything to back them up is disgusting. Comparing COs to nurses is apples to oranges.
ps - long time reader here and imho you not that big an 'employee advocate' js
"He credited Amy Cozze for her work on selecting new voting machines with a paper trail. Her choice just happened to be the choice of a vast majority of election judges. "I don't think the Russians will be able to get into our machines," he joked." ---- Seriously ?~! The Russians could care less, the only collusion would be the American elitists following that paper trail.
That salary range is based off of OT, the starting salary of a new hire is 55,488. And currently out of the 18 full time RN positions only 4 are above the starting pay rate of $26.65. These are the facts.
Now that Bernie loves McClure, employees at Gracedale will be attacked. This administration is more about taking care of "special" friends like Cozze than real employees. How much does she make? Why does Dertinger need her? Don't expect their council to ask. At least two of them want jobs as well.
The Fact is that the average wage of a Gracedale RN is $77,906. The fact is that they are paid $1.50 per hour for just walking in the door on weekdays. The fact is that they are paid an extra $5 per hour for just walking in the door on weekends. The fact is that, at Gracedale, 30% of the staff is always out on FMLA. This is twice what it is in the other 24/7 operations.
I am by no means attacking Gracedale employees. In fact, I have seen for myself how dedicated they are. And I tend to support employees in beefs with any administration. But the nurses here are acting unreasonably. They expected McClure to make up for the years they went with no contract. That is simply unfair to the taxpayer.
Here's my question.If things are so bad and employees treated so badly, why did the LPNs and CNAs overwhelmingly endorse their contract?
Also, if it's not about the money and is about patient care, why were you not in front of Council long ago?
You want to talk about co we are underpayed overworked and still dont have a contract because Mr Mclure did not want to budge how is it that co comming in are making almost the same thing as someone employed for 9 years and you dont see something wrong here this is discussting but who do you go to for answer they do what they want period over 100 officers and we dont have a breakroom this is ridiculous
The cos have a better argument and do not have 30% of their staff on FMLA. Their contract is in binding arbitration.
I think Prez Heckman gave then extra time to talk when they cane to council. That was wrong if he did.
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