Zrinski Closes Elections Office on Pre-Election Friday for Halloween

On the Friday before the mid-term general election, Executive Tara Zrinski has closed the elections office for Halloween. People calling with questions are being told to try again after the holidays. 

This is simply stunning. 

I have a friend who applied last week for a mail-in ballot. I doubt her application will be processed. 

Zrinski claimed they are still working but they are not answering the phone and the office is locked. 

So much for people who are still waiting for mail-in ballots. 

At a budget hearing earlier this week, Kelly Keegan asked about the impact of these holidays. "What do you mean?" responded Zrinski. 

This is what Keegan meant. In addition to the cost, a Halloween holiday right before an election results in a denial of essential service at a time when it is most needed.

Lou Shupe: the Brooks and Mackenzie Alternative in Pa. 07

Two years ago, when Ryan Mackenzie ran against Susan Wild in the Pa. 07 Congressional rare, I voted for Lou Shupe as a write-in. He has asked me to post a "Ask Me Anything" blog. I agreed but not before asking him why he's always too lazy to try to get on the ballot. 

His explanation? "Since I announced my latest Democratic candidacy on January 9th, my windshield was shot out a day before my first campaign event on February 2nd, (please see exhibit a), luckily a supporter was able to pay for an Uber to get me to Lafayette college on February 2nd where I found it difficult to distinguish myself from the others as we were all pretty much in agreement. And my sister got sick and died a few weeks later. Distracted, I was. Then I moved into her house so my nephew who has special needs did not have to move. For that, several democrats accused me of being a carpetbagger like Senator McCormick. They would rather continue to see me homeless. But no, that wasn't enough."

"In the weeks that followed, I have been banned, shunned, stalked, doxxed, almost run over, hacked, vandalized, unfriended, blocked from posting, discovered who my real friends are, and much more while dealing with mold and blood infections from wearing my prosthetic too much and literally punishing my stump to where I could not walk for days at a time."

He sent me a pic of his stump and I believe him. 

Ok, so here's what Lou has to say about himself.

Greetings all. My name is Lewis Shupe, and I am running a write-in campaign to become your Congressional representative in the PA 07th congressional district. So why should you vote for little old me? First off, I'm ugly. Second off, I have a plan available on real change dot us but I'll summarize most of my platform below.  I could go on bashing both of the candidates, but they seem quite busy and effective enough trying to own each other.

• Reverse the SCOTUS decision "Citizens United" 
• "Why is it that our constitution is considered the highest law in the land, yet it is infringed the most and infringers punished the least?"
• Reversing the trends of infringement against our constitution and amendments. 
• Public funded political campaigns at all levels, unless you prefer "The best democracy money can buy"?
• On my first official day, I will propose some version of the American Anti-Corruption Act.
• I would also propose a "Journalistic foundation act" to create a new exception in the IRS code similar to a 501 (c) 3, but benefiting news organizations.
• Single payer healthcare.
• When possible, stream non sensitive events directly to my voters like I sometimes did with the Facebook group “Let’s Build a New Allentown Together" This also includes all lobbyist meetings, they will be streamed directly to the registered voters by my hand.

•  Full restoration of The Fairness Doctrine. Removed by Republican President Ronald Regan in 1987.

• Ranked choice voting.

• Right to repair.

• Repair or replace SS7 or System Signaling Seven, an operating system used by telecoms and abused by spammers, scammers, and governments. 

• Data Center moratorium.

• Hand marked paper ballots.

• To save this planet for future generations, it’s the only one with beer.

All this won't mean diddly squat if in fact I do get elected. Because, I will be surrounded by 434 of the most corruptible people on the planet. Think " boss fight" on an epic scale. And this is where I will need the help of the smarter registered voters most of all because I have to get to know these people better than I do now and work with them In order to forward the legislative wish list I outlined above. Donald Trump will still be president, And it is remotely possible I can talk some sense into his head. Or not. But either way, our legislative and political focus must be on the truth and not the lies and rage bait that both the left and right wing talk about. And last week, Bernie had some interesting ideas worth exploring. 

The one promise I can make and deliver on is the registered voter forum. I have put much thought into this. A place where civil discourse would flourish. I would be able to converse with the registered voters of the PA 7th congressional district on a daily basis and where they can interact with each other to go over the news of the day, absorb the legislation that comes down from the Congressional API, or application programming interface, and give me their best recommendations on how and why I should vote for a particular software package as well as navigate the labyrinth that is DC politics. I think George Washington's ghost would approve. 

Thoughts?

NYT Poll of 401 Likely Voters Show Bob Brooks With 5-Point Lead Over Ryan Mackenzie

The New York Times, Inky and Siena teamed up to poll 401 likely voters in the Pa..07 Congressional race over the period between October 16 -22. According to the results, Democrat Bob Brooks leads incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie, 49% to 44%. Those who participated were nearly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, with independents accounting for 25% of those who participated. 

Zrinski Reduces Budget Request For Gracedale from $12 Million to $9.9 Million

Gracedale was one of the topics discussed at last night's NorCo budget hearing. The good news is that county spending for the home has been downgraded from a projected $12 million to $9.9 million next year. Budget Administrator Brandon Dunstane told County Council that he was able to shave $2.1 million by using a more realistic census figure of 445 residents instead of the projected 475.

A $2.1 million reduction in the budget would translate to about 0.2 mills in real estate taxes. 

Unfortunately, most of the rest of the meeting was marked by an inability to answer some pretty basic questions. 

The bulk of the $9.9 million contribution to Gracedale is $7 million for the annual IGT transfer. 

The IGT is basically an accounting gimmick under which county-owned hospitals and nursing homes pool together money and send it off to the state Medicaid agency for matching federal funds. They usually receive more money in return. Council member Dave Holland warned at the end of the meeting that changes in the IGT are on the way.  

The IGT payment that the county must make to kick things off is based on the number of licensed beds, which is 688. But the money htat trickles back is based on the actual census, which is only 445.

Zrinski acknowledged that the county wants to sell 88 bed licenses, but it will take time. 

During the hearing, Council member Dave Holland noted that Gracedale would be entitled to Medicaid bedhold money if it was at 90% of its max 688-census. Budget Administrator Dunstane acknowledged that the last time Gracedale was at 90% was pre-COVID.  

Noting the large number of problems at Gracedale has received since Michelle Morton became Administrator (deficiencies, one-star rating, provisional license, threatened removal of Medicaid reimbursement), Council member Jason Boulette said he is "blown away" by a budget proposal that includes payraises for the home's top administrators and nurses. There was no response.

Boultette wanted to know how many "back office" workers are employed at Gracedale. He noted that in 2016, Gracedale was at near maximum capacity with 670 residents. Now that census has dipped to 445, he asked whether there has been a commensurate drop in the number of back office workers. No one was able to answer immediately.  

In response to a question from Council member Kelly Keegan, Continuum of Care Director Tom Carson said that Gracedale has 339 employees and 401 vacant positions that are budgeted. Budget Administrator quickly clarified Carson to explain that only 40 of those 401 vacant positions have actually been budgeted. 

Keegan also wanted to know how many holidays have been added by Executive Tara Zrinski for career service employees. Zrinski answered, "I think we added five."  When Keegan asked how much these holidays have cost the county, Zrinski 's response was, "What do you mean?" Keegan explained that the county would still have to pay these employees and might need to add in holiday pay for some. 

Zrinski argued that the holidays are a trade off for subsistence pay. She said she is trying to change a "culture" (translation appears to be bad morale) that has been established "over the last eight years,"i.e. under former Exec Lamont McClure. She told Keegan that this "culture" has already shifted among deputy sheriffs and is improving at Gracedale as well. 

Administrator Mark Aurand was unable to answer a simple question posed by Council President Ken Krqaft, asking approximately how many of these employees are career service, i.e. nonunion. He said it should be fairly easy to determine how much money the county spends in salaries for employees with five new holidays.  Aurand said he'd like these questions ahead of the meeting. "I'm hearing all these great things about making people feel fuzzy and warm, but what is the cost? demanded Kraft. 

During the hearing, Carson acknowledged that agency nursing at Gracedale is still very high, at about 65%. This is much more than Morton had stated at the oversight committee meeting a few weeks ago. 

Most amazing of all, the county administration is still unable to answer a question posed first at the oversight committee and again last night by Council member Lori Vargo Heffner. "Based on the census to date, and the employees that you have, where would we have a break even?"

"We've been trying to find that answer, I've been asking, " responded Carson.

NorCo Fails to Post Campaign Finance Reports Online

When he was NorCo Exec, in an effort to increase transparency and accountability, Lamont McClure directed elections officials in 2023 to post online all campaign finance reports filed in that office. This enables members of the public to follow the money and see who exactly is supporting a candidate and how political money is spent. I often write about campaign finance spending, but it always helps to have several sets of eyes looking at these reports. This kind of participatory journalism is very helpful. Unfortunately, the current Executive cares a lot less about what you know 

Lehigh County, Allentown and Bethlehem have all adopted ordinances requiring that at least some campaign finance reports be filed online. There is no such law in NorCo. Though McClure took the initiative of directing elections officials to post reports, NorCo Council probably should have enacted an ordinance making it mandatory because Zrinski apparently prefers to keep you in the dark. 

Since she assumed office in January, no campaign finance reports have been filed in this year's races. No pre or post primary reports have been posted online, and the 2d Friday pre-election report is basically unavailable. Sure, you can go to the courthouse, spend an hour or two looking for a place to park while a new garage is being built, go through an anal cavity search by deputy sheriffs and then try to get your hands on a report while the staff tries to help others who are getting ballots. It's very time-consuming and burdens the staff much more than simply reviewing them online. 

I said nothing when I noticed that no finance reports were posted for the primary. Besides, most of these races are state races and reports must also be filed with the state. But guess what? Though GOP State Rep. Joe Emrick has filed his 2d Friday pre-election report in the race for the 137th legislative district, it has yet to appear on the state website. This often occurs when paper reports are received, but I've been able to look at the copies that state house candidates must also file in their county of residence.  

Until now. 

I've already written about Jeff Warren, who is Emrick's opponent. In fairness, I need to review and discuss Emrick's finances as well. When I noticed on Monday that no reports at all had been uploaded to the county webpage, I emailed Registrar Chris Commini to ask him to explain. He has yet to respond.

On Monday afternoon, I texted Exec Tara Zrinski to ask her about posting these reports. She first responded that the decision to post or not post is "elective" and that the elections office is overwhelmed. I am sure it was far more overwhelmed in 2024 but had no problems posting finance reports. She then said these reports are only posted as a "courtesy" and that other things have taken priority. 

When I accused her of failing to be transparent, she finally said they are "in the list of things to do." 

When? After the election? That totally defeats the purpose of requiring that they be filed. The election now is less than a week away. It is inexcusable that she thinks so poorly of the public that she would fail to provide important information that will help people decide how they vote. That matters as much or more than a pop-up election that gets 4 voters. 

Northampton County Council, the governing body, needs to adopt an ordinance early next year requiring that all finance reports that are filed with the county must be posted online, and within 24 hours of receipt, mot when Chris "Ball of Fire" Commini gets to it. 

Zrinski Needs to Stop Chewing Gum During NorCo Exec Reports

On Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys handed the Philadelphia Eagles their 5th loss in a row during a game in which a usually solid defense appeared to have no desire or intensity. In the post-game presser, head coach Nick Siriani was chewing gum as he gave the usual bullshit nonanswers to questions. His gum chewing made no difference to me, but it was a big deal on WIP's Tuesday morning autopsy by Joe Giglio and Hugh Douglas. The general sentiment was that the optics were disrespectful and it appeared as though Siriani looked as though he had checked out and had no regard for what others might think. 

Given what I read and later read in comments, Northampton County Exec Tara Zrinski needs to stop chewing gum during exec reports because some view it as disrespectful.   

Trump Makes Himself ... and the USA ... Look Petty

He did it again. At a campaign rally over the weekend, President Donald Trump again managed to make himself, and by implication, the United States, look petty. 

Dejected over his failure to get the Nobel Peace Priize, Trump attacked Norway with remarks like these: "“Frankly, Norway sucks. Norway has become a shithouse country, actually. ... "I didn't get the Nobel Prize. So I don't want anybody from Norway. I don't want anything to do with Norway"

Yes, a spoiled little brat is President of the United States."

Nazareth Area School District to Brooks: Stop Using Nazareth Uniforms in Campaign Ads

In the Pa. 07 Congressional race, Democrat Bob Brooks issued what some call a "cease-and-desist" order over an incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie attack ad characterized by Brooks as defamatory. The ad claims that Brooks had failed to pay workers compensation for his insurance. Brooks denied the accusation and then dropped out of the only scheduled debate between the candidates. The ad continues to run. 

Brooks has received a "cease and desist" order as well. Nazareth Area School District, through its Solicitor, has complained to rooks about a video in which Brooks is wearing the school district's colors and logo and in which he interacts with people wearing what appears like Nazareth High School uniforms. "This imagery, combined with your comments during the advertisement, strongly implies that District and/or the Board have endorsed your candidacy. ... Your advertisement has created confusion in the community and is misleading."

Nazareth Area School District has demanded Brooks to remove the ad immediately.

He's ignored them. 

NorCo Announces Interim Gracedale Administrator

Late yesterday, Northampton County announced an Interim Administrator at Gracedale, now that Michelle Morton has decided to resign. Assistant Nursing Home Administrator Christina Casey (RN, NHA), will serve as Interim Administrator while the county searches for a new administrator.

As of last year, the average salary of a nursing home administrator was $134k.

Pa. House Dems Pour More Than $1 Million Into Warren's Bid to Unseat Emrick

I live in Nazareth, where NorCo Council member Jeff Warren (a Democrat) is trying very hard to unseat incumbent Joe Emrick (a Republican) in Pennsylvania's 137th state house district. This district includes the townships of Bethlehem, Hanover (5th ward), Palmer, Upper and Lower Nazareth, and the boroughs of Nazareth and Tatamy. It is supposedly a purple district, but in recent years, the townships have become more Democratic. I believe this is the most competitive state house race in Northampton County. The cascade of mailers and social media ads indicates that both parties are pouring money into this contest. So far, I have received over 40 pieces of mail in this race alone. On Friday, the final campaign finance reports were due before the election. I was able to see Warren's report on Sunday. Emrick's report is still unavailable on the state website, but I should be able to get it on the state or county site on Monday. Until then, let me tell you about Warren's campaign finances.

The House Democratic Campaign Committee (HDCC) has poured more than $1 million into Jeff Warren's effort to unseat Republican state Rep. Joe Emrick in Pennsylvania's 137th Legislative District, according to Warren's latest campaign finance report. The extraordinary expenditure suggests that House Democrats have identified this Northampton County contest as an important battleground in the November 3 election.

Warren's 75-page Second Friday Pre-Election Report, covering June 9 through October 19, discloses $1,078,837 in in-kind contributions from HDCC, the political organization devoted to electing Democrats to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party provided another $128,324.69 in in-kind assistance. Together, these two Democratic organizations supplied $1,207,161.69 in campaign assistance, accounting for more than 99% of Warren's reported in-kind contributions.

This support dwarfs the $359,078 Warren received in direct monetary contributions during the same reporting period.

Combining cash and in-kind assistance, Warren's campaign reported $1,575,646.77 in contributions between June 9 and October 19. 

That figure does not include a subsequent $11,314.28 contribution from a Massachusetts resident disclosed in an October 20 late-contribution report.

The financial disclosures paint a picture of a legislative race that has attracted resources extending well beyond Northampton County.

### What HDCC's $1 Million Actually Purchased

In-kind contributions are goods or services provided to a political campaign without the campaign itself necessarily paying for them. Here, they are mostly for media. The reported contributions began during the summer with expenditures including $25,000 for media production on July 1 and a series of $8,000 digital media contributions throughout July and August.  They then increased. Individual HDCC entries include $57,500 for media production, $67,385 for linear and digital media, $118,692.50 for media, and three separate contributions of $131,192.50 each for media. 

These in-kind contributions represent approximately 68.5% of Warren's entire $1.576 million in reported monetary and in-kind contributions during this period. For every dollar Warren reported receiving in direct monetary contributions, HDCC supplied approximately $3 in additional campaign assistance. The investment strongly suggests that House Democrats believe Emrick's seat is competitive and worth defending or pursuing with substantial institutional resources.

### Political Committees Dominate Warren's Cash Fundraising

Warren's direct monetary fundraising was also heavily dependent on political organizations. His latest filing identifies $359,078 in monetary contributions, including $241,150 from political committees. That represents approximately 67.2% of all cash contributions received during the reporting period.

The largest disclosed monetary contributor was Philadelphia-based Committee for a Better Tomorrow, which gave Warren $100,000 on August 29. That single contribution represented nearly 28% of his entire monetary fundraising for the reporting period. This committee is made up of Philly-area trial lawyers who oppose attempts to restrict personal injury lawsuits. 

Other major political committee contributors included:

| Contributor | Amount |

|---|---:|

| AFSCME PEOPLE | $25,000 |

| Conservation Voters of PA Action Fund | $25,000 |

| PAC for America's Future | $25,000 |

| PSEA PACE | $15,050 |

| Change PA | $15,000 |

| IBEW Local 375 PAC | $5,000 |

| Climate Cabinet PAC | $5,000 |

| Friends of Matt Bradford | $5,000 |

The contributions reflect substantial support from organized labor, environmental organizations and Democratic political committees. 

AFSCME PEOPLE, PSEA PACE and IBEW Local 375 are among the labor-related political organizations appearing in the filing. 

Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Action Fund and Climate Cabinet PAC represent another identifiable source of support: organizations interested in environmental and climate-related public policy.

### Out-of-State Contributions Are Substantial

Although Warren wants to represent just one Northampton County legislative district, a significant portion of his campaign contributions comes from outside Pennsylvania. At least $131,889.63 in monetary contributions from individuals and political committees listing addresses outside Pennsylvania.

That represents approximately 36.7% of his $359,078 in monetary receipts. Among the significant out-of-state political contributors are AFSCME PEOPLE and PAC for America's Future, both listing Washington, DC, addresses. Each contributed $25,000. Climate Cabinet PAC, Active Ballot Club General Fund, States Win, Vote Save America and Everytown for Gun Safety are among the other organizations listing addresses outside Pennsylvania. Individual contributions also came from California, Texas, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington and several other states.

Obviously, this is no longer simply a campaign financed by residents of the legislative district. It has attracted support from organizations and individuals with interests extending beyond Pennsylvania. 

One of many reforms suggested by readers of this blog has been to bar money from outside the area in which candidates are running. 

### Another $11,314 Arrives After Reporting Deadline

Warren's fundraising has continued after the October 19 closing date of his regular pre-election report. 

A separate 24-hour contribution filing identifies an $11,314.28 contribution from Peter Francis of Marion, Massachusetts, received October 20.

### Warren Spends Heavily, Ends Period With $40,539

Despite the extraordinary resources being directed toward his election, Warren's own campaign reported a relatively modest cash balance at the close of the reporting period. 

He began June 9 with $105,285.85. After receiving $359,078 in additional monetary contributions, his campaign had $464,363.85 available. It spent $423,824.58, leaving $40,539.27 on October 19. The campaign reported no outstanding debts. So Warren spent most of the cash available to him during the reporting period.

### A Campaign That Has Changed Dramatically

Warren's previous campaign finance report showed him entering the summer with $105,285.85 in available cash. Emrick, by comparison, had approximately $140,340 available as of June 8, according to the earlier review of his campaign finances. He had a slight edge. Whether this is still true will be determined when I get to his finances.

### Why This Race Matters

The 137th District contest pits Warren, a Democrat, against Emrick, the Republican incumbent.

The House Democratic Campaign Committee's role is especially noteworthy given the importance of individual legislative seats in determining control of the Pennsylvania House. The organization's investment of more than $1 million in a single candidate suggests that Democratic strategists see an opportunity worth pursuing aggressively.

Whether this influx of money translates into sufficient votes to defeat Emrick will be decided November 3. It certainly should help.

UPDATE: Gracedale's Administrator Resigning

On Friday, I shared part of an email or letter that the state Department of Health sent to Gracedale Administrator Michelle Morton as a result of a visit that week. She was informed that the facility has failed to correct several deficiencies and that if this pattern continues, "the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the state Medicaid agency must deny payments for new admissions. A remedy of a civil money penalty and/or directed in-servicing may be imposed. Additionally, we will recommend that your provider agreement be terminated six months from the enforcement cycle start date. Remedies already imposed for this enforcement cycle remain in effect." [Emphasis added by blogger].

This effectively means that Gracedale would have to close. 

So much for moral obligation. 

How has Morton responded? On Friday, she notified NorCo Council that she is resigning, effective November 14. This has also been confirmed by Executive Tara Zrinski. 

Hopefully, this will spur Zrinski to do what she should have done when she assumed office - get an Administrator who actually knows how to run a nursing home. Listen to people on County Council like Dave Holland, who was part of the administration team at Gracedale that turned a failing nursing home around. 

Gracedale is on the agenda for this week's budget hearing. That should be interesting. 

UPDATED 10:10 AM: One Council member tells me he received no notice of the resignation and was unaware of it until a reader posted here anonymously.  But Executive Zrinski has confirmed that Morton has resigned with three weeks notice. 

Gracedale Warned Feds Will Deny Reimbusement Unless Deficiencies Are Corrected

The following is from a 10/22 letter to Gracedale Administrator Michelle Morton from the state DOH. Any plan of correction submitted by the county should include the termination of its administrator. 

Representatives of the Division of Nursing Care Facilities conducted a Revisit and Abbreviated Survey on October 20, 2026 to determine if your facility meets the requirements to participate in the federal certification program. All references to regulatory requirements contained in this letter are found in Title 42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B, Requirements for Long Term Care, and the 28 Pa. Code.

Based on the findings of this revisit, it was determined that your facility failed to correct the identified deficiencies, whereas continuing and/or new areas of noncompliance with the following participating requirements were identified:

F580 42 CFR §483.10(g)(14) Notification of Changes-New

F689 42 CFR §483.25(d) Accidents – Continuing – D

State Tag 1040 Responsibility of Licensee – New

The enforcement cycle start date is 09/10/2026.

If you do not correct the cited deficiencies within 90 days from the enforcement cycle start date, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the state Medicaid agency must deny payments for new admissions. A remedy of a civil money penalty and/or directed in-servicing may be imposed. Additionally, we will recommend that your provider agreement be terminated six months from the enforcement cycle start date. Remedies already imposed for this enforcement cycle remain in effect. [Emphasis added by blogger].

You must submit your plan of correction electronically. The deficiencies will be available for review and development of your plan of correction on October 23, 2026. This plan must be available for our review on the Department of Health Facility Site at https://sais.health.pa.gov/commonpoc/Login/Login.aspx, by November 1, 2026. If the deficiencies are not available on October 23, 2026, please notify the field office. Failure to submit an acceptable plan of correction within the required time frame may result in the recommendation of the imposition of additional remedies.

Your plan of correction must contain the following:

What corrective action(s) will be accomplished for those residents found to have been affected by the deficient practice?

How will you identify other residents having the potential to be affected by the same deficient practice and what corrective action will be taken?

What measures will be put into place or what system changes will you make to ensure that the deficient practice does not recur? How the corrective action will be monitored to ensure that the deficient practice will not recur; i.e., what quality assurance programs will be established?

Dates of when the corrective action will be completed.

If your plan of correction fails to contain these components for each deficiency cited, it will not be accepted. The specific target dates that you identify for your facility to achieve correction should reasonably reflect your facility's concern for the health and safety of your residents in relation to the deficiencies cited. If we conclude that your date of presumed compliance does not meet these criteria, it will not be accepted. The latest date identified for the completion of corrective actions will be accepted as the facility's allegation of compliance.

If we determine that subsequent to the date of presumed compliance identified by your facility that you have failed to achieve and maintain substantial compliance, additional remedies may be imposed.

Please note that this notice does not constitute formal notice of imposition of alternative remedies or termination of your provider agreement. Should the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determine that termination or any other remedy is warranted, they will provide you with a separate formal notification of that determination.

The remainder of the letter provides informal dispute options. 

Bob Brooks FRAUD Signs Blossom in Pa. 07 Congressional District

Along with chrysanthemums and marigolds, a batch of new political signs are blossoming throughout the Pa. 07 Congressional district. They are "Bob Brooks FRAUD" signs, some of which are planted next to Brooks' own signs. Paid for by the Ryan Mackenzie campaign, the signs contain the web address BobBrooksFraud.com. 

The webpage starts with "Meet the Real Bob Brooks", and asserts he has a "documented history of putting himself and his personal profit before others." It then goes on to list eight verifiable examples, including links

1. "Bob Brooks signed an agreement to pay his family for a property, lied about it in court, was found liable, and ordered to pay back over $130,000.

2. "Despite claiming to stand up for workers, Bob Brooks didn’t carry legally required workers’ compensation insurance for his own employees at the company he owns… for four years. That means Brooks pocketed the savings and his employees got stiffed."

3. "As a union president, Bob Brooks took big extra money for himself at the exact same time he cut the services he was supposed to provide to union members. Once again, more money for Brooks while others got denied."

4. "Bob Brooks lied on official government documents to get himself a $15,000 taxpayer-funded COVID grant. The penalty? Up to 5 years in jail and a $250,000 fine." (Blogger's Note, Brooks actually got $30,000 and appears to have lied twice on two separate applications.)

5. "If you want to know about Bob Brooks’ real character — or lack of it — imagine this: Bob Brooks called volunteer firefighters in our community “shitbags” and “scabs.” That’s people who volunteer to run into burning buildings for all of us."

6. "Bob Brooks has been credibly accused of racism for enforcing a “white-only” membership policy as the Steward (manager) of a local social club."

7. "Bob Brooks says he’ll ban stock trading in Congress. But in his own life Brooks is a millionaire who is getting richer from trading stocks — including in the mega-corporations he says he’s against."

8. "Bob Brooks likes to act like he’s a working-class everyman. The fact is he’s a longtime political insider and registered lobbyist who was hand-picked by the political bosses. Brooks even admits they “called me into a backroom meeting” to be their candidate."

DA Baratta Proposes Early Intercept Program at Jail

During last week's interview with NorCo DA Steve Baratta, he told me he had just completed and submitted a proposal for an early-intervention program at the jail. Tise program would use approximately $400,000 in opioid-related funding, not tax dollars.

Under this program, casweorkers will interview newly admitted inmates during classification to identify defendants whose criminal behavior is primarily the result of substance abuse or ongoing mental health problems.

For appropriate defendants present no public safety risks, Baratta wants to develop treatment plans and bring them before a judge for reconsideration of bail.

For peoplke who sit in jail with drug and mental health problems, and wait for six months to a year to get their case resolved, no one benefits from that," he remarked.

According to a 2018 assessment done by NorCo's health provider at the jail, 72% of inmates either are or were suffering a mental illness. A whopping 23% suffer from severe mental illness with current and acute symptoms.

That's what happens when you close state hospitals. Many of the people who belonged there end up at the jail or Gracedale.

When someone is jailed, the county bears the cost of housing and feeding an inmate. Moreover, incarcerated individuals are generally ineligible for Medicaid coverage, which means the county has to pay for medical expenses.

Baratta added that even though the jail is at half-capacity, it is "in turmoil because they can't manage their operations."They don't have enough corrections officers.

Lafayette Journalist Slams Gracedale Spending at NorCo Budget Hearing While DOH Pays Another Visit

Yesterday, NorCo Council conducted the first of four scheduled budget hearings to review Executive Tara Zrinski's proposed 43.5% tax hike next year. No amendments will be offered until next month, but it's pretty clear that Council is unhappy with Zrinski's spending plan. Several members of the public spoke in opposition as Jeff Ward reports in Lehigh Valley News Briefs. I was particularly struck by comments from Alexa Krabbe, a student journalist at The Lafayette. 

Lafayette's Landis Center provides Gracedale with student volunteers, but she reports that some have become wary as a result of patient safety and staffing issues that were never communicated to them.

We've heard numerous times from Executive Tara Zrinski and Council member Kelly Keegan that Gracedale must be great because they did such a good job of caring for their family members. But just as there is positive anecdotal evidence, there is also the negative. Krabbe stated, "One of the first things that I heard about Gracedale, when I got here, was never sent anybody that you care about to that home, because they will be subject to horrible treatment."

"One in 10 Americans over 60 years old is subject to abuse and mistreatment, and a nursing home that adds to that abuse is not useful in this county," she added. She argued that county tax dollars should be spent on things that actually benefit people.

As she spoke and Council listened, the state Department of Health was wrapping up yet another visit to the home. Hopefully, County Council will be told what's going on this time. From what I'm told, it's more bad news.

Details Emerge for Two of Three Deficiencies at Gracedale in September

Earlier this month, at the first-ever meeting of NorCo Council's Gracedale Oversight Committee, it was learned that the home, which is currently operating with a Provisional II license, was cited by the state Department of Health on September 10 and again on September 24 with three deficiencies. Two of these were "G" level deficiencies, meaning there was actual harm to a resident.

There was little detail about these violations at the meeting, but the September 10 deficiencies are now posted on the Department of Health website. 

The first violation involved a resident with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), traumatic brain injury, and spastic hemiplegia (a neuromuscular condition that causes muscle tightness and involuntary contractions in the limbs and extremities on one side of the body resulting in muscles on one side of the body). He has a swallowing problem and was placed on a special diet of soft food. Direct supervision is required when he eats.

On August 28, he began choking on a meal that was supposed to be pureed. Although he was supposed to be under supervision while eating, another resident slipped him part of a sandwich without notice by a nurse. He began to choke and the Heimlich maneuver failed. The resident had to be laid on his side and was subject to back thrusts until he spit out pieces of the sandwich. He was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that he had acute respiratory failure with hypoxia from aspiration pneumonia. He remained in the hospital for four days.

Gracedale's nursing director admitted that the facility failed to provide adequae supervision.

The second violation occurred on August 22, and involves a resident suffering from ALS. Her medical plan requires that a gait belt be used when she is walking or moving from his wheelchair to a bed. A nurse's aide was assisting this resident in getting from his wheelchair to his bed when the resident began to cry and fall down. The nurse's aide had failed to use the required gait belt, but had the presence of mind to lower herself to the floor with the resident to break the fall and reduce injury. There is no indication that the resident suffered any harm.

Although one of these incidents is a "G" level deficiency, I'd agree that they pale in comparison to some of the other deficiencies found at Gracedale since Michelle Morton has been its Administrator. But deficiencies are still deficiencies, and even Executive Tara Zrinski concedes that the home will be in Provisional status a bit longer than had been hoped.

The details of the third incident are still unavailable for public review.

According to the CMS website, there is no indication that Gracedale was fined over either of these incidents.

Baratta Warns About NVE, a Disturbing New Form of Online Child Exploitation

During last week's interview with NorCo DA Steve Baratta, he warned of a new trend in crime called Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), associated with online networks such as 764. Baratta said his office has encountered several cases involving the online grooming and exploitation of minors. Perpetrators, frequently young males, will manipulate teenage girls into self-harm, sexual exploitation and other disturbing conduct.

He described a recent investigation involving a juvenile male who allegedly persuaded a girl to cut herself, collect her blood, mix it with water and use it to paint a so-called blood wall containing images and slogans.

The girl recorded the activity and transmitted it electronically. The material was intercepted, allowing authorities to identify the juvenile male. Unfortuantely, at the time of the interview, investigators had yet to locate the girl and provide appropriate services.

In December or January, Baratta will begin training local police departments and school districts about this emerging threat, with the help of federal authorities. He wants to educate police, school personnel and children about online grooming, coercion and exploitation.

NorCo Council President Ken Kraft Unilaterally Decides to Stop Executive Reports

NorCo's Home Rule Charter specifically provides that County Council can require periodic reports from the Executive branch. Ron Angle, when he was Council President, suggested to fellow Council members many moons ago that it would be good for them, the administration and the public they serve, to provide an opportunity at every meeting for the county's top official to tell us what's going on. Council agreed. And so, the county executive report was born. It became a feature of every County Council meeting agenda. Until now. County Council President Ken Kraft has unilaterally decided to remove this feature from county council agendas

This tradition lasted through several Executives, starting with John Stoffa. Sometimes they had a lot to say. On other occasions, nothing at all.vs. 

Kraft has the authority as Council President to preside at meetings. By tradition, Council Presidents also set agendas and appoint county council committees. But he has no actual authority to make appointments or set agendas. He is little more than a first among equals. 

After she became Executive, Zrinski took the opportunity to deliver informative reports about what was going on in different county departments. Anyone with an actual interest in county government, instead of county politics, would find these useful. Not Kraft. He preferred that we know as little as possible, and pressured Zrinski to speed things up. When I complained, it was played off as a running joke. 

Not anymore. 

Although Zrinski has continued to provide these updates, she has also spent perhaps a bit more time than she should talking about herself. That's who she is, and she is far from the first politician to have a massive ego. During her report at last week's meeting, she went too far. She directly confronted several audience members who are understandably critical of her planned 43.5% tax hike. She also got emotional and had to choke back tears during the remainder of her report. 

It made her and County Council look bad.  

Kraft seized on that poor display to make a change. In an email sent to County Council members on Friday that has Lamont McClure's fingerprints all over it, Kraft made the unilateral decision to remove the Executive Report from future County Council agendas. "The objective is not to restrict questions or diminish accountability; it is to eliminate an unnecessary standing agenda item while preserving every Commissioner’s ability to obtain the information needed to perform their duties."

This is nonsense. When the county executive exercises the option of reporting on what is happening throughout different departments, she is providing accountability and transparency that also reaches members of the public who have no ability to ask questions of obtain this information any other way. 

This also enables both Council and the public to evaluate the kind of person who is speaking. Is she informative? Knowledgeable about county operations? A little too juvenile? Or instead, is she too pompous? Is she sincere? 

Kraft lacks the authority to do what he did. He is depriving both fellow Council members and the public from an opportunity to see their Exec in action and judge for themselves.  If he hates the idea that it adds 15 minutes to a meeting, he should resign. Hopefully County Council will reverse him at their next meeting. 

Let me tell what I've learned about watching and listening to her. She is working hard and grows more and more familiar with each department. She is a bit too jocular and laughs at the strangest times with very odd facial expressions. She talks a bit too much about herself. But she also has a deep desire to make the county a better place, is empathetic and is certainly sincere. 

We learn a lot from watching the Execs. What did I learn? John Stoffa displayed a deep sense of personal integrity combined with a wry humor. Brown was very knowledgeable about finance but had no empathy and hated saying more than was necessary. McClure by far was the most brilliant of the Execs and was often responsive to members of both Council and the public. He often would focus on one or two matters and sometimes used the Exec report to honor people. He was the first Exec to recognize that this report was a very useful too that combined good politics with good governance. Zrinski should have the same opportunity as other Execs.  

NorCo DA Steve Baratta Concerned About Three Suicides at Jail

During my interview with NorCo DA Steve Baratta last week, he expressed particular concern about the jail. That facility has experienced three inmate suicides in approximately three months, including two in one week. "And they don't call us," noted Baratta. "They don't call Easton police. They don't even call the coroner [except for the last suicide]. They just clean them up, call the EMT and make them go to the hospital with the dead body. And that's how we find out about it." He indicated that law enforcement should alwayus be summoned to investigate and make sure no crimes were committed. "It's part of transparency in government."

He believes part of the problem is the result of a critical shortage of corrections officers. The county has only been able to fill about half of these m[ositions, which leads to mandated overtinme, 16-hour shifts and exhausted guards.

He believes Executive Tara Zrinski is well aware of the problem.

Baratta believes that Zrinski took office with "rose-colored glasses," but is beginning to understand "how overwelming some of the issues are right now."

He acknowledged that the county is at a "low point right now", but adds that Zrinski understands that, and we'll see."

He believes Zrinski was getting bad advice from former Exec Lamont McClure. "I believe he was motivated to have her undertake his problems and shield himself from criticism because once she understands the problem and acts, people turn away from the last administration and say 'Well, now it's your problem, get it done.'"

Baratta believes that Zrinski was led to believe that the county's financial problems were manageable, but no longer has that view.

Congressional Candidate Bob Brooks Cancels Only Debate ith Incumbent Ryan Mackenzie

Bob Brooks, the Democratic nominee in the race for the Pa.-07 Congressional seat, has canceled his one and only debate with incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie. 

During the primary, Brooks received no accolades for his rhetorical skills. Mackenzie, on the other hand, did well in debates with former Congress member Susan Wild. 

The Brooks' campaign decided to drop out as a result of criticism over stealing from his own family, cheating his workers by paying no workmen's compensation insurance and lying on two separate applications for $30,000 in federally funded COVID grants. Brooks has issued a "cease and desist" letter to Mackenzie, which is probably sitting in a trash can right now. 

I suspect there would be two good reasons for Brooks to refuse to debate.

One, he is so far ahead in polling that it makes little sense for him to give any visibility to his opponent. Given that Mackenzie is an incumbent Congressman whose campaign is well-funded, he's already visible.

Two, Brooks will do very poorly. That's the more likely explanation. This is a guy who basically cheated his own family and lied about a judgment they obtained against him when he applied for COVID money. That's pretty sleazy. 

I also am disappointed that anyone who believes in our democratic republic would refuse to let the people see him for what he is, bad or good. 

Zrinski's Proposed 43.5% Tax Hike a Factor in Emrick-Warren State House Race

NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski's proposed 43.5% property tax hike has worked its way into the state house race between incumbent Joe Emrick and challenger Jeff Warren. While I would expect Warren to be part of a blue wave that sweeps Republicans out of office in this year's local races and midterms, Zrinski's unpopular proposal could cost him the election.

Warren, along with Ken Kraft and Kelly Keegan, have thus far been Zrinski's loyal lapdogs, as they were for former Exec Lamont McClure. But loyalty in politics can be very short-lived if it has political consequences. But he now claims that "she blind-sided the community, and she blind-sided county leadership as well, without seeking input or working towards solutions before announcing it."

Zrinski, in fact, has told County Council repeatedly that the tax man cometh. She has also hinted that a reassessment is needed.  

Warren has previously stated that he would be very troubled by a county council that provides "oversight," although they, and not Zrinski, are actually the governing body. 

What has happened is precisely what can be expected when Council members like Warren abdicate their responsibility. His failure to provide that oversight is precisely why Zrinski, and McClure before her, felt they could operate with impunity. 

Warren has said on his Facebook page that he opposes Zrinski's 43% tax hike. "When Executive Zrinski brushes this off as just $25 more a month, it does show how out of touch she is with household budgets."

There have been 30 mailers in this state house race, and most are garbage. But this one will hurt. 

Former NorCo Exec Defends His No-Tax-Hike Budgets, Justifies Kicking Can Down the Road

As most of you know, NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski has proposed raising property taxes by 43.5%. County Council will never agree. Even her closest allies there have distanced themselves from a very unpopular spending plan. At last week's Council meeting, she nearly broke down in tears as she tried to justify it to an unpersuadable public. Partisan Republicans are opposed to any hike at all, even if it means drastic cuts in services. But more open-minded Republicans and many others would agree with her goals. Employees are paid far too little, and that needs to change, especially in the county's 24/7 operations. The county needs to keep its retirement accounts funded. Its rainy-day fund is depleted. Necessary repairs to county infrastructure have been deferred. Even the county's commitment to open space to the tune of $3 million a year was shortchanged in the last budget. Without naming names, Zrinski has laid the blame for this financial morass on former Executive Lamont McClure. In a recent Facebook post, he explains why he never sought and actually reduced taxes.  I'll post what he says, and tomorrow, I'll give you the perspective of District Attorney Steve Baratta and his fractious relationship with McClure

The recent news that my successor as County Executive has proposed raising real estate property taxes an astonishing 43% has caused a furor. It’s also raised several questions in the minds of citizens about the decisions we made over the last 8 years. In this and other mediums, I will try and answer the most common and salient questions I get asked. The first one I will tackle is why didn’t we incrementally raise taxes over the years to avoid a huge increase in one year ? (This is long and you may need to take a nap while reading, and if you’re not from Northampton County, you may want to use it to combat insomnia, but here we go.)

First, I disagree that a 43% increase this year is necessary or warranted. But, that’s a different post. I’m only going to discuss the 7 no tax increase budgets in this post as the 2022 tax cut deserves its own treatment.

Second, the last 8 years were dominated by the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. The economy was crushed when the Country shut down, and after the attempts at rescuing the economy supercharged inflation it would have been economically counterproductive and overly burdensome to place an additional property tax obligation on our taxpayers.

Third, in order to attempt to rescue the economy the Congress, during the first Trump Administration passed The Cares Act, and during the Biden Administration it passed The American Rescue Plan. Northampton County directly received $63,000,000.00 from these two Acts of Congress. Gracedale received many millions more directly as did Emergency Management and the Area Agency on Aging. Northampton County received tens of millions of dollars in aid and it would have been immoral to raise taxes while that money was coming into the coffers. (An approximate total of 90 million dollars.)

Fourth, when I took office, Northampton County was normally keeping surpluses of 60-100 million dollars per year. There was no need to raise taxes just to keep citizens money sitting in our bank accounts. I’ll talk more about this when I discuss the 2022 tax cut. Fifth, philosophically during my time on County Council and as County Executive, I came to view the real estate property tax as regressive. This is ironic in that when the property tax was conceived it was the ultimate progressive tax, however, after WWII and the GI Bill, home ownership was democratized and now the people being asked to bear a great burden are middle class seniors on a fixed income.

Sixth, while I’m a Democrat, I also found myself in the context of the property tax, and the way Northampton County had budgeted for so long, to be an avowed tax cutter. While on County Council I tried to cut the millage rate 5 or 6 times, and by now you know what I did in 2022. Seventh, I ran in 2017 for County Executive promising not to raise property taxes, and I won convincingly. When I ran for re-election in 2021, I promised not to raise property taxes. I kept my promises to people of Northampton County.

Eighth, during all 8 of our years we never had to cut any core or vital services such that we would have needed a tax increase. In fact, we expanded services.

Ninth, the politics of taxes are very tricky anywhere, but especially for Democrats in one of the most Purple counties in the Country. I was personally involved in two elections where we wrested control from the Republicans, and both times it was because they had raised taxes. The first time was in 2005 when we took the County Council majority as the Republicans raised taxes 64%. The second was when I defeated John Brown in 2017 after he and his Republican Council majority raised taxes by 1 mil.

Tenth, I take full responsibility for the 8 budgets that I proposed and passed. I’m quite proud of my record, but it’s worth noting that our 9 member County Council is the Governing Body of Northampton County. Only County Council can establish the millage rate. At any time, during those 8 budgets, any 6 members of County Council could have raised taxes “incrementally.” They would have needed 6 because I would have vetoed it, but I digress. Only once during the 11th hour of the 8th budget did any member [former Council member Ron Heckman] propose raising taxes even 1 mil. That motion died for failure of a second.

In his 10-point manifesto, McClure fails to address the poor morale and turnover, his refusal to fully fund open space and the sub-par salaries paid to county employees. Whether he likes it or not, he certainly appears to have balanced budgets on the backs of county workers. His philosophical objection to property tax is no justification for treating workers like shit. 

Zrinski has clearly gone too far, but her goal of providing a decent wage is something that must be pursued.   

UPDATE: Zrinski Frustrated by Public Criticism of 2027 Budget

In a rather disappointing Facebook Live, NorCo Executive Tara Zrionski unveiled her 2027 spending plan on October 2. She proposed a roughly 43.5% increase in property taxes, increasing the millage rate from 10.5 to about 15.6 mills. Instead of recognizing the heavy burden she hopes to impose on property owners. she displayed a jocular attitude with stray tangents and inappropriate laughter. She even arrived late although she said, "Nothing happens without me." If she expected the public to laugh along with her, she was wrong. Social media exploded with indignation. That anger continued at last night's first meeting of County Council since she released her budget. 

Her own Administrator and Joe Welsh, Zrinski's head cheerleader, spoke in support of the spending plan. Everyone else was angry. Some speakers who know little about county government or any government, for that matter, made County Council their whipping boys. But most members of the public pointed directly at Zrinski. When it was her turn to speak, she did the same thing she did during the Gracedale Oversight Committee hearing. She got emotional and confrontational. Perhaps a bit too emotional. At times, she appeared to be beating back tears. 

Though she thanked people for coming, she was clearly frustrated and surprisingly unprepared for criticism suggesting that she did not understand or appreciate the burden her proposal would impose on taxpayers.

"You can tell me that I don't. And that's fine because you have already decided what you believe about me and this budget," she stated.

She then rather condescendingly urged residents to go home, obtain the proposed budget from the county website and examine it themselves. She also challenged residents to identify specific spending reductions they would support.

"You tell me which employees should not get raises. You tell me which services we should cut. You tell me what part of Gracedale should I sell? Should I burn down the prison?"

Instead of addressing County Council, which is the point of an Executive Report, Zrinski instead faced the public and began to argue. She was asked several times to speak into the microphone.  "Don't tell me to stop, she said at one point, though she later started using the mike.  

"It is very difficult to hear all of these comments at once," she declared. They are the same comments that have been appearing day after day on the county's Facebook page.  She also told those present that she appreciated their contributions and wanted them to understand that she was listening.

She characterized the 2027 budget as an effort to fulfill the county's responsibilities to employees, retirees and residents while addressing long-neglected infrastructure needs.

She identified four principal priorities:

- Providing adequate compensation and support for county employees.

- Maintaining services upon which county residents depend.

- Repairing county facilities whose maintenance has been deferred.

- Honoring commitments made to employees, retirees and the public.

Zrinski acknowledged that her proposed budget would be difficult for taxpayers to accept.

I will also be difficult for County Council to accept. They are no doubt sharpening their budget knives. 

UPDATE: There may be a lag between you submitting comments and me being able to publish. I am headed to Philly foir the annual Philly Bike Ride, which I love to do every year. On Sunday, my grandson and I are goingh to see the Eagles, thanks to his girlfriend, who got him tickets for his birthday. I won't be back 'till late Sunday.

Let me add here that Zrinski's public response to the Grand Jury report, her poor presentation of the budget during a Facebook Live, have all been far more emotional than I usually see. But I do believe, and many of you agree, that she wants to do the right thing by everyone and has a big heart. She has had a lot of cheerleaders so it's good for her to hear some criticism, even if some of it is unfair.

I agree completely that a tax hike is needed. Any of you who fail to see this are wrong. Talk to former and current Council members. Talk to her. We have to be able to pay people more money. In the end, that is what this about. It is time to stop balancing the budget on the backs of the hard workers, and yes, they do work hard.

NorCo DA Steve Baratta "Inclined" to Seek Second Term

Yesterday, I sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Northampton County DA Steve Baratta. I had a lot of questions, and he had plenty of answers. What has he accomplished in his first term as the county's chief prosecutor?  What kind of criminal activity is trending? What are his thoughts about three recent suicides at the jail? What can he do to help inmates who might be better off elsewhere? What's his assessment of Executive Tara Zrinski? (He is much kinder to her than you might think). What does his office need? Most importantly, is he going to seek a second term? I'll be providing a detailed account of what he said in postings next week. For now, I'll tell you that he's likely to seek a second term. 

"My wife doesn't want me to run," he confessed. But he later said, "I think I am inclined right now. One more term, I think. I'm not old. I have a lot of energy. I still want to work."

He said it's too early for him to leave. "I want to be more involved in community outreach. If I'm going to leave, I'm going to leave a legacy or a footprint for the next DA to understand what is needed right now, and to have an infrastructure to continue."

Baratta has devoted his entire career to the county in various roles - assistant county solicitor, First Assistant DA, President Judge and now, as District Attorney. 

I will support him if he runs. After you read what he says about the various serious issues he's confronting, you will, too.  

Embattled NorCo Court Administrator Now Faces Felony Charge

In September, Lehigh Valley Live reported that Northampton County's Court Administrator Jermaine Greene was the subject of a temporary Protection from Abuse Order (PFA) based on allegations by his wife that he soaked his wife's clothing in gasoline, broke her rib and threatened to kill her. 

A temporary PFA is based on allegations alone. But Greene was charged by Pennsylvania State Police with criminal mischief as a summary offense based on his wife's allegation that he soaked her clothing in gasoline on August 22, I posted a story.  Now it's time for another. 

Greene has been charged again by Pennsylvania State Police, but now it's a felony. He's been charged both with burglary, a second-degree felony, and harassment as a summary offence based on a new incident occurring on September 4. 

Under Pennsylvania law, "A person commits the offense of burglary if, with the intent to commit a crime therein, the person: ... enters a building or occupied structure, or separately secured or occupied portion thereof that is adapted for overnight accommodations in which at the time of the offense any person is present."

In addition, the temporary PFA is now permanent, meaning he's barred from contacting his wife for three years. 

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for November 18, 10 am, before Magisterial District Judge Jamie Levy in Monroe County. 

A second-degree felony charge is a serious accusation in Pa. It carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $25,000.   

The courts have previously declined comment but it's abundantly clear that Greene's career is over. Judges are reportedly looking for a new court administrator.  

Gracedale By the Numbers

I've written three times about last week's Gracedale's Oversight Committee meeting. Continuum of Care Director Tom Carson has told NorCo Council established that an operational assessment they obtained in 2023 has been largely ignored by a former county executive who opposed it. We learned that the county's CNA training program was actually stopped by the state Department of Health. We also discovered that Gracedale, currently operating with a provisional II license, had two G-level deficiencies (actual harm) in September and failed to inform County Council. Most astonishingly, the very matter that led to an investigating grand jury had still been unresolved. There still is no formal protocol between Upper Nazareth police and Gracedale on 911 calls despite several attempts by the police to establish one. I'll finish my reporting about this meeting with some of the facts presented by Administrator Michelle Morton.

Employment Hires & Separations. - From January through August, Gracedale had 78 new hires, but lost 59. 

Open AFSCME positions (incorrectly spelled as AFCME) in Morton's report - In Dining, there are 43 positions, of which 23 are staffed. In Housekeeping, there are 54 staffed positions, of which 16 are open. In nursing there are openings for 319 CNAs, with only 69 positions staffed. There are 51 LPN positions staffed, with another 134 unfilled.  

Why did Executive Tara Zrinski raise the salaries of front-line workers before the nursing supervisors. She said the union actually asked her to raise the wages of nursing supervisors first. She added that the large number of open positions "will get better if you throw money at it." 

There are many dedicated employees, including 11 people with 30-35 years at the home. 

What about RNs? Morton failed to provide that information. 

Admissions. - Gracedale has had only 48 admissions this year through July. Over that same period, 56 residents have left. Average daily census dropped from 493 in January to 463 in August. 

Finances  - Gracedale is projected to lose about $2.3 million in 2026 according to one slide, but in another the loss is about $1 million. 

NorCo Council Needs to Adopt Rules Concerning Social Media Use

Northampton County employs a full-time communications director who periodically provides informational posts about what is happening in the county, like the need for a few more elections workers or drop box locations. But increasingly, the person paid by taxpayers is using a governmental social media platform to instead promote both the county executive as well as her agenda. This needs to change and the best way for that to happen is by having County Council adopt a social policy ordinance to prevent elected officials from self-promotion or advocacy on issues that have yet to be endorsed by the governing body. It should never be used to promote a private business. Both of these happened on Sunday. 

In a Facebook post, the "County of Northampton" on Sunday posted a message that promotes Executive Tara Zrinski's proposed tax hike with the argument that seniors and the disabled can apply to the state for a rebate. This leaves the realm of information and goes into advocacy to promote a tax hike that has yet to be adopted by the governing body. If the County Exec wishes to engage in advocacy or self-promotion, she should do so from her own Facebook page and use her own resources, not a communications director employed by the county. 

Even more disturbing than the position advocacy or self-promotion, the county's official Facebook page was also used to promote a real estate agent who could "help" you determine what your home is worth. This real estate agent then misrepresents that there is only one county hearing on Zrinski's proposed tax hike. "Just reach out to me, I'm your neighbor. .... If you're a homeowner in Northampton County, I'm here to help," says the real estate agent. 

There will actually be five budget hearings before adoption, rejection or amendment of the Proposed 2027 budget. They will happen on October 21, 2026, October 28, 2026, November 4, 2026, and November 18, 2026 and December 3, 2026. All the October and November meetings will be at 4:30 p.m. The December 3 meeting will start at 6:30 pm.

County Council's social media policy ordinance should bar the use of a government page from promoting elected officials or advocating issues that have yet to be decided by the governmental body. It should be used instead to share useful information about the county and its departments. 

Are We Going to Cheapen Humanity by Livestreaming Executions?

Though I'm an old fart who's seen many things, I've never actually witnessed the violent death of another human being. I've seen its immediate aftermath a few times. It stays with you forever. I remember going with my father for some reason to the south side Bethlehem home of a man who killed his son in a rage. Blood was everywhere, along with cockroaches crawling up and down walls and along the floor as women wailed. It stays with you. It changes you. It is why I believe most combat veterans are so unwilling to discuss their experience. It changes the murderer, too. I've seen it in their eyes, if I look long enough. The warm light of humanity flickers and then is gone. What's left is death.

As I'm sure most of you know, the US military plans to livestream the firing squad execution of a mass murderer who himself was an Army psychiatrist. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended this, saying it is a way to restore American values. I believe it erodes them and debases us, not just as Americans, but as human beings. 

Hopefully, President Donald Trump will stop this madness. I'm not holding my breath. 

A 2023 Operational Assessment of Gracedale, Paid for By Taxpayers, Collected Dust for Three Years

Northampton County Council's Wednesday discussion with Continuum of Care Director Thomas Carson and Gracedale Administrator Michelle Morton included a detailed discussion of the 2023 Affinity operational assessment. at Gracedale. 

This report was ordered by a previous County Council over former Executive Lamont McClure's veto. Council thought it would be helpful to have some "outside lens" on Gracedale. Tara Zrinski, then a Council member, supported McClure's veto. 

This outside performance audit has pretty much been collecting dust since that time. After Michelle Morton was hired as Administrator in March 2025, it was never provided to her. She told County Council on November 9, 2025, that she had yet to see this report. When she testified before the Investigating Grand Jury on December 30, 2025, she still had failed to read it. 

Carson has. 

He told Council it produces a remarkably candid picture of the problems facing Gracedale. This raises questions about why many of the report's recommendations were not addressed sooner. Carson suggested Gracedale use the 2023 Affinity report as a blueprint and give current management time to implement its recommendations. He noted many of its findings and recommendations are the same issues he has been reporting to now County Executive Tara Zrinski.

Carson plans to meet with Gracedale's administration and nursing leadership and go through the Affinity report line by line to determine what needs to be done. "I'm not going to stand here before this committee and suggest everything is fine when the facts tell us otherwise," he declared. But he also stressed that Gracedale's problems are only a part of "the entire story." He has met employees who have devoted years and even decades to Gracedale and remain deeply committed to its residents.

Carson said employees want leadership that listens, communicates, holds people accountable and is present. His commitment to Council was straightforward: "I will tell you what I know, I will tell you what we are doing about it, and I will be accountable for the results."

Affinity findings that Gracedale had no referral tracking system, was poorly marketing itself and had no formal daily "standout" or shift-turnover meetings, have remained poorly addressed. But the most striking part of Carson's presentation involves employee morale.

The Affinity report said employees felt demoralized by negative media coverage and the frequent public discussion of Gracedale's problems. Carson said that finding remains relevant. He mentioned one employee had told him that she covers the Gracedale logo on her sweatshirt when leaving the facility because she is embarrassed to be identified with Gracedale.

WAGES AND AGENCY STAFFING

Affinity found that Gracedale's wages were noncompetitive. Three years later, that is still the case. Carson said some employees struggle to make ends meet, feel forgotten by the county, and many leave for higher-paying jobs. He described compensation as a "critical" problem.

Carson said the recent increase in nursing-supervisor pay was a step in the right direction and that paying all nursing staff more could result in the elimination of agency nursing. The Affinity report said Gracedale spent approximately $11.3 million on agency staffing in 2022. Now it's roughly twice that amount.

In one positive note, nine people were beginning new-hire orientation last week, the largest number Carson has seen since he arrived a few weeks ago. 

Only one is a nursing supervisor, but Carson "hopes" at least 90% of the supervisor positions are filled by the first quarter of 2027. 

WHY WAS THE 2023 REPORT SHELVED?

Council member Dave Holland asked Carson perhaps the most important question of the evening: Why was Council only discussing a taxpayer-funded 2023 report in October 2026 when it contained apparently relevant concerns?

Carson was unable to answer because he was not at Gracedale in 2023 and could only speculate that someone the report was unneeded.

AGENCY CONTRACT AND RATES

Council member Nadeem Qayyum had questions about the disparity between county and agency hourly rates.

Examples cited during the meeting included:

CNA: $17.88 county versus $36.40 agency.

LPN: $25.50 county versus $53.20 agency.

RN: $32.60 county versus $84 agency.

Morton acknowledged that agency rates are substantially higher.

THE CNA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS STOPPED BY DOH

Council member Lori Vargo Heffner asked what happened to a CNA training program that had once been used to recruit workers. Morton said originally that the program had been placed on hold because too many people were using it to obtain their CNA training and then leaving for jobs elsewhere. She later told the truth, admitting that the state DOH actually removed Gracedale's training certificate as a result of deficiencies, meaning the facility currently is unable to operate the CNA training program. 

Vargo Heffner asked whether Gracedale could require trainees to remain employed for a certain period or repay training costs if they leave. Morton said Pennsylvania law prevents the county from simply imposing such a requirement. She was asked to send the legal authority to Council's Solicitor for review. 

In effect, Gracedale was spending money and staff time training people who were not necessarily staying at Gracedale.

Morton also said Gracedale's population has changed. Whereas the facility had historically been more heavily geriatric, it now has many more residents with mental-health issues and associated behavioral challenges.

Management decided that staff-development resources would be better spent providing additional training to existing employees.

There was also a second problem: following an abuse incident last July, the Department of Health removed Gracedale's training certificate, meaning the facility currently cannot operate the CNA training program.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS 

Though Carson appeared sincere, he was hesitant and neither he nor Administrator Micheelle Morton were able to answer fully at least seven substantive questions or information requests.

1. How many Gracedale employees are covered by union contracts?

2. How many union positions are filled and how many are vacant?

3. How many employees are outside the union?

4. The biggest unanswered question was posed by Council member Jason Bouletter. How many county-employed nurses are required to operate a 450-bed Gracedale without agency nurses? - Both Carson and Morton looked like deer caught in the headlights when asked a pretty important financial and resident care question.

5. What were the exact dates of the three new Department of Health citations?

6. When will the agency contract receive a formal audit, and what would that audit show?

7. Why were the recommendations in the 2023 Affinity report not fully implemented before 2026?

There were also several questions that initially received incomplete answers and required Council members to press for clarification, particularly concerning agency staffing, the formal shift-change meetings and the CNA training program.

THE BIGGER ISSUE

The testimony creates an interesting paradox.

Carson and Morton both essentially agreed that the Affinity report identified legitimate problems. They also agreed that many of those problems are still relevant. What's troubling is that several problems identified in 2023 — referral tracking, marketing, employee morale, communication, accountability and staffing — remain issues three years later.

And the biggest unanswered question may be the one Carson was asked directly: Why did a taxpayer-funded report identifying these problems in 2023 apparently sit without being fully implemented until the current administration began addressing them?

Carson's answer was essentially that he was employed elsewhere and hence was unable to explain what happened. Morton's explanation was that current management independently identified many of the same issues and has been working on them since she arrived.

That leaves an important accountability question for County Council: Who was responsible for implementing the Affinity recommendations between 2023 and the arrival of the current Gracedale leadership, and why were so many of them still outstanding three years later?

Two words. Lamont McClure. He bristled at the notion of an operational assessment and simply ignored it. 

(More to come on Monday).