Thomas O'Donnell is one of eight Democrats running for five at-large seats on Northampton County Council. A former Chair of Lower Nazareth's Supervisors, he was fired as a state auditor in 1988 for conducting Township business on the state's dime. He appealed that ruling, and it's unclear to me how that matter ended. He was an unsuccessful County Council candidate in 2001. In a recent speech to Easton area Democrats (see video here), O'Donnell mentioned repeatedly that he is a "certified fraud examiner". In other words, like our Controller, he's not an accountant.
O'Donnell accused Gracedale's private Administrator, Premiere Healthcare Resources, of a conflict of interest in recommending Lifestar over Nazareth Ambulance as the nonemergency medical transport carrier for the nursing home. This is because Premiere uses Lifestar at one or two of its other nursing homes.
O'Donnell should know better. All this means is that Premiere knows Lifestar, just as it knows Nazareth. There is no evdence of any pecuniary gain whatsoever. Under his twisted logic, if I can call it that, it would be a conflict of interest to continue with Nazareth Ambulance, too, because that's who currently serves Gracedale. As a supposed fraud examiner, I'd have to ask, where's the fraud.
His accusation is reckless.
O'Donnell also claims that Council meetings "are biased in favor of the administration at the expense of the taxpayer." That should be news to Executive John Stoffa.
I believe we can do better than this guy.
