This page was last updated on July 2, 2012.
Defend the elderly; Cindy Furnival; Beaver County Times; June 20, 2012. An editor’s note asserts, “The writer is a retired employee of Friendship Ridge.”
The only previous letter from Ms. Furnival of which I know was entitled “Obama is cleaning up Bush’s messes.”
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“Officials have asked the unions for county employees to take concessions such as pay freezes. And Friendship Ridge workers will probably soon be given the required 30 days notice of layoffs as the county waits on the impact of the state budget.
“Why I ask are they always picking on Friendship Ridge? They deal with this country’s elderly. Why do we always slam the elderly? Is it because they can’t defend themselves?”
[RWC] Along with “Emergency Services 911” and “HealthChoices,” Friendship Ridge is a County “business-type activity.” According to Beaver County’s “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report - For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2010,” business-type activities “are intended to recover all or a significant portion of their costs through user fees and charges.” In other words, business-type activities are supposed to be self-funding, requiring no county taxpayer dollars to breakeven.
In any case, Beaver County should not be running a skilled-nursing business. Friendship Ridge should be sold.
“That’s why the staff is there. And they need more staff, not less.
“The commissioners should look at other places to cut: Their salaries and perks. And look for waste in your offices. You know it’s there.”
[RWC] We could completely eliminate commissioner “salaries and perks” plus “waste” and it would not be a drop in Friendship Ridge’s approximately $60 million annual budget. For 2010, total spending on the commissioners’ office ($712,500) was only about 1.2% of that by Friendship Ridge ($58,275,000).
“But instead, they cut funds to the elderly, this country’s greatest generation, who built this country with their blood, sweat and tears.”
[RWC] Again, Friendship Ridge is supposed to be self-funding. Spending cuts elsewhere in the Beaver County budget should not be used to plug holes in the Friendship Ridge budget.
“This country has no respect for the elderly or for the workers who care for them.”
© 2004-2012 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.