Dear Editor:

The Orleans County Legislature has a habit of secrecy, elitism and disdain for truth. Why, for example, are the exaggerated losses of Our County Nursing Home put on our January tax bills when other non-mandated services are not? We get inflated, unknowable numbers for one service and nothing for others. For 2011, the actual loss was, perhaps, one-sixth of what was tossed out there in January of that year.

The Legislature Chairman decided long ago that he knows what is best for Orleans County. He thought he knew in 2004 and 2005 and was quite wrong on both sliding scale senior property tax relief and the Nursing Home renovation. When his consultants told him in June 2011 that “The Villages” was doing relatively well, he cut them off in a public meeting, saying, “We don’t need to hear that.” In 2013, he and a couple of others were able to sweep aside veteran legislator George Bower’s objections to selling “The Villages of Orleans” (Our Orleans County Nursing Home).

Not one to be confused by information, the Chairman of the Legislature disdained the comments of all but one speaker at the February public hearing and plowed ahead with a vote to set up an LDC to sell “The Villages.”

How can the Legislature’s decision to set up an LDC be anything but arbitrary and capricious under such circumstances? Are public hearings merely something to be endured because six people know more that 42,000? No referendum was offered on the sale, though an elected body was transferring a significant amount of authority to a non-elected body. Is that okay because democracy is irrelevant in Orleans County?

A few years ago Genesee County had CGR (The Center for Governmental Research) do a study on the feasibility of continued county operation of its County Nursing Home. CGR, a non-partisan, 501 (c) 3, public interest advocacy group, offered specific suggestions for improving the bottom line. It recommended Genesee County not sell its Nursing Home, though it has recommended several others should be sold.

Why hasn’t a CGR study been done of “The Villages?” What is the Chairman afraid a widely respected, non-partisan, public interest advocacy group would find out? Why so much secrecy? Perhaps when you are certain what should be done, unloading a 180-year-old responsibility and priceless asset requires only the facts you choose.

Is it conceivable CGR might even recommend that “The Villages” not be sold? Due diligence? What is that? After deciding in advance of any real study, bringing in CGR might have been really embarrassing.

Supporters of the sale of Our County Nursing Home should consider all the facts.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent
Albion

(Mr. Kent is a Democrat-endorsed candidate for the County Legislature.)

Editor:

With the State Assembly in session from the beginning of January to the end of June, it’s hard to believe that any stone could go unturned. Unfortunately, due to the misplaced priorities of the Assembly Majority, the legislature failed to address a number of critical topics facing our families and job creators in 2013. In fact, the Assembly left Albany with so much unfinished business that I believe we should return to the Capitol for a special session as soon as possible.

Perhaps the most dismal failure of the 2013 Legislative Session was the Assembly’s inability to pass nine critical pieces of legislation in support of women. While the Senate passed individual pieces of legislation that would combat human trafficking, expand protections for victims of domestic violence and prevent housing discrimination, the Assembly chose to play politics with a controversial catch-all bill that prevented the nine widely-supported measures from becoming law. This was a major disappointment for women, who deserve the basic protections and support passed by the Senate. These bills would easily pass the Assembly if voted on individually, and that alone is reason enough to call the chamber into special session.

However, the disappointment in the 2013 session didn’t end there. Job creators took a hit as a significant anti-business cost-driver survived session. A provision passed in 2011 forces businesses to issue a written statement to their employees informing them of their pay level every year, even if their pay, already required to be printed on individual paychecks, hasn’t changed. The state is literally forcing private businesses to waste supplies and manpower to remind their employees how much money they make, even though it’s written out for them every single payday. This is the kind of illogical, job-killing overregulation that earns New York its anti-business reputation, and it needs to be repealed immediately.

Taxpayers were negatively impacted by the 2013 session as well. A hidden fee on utility bills, set to expire in 2014, was extended for four years, costing families and businesses $1.7 billion. I advanced a budget amendment to undo this disastrous extension and have sponsored a bill to repeal the surcharge with bipartisan support since the fee was created in 2009. A special session agenda should include an immediate repeal of this fee, as well as address the continuing problem of unfunded mandates, which drive local taxes through the roof and rob our communities of power over our own finances and programs.

It shouldn’t take six full months for the Assembly to pass legislation supporting women, businesses and taxpayers, but this year’s session left too much unfinished business to wait until 2014 to reconvene. The Assembly must return to the Capitol and finish the people’s business as soon as possible. Anything less is a failure for all New Yorkers.

Steve Hawley
State Assemblyman
District 139

Dear Editor:

The Concerned Citizens of Orleans County thank Legislator Lynne Johnson for engaging in some dialogue on the Orleans County Nursing Home. She is doing what they all should be, as being challenged helps everyone to clarify thoughts and positions.

Lynne chastised me for creating my own facts. All of us choose certain facts to make our cases and choose to ignore others. Chairman Callard uses numbers given him by his paid consultants to scare people into selling Our Nursing Home. The only thing factual about them is that they are actual guesses that have been made to make sure everyone is “covered.” That is a fact. It is also a fact that County leaders treat them like “gospel” when they know better.

Our “old” information on Medicare funding came from an eyewitness at the LDC Board meeting on May 15, 2013 . We stand by it.

The state comptroller knew exactly what he was talking about when he told a group of 30-some people in late May that state retirement system contributions would decline next year.

According to experts at the same meeting with the comptroller in Batavia, The Affordable Care Act is expected to reduce the cost of municipal employee health insurance. With its implementation, the cost should be less than it would be without it. That benefits taxpayers and would cut projected losses.

When the C.A.O. and I discussed “A” and “B” wing renovation in early 2008, a seven-figure price tag never came up. Using the Orleans Correctional work crew did. But we never got on their schedule, even though I offered to take care of it. The same Buildings and Grounds employees who renovated The Board of Elections offices could have been utilized to renovate the rest of the dilapidated space. We had a talented Highway Superintendent who could have helped, as he had on the 2006-2007 Nursing Home project. About a year after my discussions with the C.A.O., “stimulus” dollars became part of the mix, and the state changed its position on resolving our county jail issues. The time was right.

We stand by our view that renovation of “A” and “B” wings should have been seriously considered, costed out, and voted on.

At this point, County leaders have responded to a tiny fraction of our “facts.” We have done our best to address all of their “facts.” Once this mistake is made, there will be no “do-overs.”

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent
Albion

(Kent is a former county legislator who is seeking election in November for a county-wide legislator position.)

The Village of Albion wishes to express sincere appreciation and thanks to organizers of successful special events that have brought enjoyment and pride to our community this spring and summer.

These include: Rotary Club for Strawberry Festival, Albion Main Street Alliance for Theatre on Main Street, Tonawanda Indian Baptist Church for the July 6 fireworks, and organizers of the Eastman at Albion Courthouse Square Concert Series.

Thank you and please keep up the great work!

Mayor Dean Theodorakos and members of the Albion Village Board
Kevin Sheehan
Fred Miller
Eileen Banker
Peter Sidari

Editor:

This is a response to Gary Kent’s letter regarding “inconvenient truths,” which all happen to be inconveniently (for Gary) false.  (Click here to see Kent’s letter.)

It has not been unusual for Gary to make false assertions in his letters to the editor throughout the public discourse relative to the nursing home.  However, some of the items on this list are so blatantly false and the items on it are referred to as “truth” it calls for a response.

Mr. Kent states: County retirement contributions are due to fall in March 2014.

This is false.  Retirement contributions for 2014 as projected by the New York State Division of Budget (note: not a county consultant) are going up once again in 2014.  At one point Mr. Kent went so far as to state that the retirement contributions would return to pre-recession levels in 2014.  The New York State Comptroller’s Office (note: also not a county consultant) now uses long-term actuarial projections that are higher than pre-recession contribution levels meaning the employer contributions may in fact never reach pre-recession levels.

Mr. Kent states: County employee health insurance should be less burdensome under the Affordable Care Act.

This is false.  In fact the IRS (note: not a county consultant) just decided to delay implementation of some aspects of the Affordable Care Act due to the complexity of compliance and reporting requirements for businesses with more than 50 employees, which includes the county.  If Mr. Kent is claiming that health insurance will cost the county less, this also appears to be false. Just the new fees required by the Affordable Care Act will cost county taxpayers in the neighborhood of $150,000 in 2014.

Mr. Kent states: Making a “business” decision to upgrade the old “A” and “B” wings could improve our bottom line.

This is so vague that it is difficult to even respond.  What we do know is that to make marketable rental space that will be able to compete with private sector space already available will likely require a seven-figure investment.  Are you suggesting that the county should invest millions in taxpayer dollars upgrading the empty space for rental, speculating that it will generate enough revenue to not only cover the investment but also significantly change the financial outlook for the home?  It’s risky to assume that any revenue generated will cover the investment let alone have a significant impact on the bottom line of the nursing home.

Mr. Kent states: County consultants have told our leaders that Medicare reimbursement should be stable for the next four years.

This was actually true at one time, but is now extremely outdated.  Mr. Kent is quoting a study that predates final rate rebasing and the Affordable Care Act’s $716 Billion in cuts to the Medicare program.

The 2013 report by the Medicare Trust Fund Board of Trustees (note: not a county consultant) issued in May of this year states: “the “Affordable Care Act” or ACA, contains roughly 165 provisions affecting the Medicare program by reducing costs

The Board assumes that the various cost-reduction measuresthe most important of which are the reductions in the annual payment rate updates for most categories of Medicare providers will occur as the Affordable Care Act requires.”

This would include Nursing Homes.

I don’t believe that Mr. Kent is intentionally misleading you.  I just believe that he doesn’t have a firm grasp on the facts.

Mr. Kent, please stop representing your theories as facts.  It’s okay to disagree.  It’s okay to voice your opinion.  However, portraying yourself as a subject matter expert when you are clearly not very well informed does the community a disservice.  It does those that trust you a disservice.  The real inconvenient truth is that if you don’t like the reality of a situation, making up an alternative is not an option.

Lynne Johnson,
Orleans County legislator, District 2

Editor:

The Friendly Carrier, a monthly newsletter from the Orleans County Office for the Aging, has been a reliable, trusted source of information pertinent to senior citizens for at least four decades. If it’s in the Friendly Carrier, it must be true.  Right? Sadly this is not necessarily so, recently.

For the last two months, 3 of the 8 pages of this publication have been solely devoted to the Legislature’s Frequently Asked Questions regarding the proposed sale of the Villages of Orleans nursing home. The worst part is, the Office for the Aging has been told they cannot print the views of the Concerned Citizens of Orleans County regarding this sale. This demonstrates not only a lack of Freedom of Speech but puts undo pressure on the senior citizens of Orleans County to accept the stance of the Legislature as gospel truth. “If it’s in the Friendly Carrier it must be true.  Right?”

If you have ever gone to the Office for the Aging for help in selecting health insurance, you know that you are given all the options and YOU choose what fits your needs. These last two newsletters do not reflect usual Office for the Aging policy.  Do you wonder why?

See us (Concerned Citizens of Orleans County) at the 4-H Fair for the other side of the story.  Look for information in the Lakecountry Pennysaver, OrleansHub.com on your computer, or letters in the Batavia Daily News.  Make an effort to keep informed about this important issue.

Sincerely,

Grace Denniston and Kay Walter
Former Office for the Aging Employees and Concerned Citizens of Orleans County

To the Editor:

Being a student of history, I couldn’t help noticing references to our early and honorable treatment of the poor and infirmed in Orleans County. This dates back to the late 1820’s when the County was in its formative stages.

In 1829-1830 a series of resolutions (county laws) were passed by the Board of Supervisors declaring “The distinction between the town and county poor is hereby abolished, and the expense of maintaining all the poor shall be a County charge” (Isaac Signor, Landmarks of Orleans County, p. 185).

I wonder if this resolution is currently in force. Others with more expertise than I will have to answer that. But let’s examine the implications of this historical fact. I believe it conveys the pioneer spirit of “I am my brothers’ keeper” and “what effects one, will effect us all.”

There is also compassion in the resolution and a willingness and a sense of duty to care for those sick and less fortunate. For the past 183 years it has served us well. But recently, as a society, we seem to be at the threshold of saying “You are on your own; don’t bother me with your petty needs of food, medicine and shelter; it is your fault if you have unmet needs; saving a few dollars is more important than the quality of your later years of life.”

I am concerned that in our rush to privatize public agencies we are losing the very thing that makes Orleans County unique. That uniqueness is in how we treat our fellow human beings in the eye blink of time we have here on this earth.

Al Capurso
Gaines

Dear Editor:

Your gut tells you that keeping faith with generations that have always been there for us is only right.

Orleans County leaders want you to believe that numbers they know are guesstimates are more important.Would we have the story of the Good Samaritan if they had electronic calculators in Biblical times?

What County leaders are not telling us has a lot to do with their consultants.

Consultants stay in business when their clients (Orleans County) don’t get blindsided by bad surprises.When consultants estimate losses, they must estimate high.When they estimate revenues, they must estimate low.That way any surprises are likely to be pleasant oneslower losses and higher revenues.

In December 2010, a local reporter wrote that the County Nursing Home was looking at a $2 million loss for 2011.Perhaps the County’s consultants thought that was a safe number to use in an effort to scare the public into selling our County Nursing Home.

Later that year, the chairman said, “The financials are looking better than we expected.” Was the actual loss really 1/6 of what had been reported as likely?

The loss for 2011 was still a big number, but it wasn’t close to what they were saying when they were trying to scare people into selling the County Nursing Home. Remember, too, that you are not told what any other non-mandated service costs.

Current year “losses” get reimbursed up to two years later.It would be like getting reimbursed for expenses when your boss sends you on a business trip and still maintaining that everything you paid out of pocket as an expense was a “loss.”

In 2005, our consultants told us to expect our Medicaid reimbursement rate to rise by $20/resident/day if we did a $10,000,000 renovation that is making our nursing home attractive to a potential buyer today. The rate actually rose by over $60/resident/day!

The difference between what they promised and what we actually receive amounts to an extra million dollars in revenue every year.

Taking consultant estimates and using them to make a case for selling the County Nursing Home is disingenuous. Loss estimates must be overstated, and the County knows it. Revenue estimates must be understated, or a consultant won’t be in business very long.

These realities are just two of several “inconvenient truths.”

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent
Albion

(Editor’s note: Kent is a former Orleans County legislator who is seeking election this November.)

To the Orleans County Legislators:

We were born and raised in Orleans County and have resided and raised our families here. We are concerned over the proposed sale of the Orleans County Nursing Home “The Villages.” Not only would we not own the Nursing Home, but it would break up the beautiful complex of County owned buildings which is a great asset and pride to the residents of Orleans County.

In the past few years, the facility was updated to the beautiful 4-star rated home it is today which added more revenue than was anticipated. It is staffed by many local people who give loving care and respect to the residents and their families. If it is sold, will Orleans county residents still be admitted there or sent to the city where they know no one and their families are not nearby to visit often?

Has all been done to bring in more revenue, or have you just given up trying and decided to sell it? What about A and B wings just sitting there mostly idle, could they be renovated for more income? One thing that is way out of line is the amount we pay for garbage disposal verses the little we pay for the nursing home. Most would not object paying the same amount for both.

This facility is not a luxury but a necessity for our senior citizens of Orleans County who need that kind of care. It’s time to stop predicting what might happen to the reimbursements in the future and tell us what our county services actually cost. It’s time to let the tax payers of Orleans County decide the future of the Villages and not let such a big decision be made by just six people who seem to turn a deaf ear to the people they represent.

I, (Theda) worked at Orchard Manor for eleven years as a medication and Treatment LPN, a few years after it was built and administered by a local family. It was a pleasure to work there and care for many local people I knew growing up. After I retired and for the last 20 years, I played the organ there once a month with “Sing-a-long with Theda.”

Over the years, I have seen the ownership change to the hospital and now to a private company. I now hear of many changes by the new owners from staffing to the small things residents enjoyed which are no longer available to them.

Please reconsider the sale of this great asset now owned by the county which you all had a hand in making the beautiful place it is today. Our seniors are counting on you to do the right thing for them and not sell “The Villages.”

Roger and Theda Millis
Waterport

Editor:

It’s been almost five months since Orleans County Legislature voted to create a Local Development Corporation for The Villages of Orleans and the Concerned Citizens of Orleans County came together to begin fighting against that sale.

In that time, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. One thing I would like everyone to know is that caring for the people of Orleans County has to come first. The taxes we pay to keep The Villages as a safety net of care is minimal, especially when compared to the amount we pay for garbage service. In many cases, residents pay double, triple or more for garbage.

Another important fact is that even if The Villages is sold, the county still has an obligation to pay Medicaid costs for Orleans residents. That means that our taxes may not go down without The Villages, but the level of care for elderly and inform in our county certainly would.

We have a great public nursing home in Orleans County, staffed by stupendous employees who provide high quality and loving care. Many of them don’t make a lot of money. In fact, the majority of the workers are part-time employees who don’t get many or any benefits and they don’t have high pay.

This isn’t a political issue. This is a quality of life issue.  I have confidence that our political leaders are beginning to listen to us and that they will find a solution that doesn’t promote selling the nursing home.  That is all I have asked of them. After all, our roots in this community are in agriculture, and I think I can compare our “people” to the farmers and fighters of our predecessors.

Farmers never say never. They are always trying to find a solution to every problem that greets their day. So let’s think like a farmer, folks.  Support the effort to save our great Public Nursing Home.

Cindy Troy
Albion

(Troy is president of the local CSEA union representing county employees.)