[Peace] *cancelled* -- no Nursing Home discussion at Champaign County board tonight

[Stuart Levy]

The Nursing Home referendum is *not* on the County Board agenda for 
tonight, 8/7, fortunately.

This awful idea, which seemed intended to mislead voters to think that 
the county nursing home was in terrible financial shape and needed to be 
sold, was recognized as such and overwhelmingly voted off the agenda by 
most of the Democratic Board caucus, I'm told.  At any rate, it's not 
going to be discussed tonight (despite the agenda posted last Friday), 
and is not expected to be revived for the November ballot.



On 8/6/12 1:37 AM, Karen Medina wrote:
> [I am forwarding this from Danielle Chynoweth. The event is a
> Champaign County Board Meeting and a discussion about the nursing
> home. -karen medina]
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Danielle Chynoweth <danielle at prometheusradio.org>
>
> On Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 6pm, the Champaign County Board will
> consider a hurried proposal to place two questions on November's
> ballot.  The first asks for a tax increase.  The second for the
> authority to close, lease, or sell the nursing home.
>
> These resolutions amount to a kind of "voter extortion" that sounds
> like this: Let us increase your taxes by 333% or we'll privatize the
> nursing home. This is a false threat. The nursing home ran a profit
> last year and has not needed to borrow funds for four years.  Since
> voters will be loath to such a substantial tax increase during a
> recession, they will be more likely to authorize a sale.
>
> Privatization would mean fewer poor residents served and lower wages
> for employees. The county takes more patients paying with Medicaid
> than the private sector. The county pays a living wage to all
> employees, but the private sector does not.
>
> Come support the nursing home and its employees:
> Tuesday, August 7th at 6pm
> County Board Committee of the Whole Meeting
> 1776 E. Washington, St., Urbana (park off of Lierman Ave - back of the building)
> Note: If it passes on Tuesday, the final vote will be at a special
> meeting Tues, Aug 14th.
>
> Background:
>
> Voters May be Asked to Decide Nursing Home's Future (News Gazette, July 6, 2012)
> Nursing Home Board Opposes Ballot Questions (News Gazette, July 9, 2012)
> Nursing Home Board response (see last link in PDF)
>
> Financial Facts from the Nursing Home managers report):
>
> Cash is healthy: If the Nursing Home paid all its bills and collected
> everything owed, it would have 3.228 million in the bank.
> Revenues have been steadily increasing for the past 12 months.
> Medicaid payments have been on a steady 2-3 delay cycle, so although
> there is a wait, the state is coming through on payments regularly
> The biggest financial challenges are recruiting more patients and
> ensuring there is a good mix of patients paying with Medicare,
> Medicaid, and private insurance.
>
> Those supporting the referendum admit the nursing home is operating in
> the black, but want the flexibility to sell if revenues drop.  The
> biggest financial challenge the nursing home faces is recruitment.
> Putting these referendum on the ballot will only make recruitment
> harder since it will make the nursing home appear it is in a crisis
> that it is not.  Why would county board members move to damage the
> nursing home's reputation at a time when it is doing relatively well?
>
> - Danielle Chynoweth
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