Several of you have noticed yard signs like the one you see above popping up in some corners of NorCo. Are they nostalgia for the Sanford and Son TV series? Do they suggest that, once your money is gone, you need to go to Gracedale? I believe a lot of people who see these posters would be hard put to understand the point. But a few do. Those few are Democrats and Republicans who follow NorCo government. And they'll understand the message - it's an accusation that NorCo Exec Lamont McClure squandered money intended for bonuses at Gracedale, the county's nursing home. The message implies that this money is missing and may have been pocketed. Basically, it's misinformation. But is it effective as a negative campaign ad? By itself, no. But if it is combined with mailers that explain more clearly what actually happened, it can be effective.
As much as people say they hate negative campaigns, they do work if the information is accurate.
Let's summarize the details.
Back in March, NorCo Council wanted to know what happened to $5 million in retention bonuses they set aside for Gracedale employees, and tasked Controller Tara Zrinski with finding out. She did. She conducted an audit and learned that, of $5 million approved for retention bonuses, only $2.36 million was actually paid to employees. The rest was used for operating expenses at the nursing home. Because this money was commingled with other Gracedale funds, it is impossible to state exactly how each dollar was spent.
Based on what Zrinski learned, we know that Council's directive was ignored, which was undoubtedly a blunder. But we also know that no money is missing, as the sign dishonestly suggests. Based on what we know, McClure can be tagged for several mistakes. He failed to spend the bonus money the way Council intended it to be spent, at least with respect to career service (nonunion) workers. He failed to ensure that the bonus money was in a separate fund to prevent it from being commingled. He also failed to alert Council of the problem in an executive session in which he could freely describe how some Gracedale staffers basically blew the money on unneeded overtime for non-nursing staff.
What we learned is, quite frankly, damaging. But the suggestion that any money is missing is a bold-faced lie designed to appeal to low-information voters.
51 comments:
Of course, anything factually stating McClure, Barron or Zirinski's goofs are misinformation in your eyes. What did he know and when did he know it? Oh, he told us. OK and the moon is made of cheese.
He is not a delegating type of guy so please stop trying to sell the nonsense that $10 million and $2 million dollars went anywhere without his permission. Barron loves to quote the charter and code (usually in error) but this time he did not mean to violate the county LAW, yes, the law.
The big misinformation you peddle is Zirinski. In her audit she claims McClure did not authorize the bonus money move, she claims Barron did not authorize the move, she claims it was probably the former director. When asked point blank, did she ask the former director, Zirisnki claimed she was not in her office, and she was not required to answer anyway. However, that was not the question, did she follow up and ask her? The lady still works for the county and to this day the moving of this money is a mystery.
You are in the bag for this group and that is your prerogative. Your blog, your rules. But the signs are just the start of exposing the nefarious games played.
Time for elections to open the windows at the county and let in the clean and fresh air!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: there's something rotten in Denmark!!!
Protect him all you want……he still “covered” up a mistake on his watch. His controllers…Barron and Zarinsky, also had knowledge of the comingling of funds, and chose to attempt to “soften” the damage….
Nope….Republicans will have meat on the table this fall.
This “exaggeration” campaign may just work. Because as we all witnessed during the 2024 Presidential election a majority of voters are low-information voters whom believe whatever is put in front of them even lies.
Its not a lie--they're implying it was used towards Gracedale expenses; but, is that the truth?????
Sell the place and be done with the cash cow
The money went to pay Nurses working at Gracedale.
It is a bald-faced lie to take things Lamont’s administration takes as the ultimate truth. He is looking toward Congress and is at every presser he can find. He is entrusting his underlings to run things because he has bigger fish to fry. If Lahoud is behind the signs, hand me some popcorn.
CeCe, Lance, and Stan all are in the news and have big days coming, so I hope we hear about those.
Misinformation is what we can expect from Republicans on County Council. That’s their M.O. Always has been. Always will be. And they have offered no solutions to anything. While Lamont is ultimately responsible, it appears the one thing he did do was not tell Council soon enough in a secret executive session.
You are correct; it's not missing, it was stolen.
"He failed to spend the bonus money the way Council intended it to be spent..."
That's theft.
Instead of paying the landlord, my roommate spent the money on an 80" TV. It's in our apartment and I can use it but it wasn't spent how I directed it.
Same concept. That's theft.
Who is the PAC who paid for the signs?
You can try to cover up for your boy, but the truth is he abused his power.
Speaking of false impressions. You are letting people believe he knew what these rogue Administrators were doing - while they were doing it? Where’s the evidence of that ?
Our system of government is flawed big time.
Wasn't the money essentially stolen from employees?
Smoke and mirrors McClure is not an honest politician. Lies of omission were caught by council.
JM will make sure people know the truth. Kiss congress goodbye Lamont.
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive".
Bernie, it is not just the bonus money. In your own blog post from last Thursday you mentioned nearly $10 million used to float Gracedale without Council's approval. I actually don't have a problem with a County run retirement home, but we need to be honest about the cost. Instead there has been obfuscation and dishonesty. Is the money "missing", or has anything criminal been done? Probably not. But this is sleazy business and exactly what we DON'T need, because it easily leads to worse things.
I can't quite read the sign.Who is the "paid for by" committee?
He doesn't deserve another chance of wrecking things for the citizens of Northampton County let alone PA!
County Council’s external auditor found there is “no money missing” from Gracedale. The invoices have been provided to County Council, and are available to the public for inspection.
The sign is 100% truthful. Where is the money ?????? Where is the money for the employees. Those little things that Lamont has for years hasn't given a SH-T about. He LIED to county council and the tax payers and voters of northampton County multiple times. Oh the money is there!!! Then after the ridiculous audit ,that by the way had to be held up to after the primary so Tara had a chance to hug that load. Found out wasn't there for the employees. Where was it??? Oh it was put into the general fund for gracedale. Wait you mean gracedale that is self supporting doesn't need any money from the county's general fund. Oops another lie.
Then now the county is running in an deficit. Let's just take from the raining day fund but don't tell council.
Where is the money???
If I was Tara I would drop out now and Giovanni. You are going to be left holding a pile of S--T. And which ever one wins will have the biggest tax increase in northampton County history on their term.
Yes.
7:20, He denies he knew that they were spending the $ for Gracedale expenses instead of bonuses, I should have pointed that out. But it's certainly fair to say the Gracedale workers who were deprived of bonuses thru no fault of their own should be paid. They should not suffer bc their bosses were incompetent. There is an inherent unfairness in depriving them of this $, and if it has to come from the general fund, do it.
Cute signs and a legit issue, but does MAGA care? Trump's not on the ballot and he's discouraging MIBs again so Republicans will have a turnout problem like they did this year in the Lancaster special and the May primary. Meanwhile the Dems, Team Tara and the McClure Gang will be highly motivated to keep their lucrative jobs, pensions, and contracts. Good luck.
I can't read this myself but will find out. I notice the same message is being used by GOP Council candidate Dan Campo in an interview with a realtor. I have personally not seen any signs in the Nazareth area. I expected to see a few at Gracedale, but there were none.
I assume you have provided for any long term care if needed.
Despite all the obvious points here i have to add that if the money was spent to staff Gracedale versus the alternative to shut down then the in house staff did benefit by keeping there job and benefits and by having better staffing when they worked. Much better than a bonus. However honesty regarding the real financial situation at Gracedale was sorely missing. And there is no way that kind of money transfer was done without McClure knowledge. And if it was he is a very poor leader
The sign is by BRCC but I couldn’t find out who that pac actually is tied to or listed in the records I searched. Only thing that came up was Black Rifle coffee company who has done political work before but I doubt they’re working on this issue. My only other thought was (county/municipality) Republican campaign committee
There were two audits that told you exactly where the money went. Are you all slow? Are you all dim witted? Yes, you are.
All nursing homes do accounting and pay bills just like Gracedale does. Meaning all funds that go into the home are commingled, so what exactly is the problem?? Maybe all you geniuses should create software for how you want it done.
President Trump is not telling Republicans to avoid mail in ballots. He proclaims the fact that they are very easy to fake and make cheating/fraud more likely.
Until he fixes the problem, he is not changing his stance from last fall that Republicans need to use mail in ballots as one of the every legal methods to win & MAGA.
I’m a member of the NCRC Executive Committee and everyone in my household has voted by mail for at least four years.
Scott Janney
Relax.
It could be way worse.
You could live in Lehigh County.
Bob Brooks just declared his candidacy. The primary field is getting crowded for Lamont, no doubt Gracedale is a weight around his neck right now.
Hey "genius" the problem is that funds that were earmarked were co-mingled in the first place and spent inappropriately. And it is obviously not just the bonus money since that is a fraction of the +$9 million that floated Gracedale last year. Where did these funds come from? Was it unencumbered general funds? Or monies from grants, fees, etc. that were taken in by the county for other purposes and just shifted over to Gracedale? We don't know because Council did not approve this variation and it is not in the budget. This needs to be thoroughly (forensically?) investigated.
So when congress appropriates money for cancer research / foreign aid / environmental protection and our president doesn’t spend it as directed, that is …
11:47 - There are numerous monies that come into Gracedale (and the county in general) that need to be properly segregated and accounted for separately for a variety of reasons. That is one of the basic functions of a governmental accounting system and those responsible for overseeing it.
In the case of federal grants, not doing so can cause the monies having to be repaid, even if the cash is already out the door and it has to be repaid with county funds. It can also lead to penalties, loss of future funding, and other legal issues.
That the money wasn’t properly accounted for is appalling, and makes me wonder what else isn’t being properly accounted for.
My first thought about the sign was that it was referring to his campaign finances.
Really? I guess that explains the twelve texts I got from him this afternoon. Always a different number and a different url to donate to, so I guess my "stop" replies are useless.
Northampton county politics is like a cesspool.
Bob who?
Lamont has wated tax payer's money for years. Look at every county park and you'll see a placard on the sign for "Lamont McClure County Executive". How much did each of those signs cost the tax payers? Who approved spending the money for the signs?How much was someone paid to put them on? How much is it gonna cost to remove them? I'm sure it's a drop in the county budget bucket but just an example of his wasteful spending. His last pay check should be garnished to cover all the expenses incurred by those stupid placards. Egotistical ass!
Is goofy Tara gonna follow his foot steps?
If MAGA doesn't vote...yes.
The money is in your pocket. No tax increase in 8 years.
Great, so if the money is in our pocket, guess where it has to come from when it is time to pay the piper?
12:16 - It’s not so bad here. We pay less taxes than you. And our county executive has a triple digit IQ vs double digit Lamont.
# resign in disgrace
It’s not “stolen” funds, it’s “mismanaged” funds NOT tagged for what they were used for, but
“Co-mingled “ with “other funding” to cover a
Shortage that was NOT divulged until AFTER it was discovered….or conveniently over looked while circumventing the HRC .
Again left with bad choices. Tara is a democratic socialist masquerading as a moderate. She will be a disaster .
Intersection of 248 and 946 there are 2 ..There are also on the on and off ramps on 22 to Whitehall
Post a Comment