Crickets. Sure, they voted to appoint a Continuum of Care Director, but there have been no Gracedale oversight committee meetings or reports about Gracedale itself.
Why has nothing happened since then? Two words.
Ken Kraft. He is County Council President.
When Council member Dave Holland, himself a former Gracedale Administrator, proposed a Gracedale oversight committee he received a lot of pushback from the usual suspects - Zrinski, Kraft and Council members Jeff Warren and Kelly Keegan. At first, they tried to table the matter. When that failed, Kraft argued that this new committee was "over-reaching our authority as a Council." When Keegan was told the committee would provide oversight, her response was "I don't understand. That's the administration's job." Jeff Warren agreed and said he had a "significant" problem with the word "oversight." So the administration is supposed to provide oversight over itself?
In the end the resolution creating this new oversight committee was adopted by a 6-3 vote. Even Warren voted for it in the end.
Kraft, who tried to table this oversight committee and voted against it, has dragged his feet over the formation of this Gracedale watchdog, which has yet to meet. For a period of 10 weeks, the County Council website still fails to identify any members. But Zrinski let the cat out of the bag at her news conference last week. She said the committee, consisting of four members has been formed.
I've made some calls and have learned that the Gracedale Oversight Committee Chair is none other than Kelly Keegan, who voted against it. Kraft, who also voted No to the Committee, put himself on it.
It's clear that Kraft and Keegan decided to disregard the will of a Council majority and just refuse to call a meeting.
With the release of the Grand Jury report, they now will probably have to do something.
In my opinion, a Council President exists to preside over meetings. He makes committee assignments as well, but there is nothing in the Home Rule Charter that gives him this authority. In this instance, he has clearly abused his authority and has defied the will of six members of County Council. County Council has the authority to reverse Kraft and appoint members who will provide real oversight of the beleagured home instead of the charade that Kraft has created.
The cabal of Kraft, Keegan, and Warren must go in the next election. Holland, Boulette and the rest need serious fellow council members, not people who are more interested in consolidating power than in making sound policies.
ReplyDeleteWarren will have to resign to take his seat in the state house in a few months
DeleteGracedale is a disaster, the council is useless, and the court administrator beat up his wife. The county is clearly doing great.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Kraft still doing at NC???? Taking more taxpayer dollars!!
ReplyDeleteKen can only be held accountable in the Democratic primary by Democrat voters next year. Otherwise he can do what he wants.
ReplyDeleteSo can the Council majority. They can take it upon themselves to name a committee and override him.
DeleteWake up Norco voters, look in the mirror - YOU CREATED THIS MESS.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't heard Nadeem's name mentioned much lately. I'm curious to know what his wife's thoughts are on this matter.
ReplyDeleteKen Kraft knows the most important words in organized labor are, "don't kill the job." Drag everything out. Ever watch a union job? They take forever. Loaf, waste time, stop for ridiculous or no reasons: it's a story as old as time. Norma Rae! Ken is a good union guy who has two speeds: slow and stop. Then comes break time. Keegan simply wants families to be better off when their family members are murdered. She doesn't possess the capacity to feel anything for the county's elderly. Elections have consequences - especially for our most vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteReporting false info and talking out your ass again? Maybe ask someone before you assume your stupid garbage.
ReplyDeleteI'm following. Can you be specific? I'll wait .......
DeleteKelly Keegan! This getting more ridiculous by the minute!! Also, I like Tom, and I know it’s not his nature, but he has to start making some noise. Media, social media ect. The general public really has no clue what’s going on here. Kraft, Keegan, and Zrinski want to keep it that way!!! Transparency my ass, Tara is full of shit!!
ReplyDeleteIf Gracedale is forced to close down, then councilman Kraft and councilwoman Keegan, along with Tara, Warren, and McClure ,
ReplyDeleteshould all be held responsible, in some way, for its failure. It is time.
The only place Gracedale is burning is in your feverish imagination. That stuff happened a year ago. Blaming Tara is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteThe 14 deficiencies flagged last year by DOH occurred under an Administrator in whom Zrinski has repeatedly expressed confidence. They have continued this year. There have been multiple DOH visits, and Gracedale has been flagged five times for serious issues like staffing, elopements and assaults.
DeleteMe thinks your “feverish” worship of Tara is borderline psychotic. She just tried to squash a legal grand jury inquiry.
DeletePut retired department heads on the committee. They had Gracedale thriving.
ReplyDeleteNORCO needs a complete overhaul
ReplyDeleteThe “recommendations” in the report either have already been implemented, can’t be implemented or are just plain nonsense. Baratta ought to stick to plea bargaining with violent domestic abusers.
ReplyDeleteSadly I’m discovering that people either don’t care or are buying this garbage that Tara is fixing Gracedale. Maybe this crap flies on earth but not in the life hereafter. Guess some people have no fear of that latter.
ReplyDeleteStop whining about Gracedale getting fixed. The families of the its residents will be better off without them.
ReplyDeleteQueue Keegan joining the conversation to gas light in 3....2....1
ReplyDeleteKelly Keegan, not “Keegam”, fix your story jagoff, will make a tremendous chair of the committee. Kelly is an R.N. who worked per diem at Gracedale. Holland worked there for 8 months for a consultant who was hired by people who wanted to undermine the place.
ReplyDeleteKEEGAM celebrated the murder of a father and husband. She's disturbed and shouldn't be anywhere near the care of humans. The Internet remembers. She's a heartless creep.
Deletelol this is hilarious! Kelly is a vitriolic troll, and an awful human being based on her social media posts.
DeleteWTF is a “jagoff” ?? I think you mean jackoff Kelly learn how to spell.
DeleteHolland never undermined anything. You are an idiot by suggesting that. Dave was directly involved in the restructure, and fiscal management of the home, something which you could never do nor learn to do. Before you slander someone you should check your research.
DeleteKelly Keegan is against humankind. She shouldn’t be. near the elderly or children. Her nursing license should be revoked. Cheering the death of a Forks Township resident and then say a wife and her children are better off without her husband. This is a sick bitch. Kraft, Keegan, Warren and Fruit loops Tara all need to go. This is only year 1 and what a shit show it is. Keegan shouldn’t be the chair of anything. She’s doesn’t have the brains for it.
DeleteOf course u lick Holland for the job he oversaw the privatization of the home in monroe county u have never recovered from getting stomped by justus james and tha guy with cool tats
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want Koo Koo Keegan anywhere near the place!
ReplyDeleteOnce again you don't know what you are talking about. There has been a meeting scheduled for Oct 7th at 3:45 and everyone was informed on Council.
ReplyDelete9:34 is obviously a Council member. Now that the shit has hit the fan, a meeting has been scheduled … in October … in the middle of the day. Well done
DeleteWhen would you have scheduled it? And did you think that there would be lots to report from the time Mr. Thomas took over until Oct 7th? You seem to have all the answers.
DeleteThe vote to establish the committee was in early July. By now, there should have been two meetings. After release of the Grand Jury report, the time to meet is NOW, especially to ensure that there is a protocol between Gracedale and police concerning 911 calls. No nurse should ever tell an officer that nothing is going on when a resident is assaulted. Changes need to happen NOW.
DeleteWhen was the meeting decision done? Who initiated it? Has it been set for the public to sit in or not?
DeleteWhat blows my mind is Tara tried to suppress the Grand Jury report. Ms transparency is the least transparent apparently.
Delete"Has it been set for the public to sit in or not?"
DeleteThe public is welcome to attend the meeting and ask questions or make comments during Courtesy of the Floor.
Government caused it they will never fix it.
ReplyDeleteCouncil is doing what it did to manage Covid. It's going quiet for a few months. They believe in "Don't just do something. Stand there."
ReplyDeleteKeegan appears to be one of those “eat their own or young” nurses. Listen to her at a previous human services meeting where she stated how she thought about not helping a traveling nurse making 3 times as much as she did. She said agency nurses should be limited to 3 month stints. Sure she’ll be popular with all the agency people at Gracedale. If only Keegam was as wonderful as she believes she is. Premier under Freeman had Gracedale on a successful path. Too bad the “right people” didn’t recognize that. Warren also alluded to rumors being the big problem for Gracedale, not Gracedale administration itself. You Tube is awesome. Didn’t Keegan also scream at Goffredo that Gracedale is not losing money at that same meeting? Warren fawned over Morton’s strategic plan too I think.
ReplyDeleteKeegan & Warren are both nuts and shouldn't be anywhere near Gracedale.
DeleteThis is a school nurse. Posts shit on the internet all day and treats the sniffles and calls parents to come get their kid. She masquerades as a real nurse LOL. She'll get a big fat pension when she's done as well. She's a slug.
DeleteAt least for the comments and the ongoing Gracedale posts on the Grand Jury report providing legislative, executive and administrative recommendations in the public interest, maybe the point has been lost. Seems to be a moment for bashing personalities, and unions. Those responses are routine for some of this readership, and would not have required a Gracedale grand jury report to set off. Problems that led us where we are on Gracedale reach back decades, before McClure, Zrinski, Kraft and Keegan were even involved. A vilification festival isn't constructive.
ReplyDeleteThe problems exist currently, and now this council and administration can either professionally address it properly now, or expect nothing to change, and accept the consequences of inaction.
DeleteTZ has been aware of all the problems, for years. As a councilwoman, she knew, as a controller, she knew, as the executive, she knew…She had years to look into working to solve them, she didn’t. She is a failure.
DeleteKel Kel Keegan should be the Tsarina of Northampton County.
ReplyDeleteNorco has their own “squad” ran by the previous ringleader mcclure, now tara has taken over. Warren, keegan and kraft all have been rubber stamps and did whatever has been asked of them to support the plan. They all should be looked at being held accountable for their support of the past. The rest of county council needs to wake up. Holland is the best up there on the subject but appears to have been silenced by the squad. Lori is also great. Hopefully they can all work together and do what’s best for gracedale and voters need to get out and make change for the county for the better.
ReplyDeletenow Lori is the best? And Holland worked to privatize a nursing home, i never knew that before. Is that true?
DeleteI still remember walking into the Bethlehem Post Office in '20 and seeing this screaming nut jumping around like a fish out of water- I almost called 911, but soon realized it was someone who obviously needs attention, order to survive. Fast forward, this unhinged person was hand picked as both Controller & Executive, and was fortunate enough to have the machine behind her & 2 non-existent opponents in the general election. Just listening to her speak, without any prepared statements, and its painfully obvious Tara lacks the competence & temperament for any Executive role. She'll just keep forming more committees in order to mask her shortcomings.
ReplyDeleteExactly the same woman who marched down the street I live on with a gal wearing a mask trailing behind her. She saw our political yard signs and still insisted on trying to tell us why we should vote for her. Yes that’s the real Tara Zrinski. We still remember how we had to shoo her away. This was when she ran for State Rep I think. Who can keep count?
DeleteSince she had a real opponent who campaigned, she got destroyed in that race,
DeleteStalling and blaming you and Barata.
ReplyDeleteThey all followed McClure before.
ReplyDeleteWith his written hissy fit, I’m sure he’s pulling strings again. He needs to be let go and hung out to dry.
You would have to be blind and deft to continue following his ….oh wait..
DeleteShe did!
running for their next office!
ReplyDelete