Re: Pine Meadow funding

Leo Ladouceur | Dec 02, 2015

County CAO trashes Pine Meadow

The news coverage was a story regarding the Higgins/Dewey betrayal. But there is a second more insidious and underhanded situation that the editor clearly points out and readers should not overlook. County Council and the people they represent are in somewhat of a blind trust with the County’s CAO. They depend on him for the ultimate administration, financial and operational management of our County affairs and resources. His advice and input is crucial to almost every discussion. Since he can sway the vote and manipulate a County decision, the CAO’s integrity must be unquestionable.

Let’s be blunt about what happened on November 12 Pine Meadow denied funding by County. The County CAO fed councilors a “pile” of untrue and incorrect statements. The intention was to create doubt regarding Pine Meadow’s financial sustainability, its operating efficiency, its level of nursing care and quality of service. He summed it all up by proclaiming he thought Pine Meadow could learn a few things from Fairmount. He presented Pine Meadow as the poor sister and was making sure all the County cash kept flowing just to Fairmount. He was manipulating councilors and they fell for it. A week later he backed down and admitted much of what he had said wasn’t true. Was he misinformed by staff or does he sometimes speak without knowing what he is talking about? The end result is, his strategy worked. The seniors in the north lost out again and the tough part to accept this time around is that even some of their own Council representatives don’t care.

There ought to be a law for CAOs, senior managers and departmental heads who are paid for by the public purse. If they are proven to intentionally “mislead” their bosses, their councilors or the public three things should happen. First a public apology with an explanation is in order, then an apology to the Council and finally an offer to resign. These blind trusts are fragile. Fool us once but don’t fool us twice.