NorCo GOP Candidate Steve Lynch Makes Last Minute Attacks From Gracedale

Northampton County's GOP Exec candidate, Steve Lynch, took his campaign to the grounds of Gracedale on a balmy Monday afternoon. He spoke in front of an admiring throng of about 40 supporters who brought American and "Steve Lynch" flags. Although he failed to recognize them, his rally was also attended by former Exec John Brown and County Council hopeful Annamarie Robertone. 

The news conference was supposed to be about the terrible conditions at Gracedale, but as is his habit, Lynch wandered into other areas during the course of his news conference, at which he refused to accept questions from me.

Gracedale. - The County owned nursing home is under a magnifying glass. It receives plenty of oversight by a citizens' advisory panel, County Council and the state Department of Health, which investigates all complaints., Lynch is nevertheless calling for yet another investigation.  

The picture painted by Lynch and Stacy Soldo, a terminated former housekeeper, is one of neglect and elder abuse, with residents lying in their urine for two hours while one hapless nurse's aide handles 50 residents. 

Understaffing is undoubtedly an issue at Gracedale. It has been discussed in numerous meetings and Administrators have pulled out all the stops to recruit more people. 

The picture painted by Lynch and Soldo, while disturbing, is largely fictional. What Lynch failed to note, most likely because he does not know it, is that understaffing became an issue at Gracedale because former Exec John Brown imposed a de facto hiring freeze combined with reduced benefits.  That's also when the home dropped to a one-star rating (much below average).     

JohnBrown would like to return as a member of County Council.

 

Soldo made it sound as though one aide for 50 residents is the norm. That's simply untrue. Soldo also complained about an uncaring Administrator who is getting paid to work from home. That's also untrue. Jennifer Stewart King, Gracedale's Administrator, started at the bottom as a nurse's aide. She worked her way up to become Administrator. She might or might not be the best Gracedale ever had, but is definitely the hardest worker. She often sleeps on a couch there. When the home is short on staff, she will herself participate in feeding and caring for residents, including changing their bed pans.

Soldo has yet to explain why she was fired. It is pretty clear to me that she bears a personal grudge against McClure and Jennifer Stewart-King. Also, it needs to be pointed out that Soldo is basically a janitor. She and has no expertise on administration or nursing. 

Political interference at Gracedale. -  Lynch also complained about a letter that Jennifer Stewart-King wrote to residents when Republican Council members sent a flyer depicting Gracedale as "crumbling  off a cliff." This scared numerous elderly residents and Stewart-King was merely assuring them and their loved ones that there's no need for alarm. She has every right to protect the home's reputation. 

Ironically, Lynch calls for an investigation into electioneering from a county-owned facility while he himself was electioneering on the grounds of that very same facility. 

Republican Council mailers in Gracedale shredder. - Lynch claimed that he has video proof that mailers by Republican Council candidates are being put in the shredder before being seen by residents. Obviously, any attempt to interfere with the mail is both an election law violation and federal crime. But Lynch provides no details. No names, no dates, no photos and no video. It is unclear to me whether these were found in a shredder after a resident read and discarded the mailer.   I know I toss most of the mailers I get. 

Usurping the Elections Comm'n. - Lynch seems to think the Elections Comm'n is entitled to hire whomever it wants and buy whatever it wants and the county has no say. This is just wrong. County Council has the power of the purse, not the Elections Commission. The Home Rule Charter establishes a career service, not the Elections Comm'n. Lynch seems to think that the Elections Comm'n should operate as an unelected and independent fiefdom, accountable to no one.That is simply ridiculous. 

The Elections Commission administers the election, but does so in accordance with other laws. So while I do think that drop box times are their call, the purchase of any equipment and the hiring of personnel is the County's function. 

I agree there are ambiguities in the Home Rule Charter, but that has nothing to do with McClure.  

Illegal Immigrants. - Lynch referred to the bail revocation hearing last week of a Honduran immigrant facing felony assault charges. Bail was revoked and the Defendant is in jail, incidentally. During that hearing, Lynch claims that the Ass't DA advised that the McClure administration refuses to "report" this matter to ICE. 

I believe the Assistant DA likely made no such representation. I'd have to see the transcript, something Lynch failed to produce. 

Moreover, I am unaware of any DA who is bound by what an Executive advises. Certainly not Terry Houck, who is definitely his own man. 

Here's what I do know. ICE agents had an increasingly nasty habit of ambushing illegal aliens when they appeared at the courthouse and carting them off. This interferes with and has a chilling effect on an individual's willingness to come to a courthouse and cooperate with law enforcement.  In fact, the practice of making civil immigration arrests at the courthouse has been banned by the Department of Homeland Security.  

McClure's policy on civil immigration arrests is contained in an executive order from 2020. It simply provides that no civil immigration arrest can be made unless a warrant is first provided to the Sheriff and jail. This is perfectly reasonable. ICE agents are almost always in plain clothes. If an arrest is attempted and Deputy Sheriffs and corrections officers know noting about it, they could get the wrong idea and hurt the ICE agent. or an innocent member of the public.  

Lynch accused McClure of refusing to keep Defendants when requested to do so by ICE. As a you can see from McClure's Executive Order, it specifically provides that an immigrant must be held if a detainer is lodged. 

When Lynch was done, he walked towards his admirers. "Good job!" gushed Council hopeful Robertone to Lynch. 

 

Not if you know anything about county government.