Thursday, July 22, 2010

Consulting for dollars

Montgomery County (PA) approves a new contract for a health care consulting firm, guaranteeing them somewhere around $365,000 to tell them what? That they should go with the health care firm they're already using? C'mon, this is getting more and more ridiculous by the day. The leadership in this county is failing us. There's a budget shortfall but we're paying a consultant to give us the lowdown on the health care company the county has been using for years.
I have half a mind to run for county commissioner myself. Will you back me? I mean seriously, half a mind is about all I'd need to do better than what we have now. I guarantee you this kind of stuff would come to a screeching halt.

14 comments:

Hope Primas said...

Stan,

That DOESN'T sound right! It hurts consultants who do offer value for their advice and interventions.

If you do run, I hope you do well.

Hope P.

Anonymous said...

Yes, please quit your job and run for the office.

A dreamer from the past! said...

Stan, I'll beat you to the ballot box. You have more important items on your agenda informing the public of the bull crap coming out of Montgomery Plaza. If I can muster the 250 signatures neccesary to run, I believe the public (not the Party) will support my run. When you have to rely on some committee persons who don't even know what time of the day it is, your in trouble. Of course one has to have the big bucks to do the job,where doe's that come from? From people who are looking for something in return. That's why the system sucks. I intend to advise the voting public about that. Hope to see you on the ballot. It will be a pleasure to have you as a running mate.

Crystal Ball said...

My predictions for next years County Commissoners race is as follows, Matthews fails to get endorsed by the Republican Committee, Castor and his running mate get the endorsement. Hoeffel gets the endorsement from the Dems but looses to another Democrat in the primary. No one in their right minds could vote for either Hoeffel or Matthews, they are the laughing stock of the county. We used to have good government at the County level, now it is the worst in the State. How did we get here?

Go For It said...

Stan,

If you run for the commissioner's seat I will back you, I can't give more that $100. but that is a start. And no, you don't have to quit your job as Editor of the TH, the rest of the commissioners all have full time jobs, so the salary is just chump change to these high rollers, I guess they use it on vacations and fat city dinners.

Go for it Stan, I even thinking you will get the endorsement if you team up with Castor.

Anonymous said...

I just can't believe Matthews has not been arrested yet. The CBIZ contract is blatant pay to play politics, Philly-style. Matthews uses that campaign money to live high on the hog, and to buy a car complete with gas,insurance, repairs etc. All tax-free! All he has to do is stear a contract worth $400,000 to his buddies to get the cash. Why isn't that stealing? And why isn't anyone doing anything about it? Its not like its a secret. Where is the DA in all this???

Anonymous said...

These Commissioners are bright men, but just common sense is lacking.

Anonymous said...

Stan,

I agree with you 100%. Montg. Co.'s commisioners are way beyond ridiculous!

You definitely have my vote and probably those of every rational voter in the county. I truly hope to see your name on the ballot.

Charlie T.

Anonymous said...

Well well.. .just when you think they've done it all. ..i.e.lower percentage annual raise w/opportunity to voluntarily add larger percentage dollars to the retirement plan Next up, for the cofollowing year, no annual raise and, by the way, one of three choices for new health care insurance, the cheapest of the three w/massive out-of-pocket charges was the one Uncle Matthews was banking on and no one bought it; then a zinger for those in need of family health care insurance plans meaning more than 50% of employee's monthly gross salary and now year 2011 budget predicts 9.9% pay cut along w/an IOU pension payment plan to meet the need for the 12 or is it 25 million dollar deficit and, ready for this? . . drum roll please. . .a new $500,000 private health care consultant retained outside of the county to provide health care advice services and administer a wellness program w/a not 1 yr but 2 yr contract for the benefit of the employees (or is it the benefit of the commissioners?).

Employees do not need health care advice or "wellness programs." Employees need dollars to pay for the county commissioners' mistakes and still put food on the table; to take one of their four disabled children to the doctor for medical treatment and not medical advice services for a 2 yr $500,000 contract. Don't doctors and their medical staff give health care advice anyway?

Did we discuss that the commissioner's meeting was viewed on TV 1:00 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday night? Did we mention the proposal was introduced by a rep from 1 of the four prospective consulting firms who did not give advanced notice of the ratings; did not identify the consultant's company names & favored 1 out of the 4 w/a much larger grading to the tune of 25% compared to the remaining 3 consultants and that the retained (@ the county's expense) rep to interview the four consultants showed off his Brook's Brother's suit, wide spread collar dress shirt w/tie and hair plugs.


Let me get his straight, Matthews retained a consultant through the purchasing dept to consult the 4 prospective consultant business practices who are going to consult the county employee on health care & wellness programs which they already know?

Why do the commissioners even have public meetings? It's a done deal before the fact.


Uncle Cheny, sorry, Uncle Matthews has his own tea party plan. Is he still looking for "thank you notes" that he hadn't received the last ten years? I don't think that is going to ever happen. County employees do not send "thank you notes" to commissioners that steal from the county employees and the county taxpayers.

As the old saying goes.. . "You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all of the time.

This problem is a no brainer and ridding the commissioners i.e. commissioner Hoeffel and commissioner Matthews is another one of those no-brainers.

Don't let the door hit your backside on the way out the door.

Anonymous said...

Just when you think they've done it all. ..i.e.lower percentage annual raise w/opportunity to voluntarily add larger percentage dollars to the retirement plan Next up, for the cofollowing year, no annual raise and, by the way, one of three choices for new health care insurance, the cheapest of the three w/massive out-of-pocket charges was the one Uncle Matthews was banking on and no one bought it; then a zinger for those in need of family health care insurance plans meaning more than 50% of employee's monthly gross salary and now year 2011 budget predicts 9.9% pay cut along w/an IOU pension payment plan to meet the need for the 12 or is it 25 million dollar deficit and, ready for this? . . drum roll please. . .a new $500,000 private health care consultant retained outside of the county to provide health care advice services and administer a wellness program w/a not 1 yr but 2 yr contract for the benefit of the employees (or is it the benefit of the commissioners?).

Employees do not need health care advice or "wellness programs." Employees need dollars to pay for the county commissioners' mistakes and still put food on the table; to take one of their four disabled children to the doctor for medical treatment and not medical advice services for a 2 yr $500,000 contract. Don't doctors and their medical staff give health care advice anyway?

Did we discuss that the commissioner's meeting was viewed on TV 1:00 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday night? Did we mention the proposal was introduced by a rep from 1 of the four prospective consulting firms who did not give advanced notice of the ratings; did not identify the consultant's company names & favored 1 out of the 4 w/a much larger grading to the tune of 25% compared to the remaining 3 consultants and that the retained (@ the county's expense) rep to interview the four consultants showed off his Brook's Brother's suit, wide spread collar dress shirt w/tie and hair plugs.


Let me get his straight, Matthews retained a consultant through the purchasing dept to consult the 4 prospective consultant business practices who are going to consult the county employee on health care & wellness programs which they already know?




Uncle Cheny, sorry, Uncle Matthews has his own tea party plan. Is he still looking for "thank you notes" that he hadn't received the last ten years? I don't think that is going to ever happen. County employees do not send "thank you notes" to commissioners that steal from the county employees and the county taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

The sad thing is that people forget. They forget that Matthews promised fiscal conservative government. They forget that Matthews correctly villifies Hoeffel in 2007 as a borrow and spend liberal. People forget that Matthews was simply citing Hoeffel's long record of spending borrowed money and driving down the county's reserves. People forget that Matthews then did a 180and embraced Hoeffel and all Hoeffel's campaign promises. People forget that Matthews had belittled Hoeffel's positions. The question is whether people will forget that they agreed with Matthews and elected him only to get the Hoeffel platform. That platform, which failed in the 90s has failed again. Matthews knew it failed in the 90s and ran for office to fix Hoeffel's mistakes. Then Matthews, after lying to the people to get elected, adoped all Hoeffel's failed policies. And the result? A repeat of the 90s disaster. The failure of this government is not Hoeffel's fault alone. Lay the blame at the feet of Jim Matthews. Liar and theif. Hoeffel just took the opportunity handed him by Matthews. Everyone knew Hoeffel was spend, spend, spend and let future generations figure how to pay for it. He had done it before. Matthews railed against it, then adopted it. Now he wonders why the government is a laughing stock, the county is in shambles, the employees despise him, and he has become the most hated man in the Republican Party (the only commissioner in history to be officially censured by his own party). And the thing with CBIZ, the contributions, and the car...why Matthews' hasn't been arrested yet has left courthouse watchers scratching their heads. I doubt the DA is afraid of Matthews. More likely, she is afraid of bad publicity when Matthews claims his arrect is "political." A shame that a man like Matthews, so lacking in morality and integrity, clearly involved in pay to play, can get away with all he has done.

Anonymous said...

Attitude!! Matthews and Hoeffel have been able to get away with just about anything their whole life. So, SUE ME... because the length of time it would take to convict on the so called "OOPS" answer, they have always used and then my staff will take care of it, will take up too much time and the cost to TAX PAYERS is the other thing. You know it is getting to look like the Fed. Gov. and the show on TV "To Catch A Thief"...
Well, Election Day is coming up - What have you learned from voting in these two Commissioners??
Some people learn by other peoples mistakes. Some people only learn by making the same mistake. Which one are you???

Anonymous said...

I never thoguht much of Joe Hoeffel. He's a tax, borrow, spend, big government Democrat. By and large, he does little to hide that. It's Matthews that is a disgrace. The man is completely and totally lacking in integrity. That business with his car and CBIZ is absolutely unbelievable! Everyone else has to use after tax money to buy a car, why not him? Where is DA Ferman? Where is the IRS? Stan, you paper called for an investigation. Did anything happen? It is astounding that Matthews is getting away with this! Jim Matthews disgusts me. I only voted for him (my husbabd too) because Bruce Castor wanted me to. Guess Bruce regrets that now, huh? Somebody please put Jim Matthews out of our misery.

Anonymous said...

Stan, I don't know you but I do know area politics. I'd be scared for your soul brother. Before you know it, you might be as corrupt as what we have now! I wouldn't wish that for you , man, but good luck if you decide to go for it!