Steven JP Dionne: Blaming nurses for state of county home is wrong move

To The Daily Sun,

At the risk of violating the new Katz frequent writer miles, I just couldn’t leave the 2/3 story alone. In fairness should you find redundancy frustrating, I would offer the solace in retiring to your mom’s basement to play with an erector set, sense that’s all they’ll let you build these days.

Listening to and reading the rationale behind slashing the budget of our already under-funded and understaffed county nursing home by a million bucks is simply another example in a litany of stories of the intuitive stupidity of the extremist members of the Belknap County Delegation. After all, why raise my taxes to care for the elderly who worked their entire lives to build and support this community. To give me the opportunity, regardless of the sacrifice to raise my kids here. Your reward for your tireless sacrifice to provide for the next generation of New Hampshirites, go live under the bridge.

I consider myself so fortunate to have been born and raised the better part of my life in the same community my grandfathers father lived, to walk in the shadow of a mountain where six generations of my family have worked and survived, because above all else we love this land. So please pardon me if I absolutely loose my mind when I read the excuses (BS) for not going all out to protect and care for our seniors in need.

Just when you think you’ve heard the latest version of intuitive stupidity, one brilliant county delegate drops the "brainless remark" gauge to below zero.

This week we extend our thanks to Alton’s State Rep. Ray Howard for reinforcing the point that being politician requires little cranial pressure and even less common sense. You see at a recent budget hearing, Howard exhibited the GOP’s favorite tactic these days, just because we created the problem does not prohibit us from blaming someone else. In Howard's case he’s blaming the nurses for the failings of the county nursing home. "State Rep. Ray Howard said nurses who were unwilling to commit to the nursing home regardless of the pay were largely to blame for the situation in which the home finds itself. 'They are playing a game. They should have more conscience to care for the elderly,' he said," The Laconia Daily Sun, Feb. 24. "Willing to commit... regardless of the pay" to operate on the frontline of the pandemic for what amounts to a non-living wage, really? "More conscience to care for the elderly." I don’t suppose it dawned on Howard that when an institution grossly underpays its staff for years, they’ll eventually find better paying employment elsewhere. I’ll wager Howard charged more than a paltry $11 an hour during his contractor days.

Tell you what Ray, I’m calling your bluff... I’ll double every volunteer hour you are prepared to commit to our county nursing home, trust me I'll go the distance to prove what an empty suit you are.

Steven J.P. Dionne

Laconia