Gloria Hamm: Don't Forget About Human Services

A R.N. by training and education, Gloria Hamm served in her last meeting as Lehigh County Commissioner on Wednesday night. She was defeated in a Republican sweep of Comissioner seats in November. Instead of speaking about herself, she made a plea for human services. "I just hope that the next person in charge of Human Services is as passionate and concerned about the topics in Human Service, and makes an effort to see that that part of the population - which is currently underserved - will at least be keeping their heads above water."

Meet LC Comm'r Gloria Hamm

I'm speaking with Gloria Hamm. She's currently a LC Comm'r. She did pretty well in the last election as I recall. You got a lot of votes. Were you the high vote getter or the second highest?

Gloria: "What are you talking about, the Primary or the General?"

The General.

Gloria: "Second highest. Dean Brownng beat me by about 200 votes."

That dirty rat, that dirty rat. Well, you're a LC Comm'r and you're running again. Why should the voters elect you as opposed to your Republican counterparts. What makes you stand out?

Gloria: "My health care background has helped".

You're an R.N.

Gloria: "I'm a R.N. I worked for 31 years at LV Hospital. With my health care background, I have a Master's in Health Administration. So that has helped me explain to some of my fellow Comm'rs when Cedarbrook issues come up and we have to vote on it.

"I'm also chair of the Human Services Committee, and that includes the aging population, Children & Youth, Mental Health, veterans. It's a wide assortment -"

It's gotta' be what, about 40% of the County's budget, somewhere in that area?

Gloria: "It's higher than that. I think it's in the 60s.

60%? Wow!

Gloria: "But a lot of it is pass through money. So it's not real accurate.

But aren't the monies, the pass-through monies, going down?

Gloria: "Yes."

From the state and the feds?

Gloria: "Yes."

That poses a burden on the County Human Services and on the people who work in Children & Youth, etc., and you have to deal with that, right?

Gloria: "Right. If you refer to the budget that's currently - I think we have one more reading and then we vote on it - and in that we are outsourcing some of the caseworkers in Children & Youth."

That's controversial, isn't it?

Gloria: "It's controversial to some of the parents. But some of the parents have been assured that their caseworker will stay and keep them as clients, even though they're going to be with a different organization who's actually paying them and taking care of their benefits.

"Everything I've seen, it seems like a good idea in that the County workers are keeping the same salary, pension, all that. And the patients will still get their caseworker.

You're going to the People's Republic of Nrthampton County tonight, aren't you?

Gloria: "Yeah."

Where's your armor? You don't have any armor on? You're gonna' be facing the Evil Ron Angle, among other people. Where's your armor?

Gloria: "I have other meetings to go to before that, so I might surprise you."

Blogger's Note: Gloria bravely  faced Angle later that night with no armor.