, The OBSERVER
The Chautauqua County Home has a reach which extends outside of Dunkirk.
Speaking recently with the OBSERVER, Rose Conti, CSEA Unit 6300 president, said that though she represents the employees who work at the County Home, her concerns are for the county as a whole.
"I just don't think people understand the huge impact this will have countywide if this is sold," Conti said Friday. "It's not just the north end (of the county)."
In addition to workers at the home residing throughout the county, Conti said taxpayers as a whole in Chautauqua County have invested in the facility through their tax dollars.
More than anything, Conti said she fears there not being any guarantees if the facility is to ever change hands.
In November, a representative from Marcus & Millichap addressed the County Legislature, detailing how the group's marketing process works.
Most importantly though, the rep stressed, is the fact that the county can make stipulations to the sale or lease of the nursing home facility - stipulations which would address many of the concerns which have been raised by workers and residents.
"We're not putting a sign out in front of the facility," said Joshua Jandris, the representative from Marcus & Millichap. "It's a very strategic process and the people that would be bidding on the facility will come through qualified and vetted."
Still, Conti said a sale could result in major changes to the facility.
"There's no law that says they have to keep it a nursing home, at least no law that I'm aware of," Conti said. "And if they choose not to keep it, those people have to go somewhere. They have to go somewhere else, which will then create long waiting lists at all the nursing home facilities in this county. That affects everybody."
Changes to the employees' wages and health benefits too, Conti said, could have larger impacts than on just the individual employees.
"Right now, my members, yes, they have taxpayers' insurance," Conti said. "But they also pay for their insurance to some degree and they pay a co-pay. If they become employees who are making a lot less money, then the taxpayers, through Medicaid, will pay all of their medical expenses. They won't have to put anything in.
"A lot of the people who work in these facilities which have been sold don't make enough money," Conti continued. "Then they become consumers of that type of money, of food stamps and Medicaid. If they work and have a half-way decent wage though, they are going to go out shopping on Friday night, buy their family a pizza or their children a pair of shoes. But if they lose that income and lose their retirement, they have to start worrying about things like that. Then they don't spend because they can't any longer. Somehow, we all of a sudden have decided that everyone can do less and make less and it is the corporations who seem to be making more."
In December, the majority of the legislature approved a resolution naming Marcus & Millichap as the firm chosen to market the County Home. That proposal had been tabled in November, but was brought back to the floor by lawmakers during the body's December meeting.
"I worry about the entire county and not just the people who work there," Conti concluded. "It's not just the people that work there and not just the people in the north end of the county. It's a bigger problem than that."
Speaking recently with the OBSERVER, Rose Conti, CSEA Unit 6300 president, said that though she represents the employees who work at the County Home, her concerns are for the county as a whole.
"I just don't think people understand the huge impact this will have countywide if this is sold," Conti said Friday. "It's not just the north end (of the county)."
In addition to workers at the home residing throughout the county, Conti said taxpayers as a whole in Chautauqua County have invested in the facility through their tax dollars.
More than anything, Conti said she fears there not being any guarantees if the facility is to ever change hands.
In November, a representative from Marcus & Millichap addressed the County Legislature, detailing how the group's marketing process works.
Most importantly though, the rep stressed, is the fact that the county can make stipulations to the sale or lease of the nursing home facility - stipulations which would address many of the concerns which have been raised by workers and residents.
"We're not putting a sign out in front of the facility," said Joshua Jandris, the representative from Marcus & Millichap. "It's a very strategic process and the people that would be bidding on the facility will come through qualified and vetted."
Still, Conti said a sale could result in major changes to the facility.
"There's no law that says they have to keep it a nursing home, at least no law that I'm aware of," Conti said. "And if they choose not to keep it, those people have to go somewhere. They have to go somewhere else, which will then create long waiting lists at all the nursing home facilities in this county. That affects everybody."
Changes to the employees' wages and health benefits too, Conti said, could have larger impacts than on just the individual employees.
"Right now, my members, yes, they have taxpayers' insurance," Conti said. "But they also pay for their insurance to some degree and they pay a co-pay. If they become employees who are making a lot less money, then the taxpayers, through Medicaid, will pay all of their medical expenses. They won't have to put anything in.
"A lot of the people who work in these facilities which have been sold don't make enough money," Conti continued. "Then they become consumers of that type of money, of food stamps and Medicaid. If they work and have a half-way decent wage though, they are going to go out shopping on Friday night, buy their family a pizza or their children a pair of shoes. But if they lose that income and lose their retirement, they have to start worrying about things like that. Then they don't spend because they can't any longer. Somehow, we all of a sudden have decided that everyone can do less and make less and it is the corporations who seem to be making more."
In December, the majority of the legislature approved a resolution naming Marcus & Millichap as the firm chosen to market the County Home. That proposal had been tabled in November, but was brought back to the floor by lawmakers during the body's December meeting.
"I worry about the entire county and not just the people who work there," Conti concluded. "It's not just the people that work there and not just the people in the north end of the county. It's a bigger problem than that."
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