Writer urges Concerned Citizens to buy nursing home

Posted 18 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Editor:

I have always believed that words mean things. At this point in our civilization, we have not yet arrived at the Orwellian projection of Doublespeak, Newspeak or governmental manipulation of recorded reality, be it past, present or future.

Therefore, I believe the campaign literature I have read. In light of this belief and reviewing all the information presented in relation to the county nursing home, I offer the following suggestion.

A group of citizens, published to be “thousands,” have the unique opportunity to exercise their expressed desire to “save” the county nursing in a uniquely American way. They can buy it!

I have read editorial after editorial, pamphlet after pamphlet and even viewed a professionally produced DVD telling me that the county is inept in their approach to selling the nursing home to a “for profit” or “ not for profit” organization. They simply cannot be trusted.

I have been told that these companies are “not concerned” for the residents of the nursing home and that their business practices will create a toxic (my word) scenario for county tax payers, residents and their families.

I have also been informed that following some simple steps, as outlined by the group of concerned citizens, the nursing home will not become the huge tax consuming burden projected by the present legislative body in Orleans County, but could become profitable. I do not personally believe this, but this argument points to a Capitalistic approach to solving this dilemma.

A rough business plan could go as follows. I will use the number 2,000 because of the published estimate of “thousands “of concerned citizens. If every concerned citizen could invest $1,000 in this plan, that would produce two thousand, thousand dollars or $2 million.

I know that $1,000 is a lot of money, but according to money saving suggestions proposed during the campaign, it could be reimbursed in a timely manner. These initial investors would form a corporation and the $2 million could be borrowed against, in conjunction with the money saving suggestions, into enough money to compete in the bidding process proposed by the LDC.

The proposed bid would include all the suggestions outlined in the campaign. Those, which I recall, include the renovation of the empty wings, greater scrutiny of governmental payments and better utilization of governmental transfers of money. How much can asbestos abatement, code enhancement and forensic accounting cost?  I am sure I am leaving out dozens of campaign-fueled money saving suggestions, which would absolutely save millions of dollars! I have not forgotten the rosy projections of reduced future costs associated with running the home.  It cannot lose!

After the nursing home ceases to lose money, I’m sure a short period of time, the corporation could sell stock. The profit generated could be cleansed of its evil nature by being redistributed to community in the form of grants for worthy projects. This plan cannot miss!

I humbly offer this idea free of charge. I consider it win/ win/win in the sense that the future of the nursing home will be secured, the residents will be protected by the same governmental regulations that are now in force and, with a little luck, the concerned citizens will be successful in the bidding process and be able to implement all the changes upon which they based their campaign.

Paul J. Blajszczak
Medina