Monday, April 19, 2004
The Greater Hazleton Health Alliance Makes Plans
Well, it’s no secret that medical care as an institution in Hazleton has a reputation of being poor and disreputable. The medical centers are outdated and outmoded, and the Health Care is notably poor quality. So it is good to see that plans are being made to upgrade and flesh out our local hospitals, however, this should have been done twenty years ago or better! But so far it sounds like they’re just making cuts across the board. Save, save, save that’s the Hazleton way! Yeah, the way to cut our throats a little deeper!
Nurse Shortage Not a Problem
See above! Of course, we don’t need nurses. We have interns who have half the qualifications of RNs if they’re lucky…But look! We can pay them on the cheap! Better minds for a better Hazleton! No benefits either! Disgusting!
KOZ/KOEZ Under Investigation
It comes as no great surprise to me that the KOZ/KOEZ program (Keystone Opportunities Zones) is under investigation to see if the moneys and tax breaks are being handled properly by the middlemen involved in supposed urban renewal projects. It is even less of a surprise that the Fabulous Markle Building in down town Hazleton is a huge recipient of KOZ/KOEZ funds and exemptions.
Todd Eachus is heading the investigation because he claims that the moneys and the paths they travel are very difficult to keep track of and that the answers these middlemen that are handling the funds are giving vague, unspecific answers and accountability. ‘You really can’t get good data on whether KOZ is working efficiently,’ said Eachus. I suspect the money is going the usual routes of Hazleton filling undeserved pockets with kickback money, while drawing huge salaries for doing nothing but dragging feet soft-soaping. If this KOZ worked properly it would encourage businesses to come to the GREATER HAZLETON AREA *great thunderous orchestral music* promising these prospective businesses tax free status and other stick and carrot treats. I’m all for rebuilding the downtown area of Hazleton and urban renewal. That is what the downtown needs so very desperately, but when it gets done the Hazleton way with everyone’s hands in the till grabbing for whatever they can get, well, I just don’t hold much hope for it working out. And even then it would only keep the wolf away from the door for a year more years. Hazleton is dead. That’s why the people who can move away do so.
Mr. Eachus…Good luck to you in your search. I hope you’re really concerned about finding if there are misappropriated funds or dishonest data materials. Eachus is also supporting an economic stimulus package. In theory another good urban renewal plan. Cross yer fingers everybody!
The Fabulous MARKLE BUILDING
Ya know there’s a LOT of history to that cornerstone of the downtown area. At least that’s what I was told. I couldn’t find anything worth going on about. Oh, just like the wonderful Altamont, all these places have such a rich and fantastic history even going back just a few decades. Bullshit! The Markle building was a bank that was put together by the affluent people of this area like Ario Pardee and George Bushar Markle for the sole purpose of aiding them in their financial fleecing of this area, and also because the nearest bank for them to use was eighteen miles away in Mauck Chunk (Jim Thorpe, today). All these places were set up for the convenience of the rich and been held onto for years vacant and run down by those wanna be rich Hazleton bigwigs (boneheads) trying to keep this town in check and under thumb waiting to get some fantastic amount of money for these old buildings. These current bigwigs wanna get in on the past glory of the Pardees and the Markles and just fleece and skim like their heroes did years ago. Well, the bigger idiot theory must be working cuz they’re finally starting to move these ancient places. Federal funds and tax breaks don’t hurt much either. Hazleton powers-that-be are just cheap and corrupt, but I digress.
The point I’m making is that this rich and wonderful area as remembered by the walking dead of Hazleton (the ancient shadows of people that just refuse to lay down and die already!) is some kind of fantasy of theirs. This town was never much of anything but a coal mine full of coal crackers and their masters (now its factory slaves and their masters. Same deal different hats!). There’s nothing to look back fondly at. The Markle building was run into the ground. This urban renewal funding has been used to practically gut the entire building out and start over. It probably would have been cheaper just to knock the damn thing down and start fresh. But Hazleton wants to hang onto its glory. Well, we’ll see. As I’ve said I’m all for reinvigorating the downtown of Hazleton, but to hell with this crap about the glorious past of these buildings!
Well, it’s no secret that medical care as an institution in Hazleton has a reputation of being poor and disreputable. The medical centers are outdated and outmoded, and the Health Care is notably poor quality. So it is good to see that plans are being made to upgrade and flesh out our local hospitals, however, this should have been done twenty years ago or better! But so far it sounds like they’re just making cuts across the board. Save, save, save that’s the Hazleton way! Yeah, the way to cut our throats a little deeper!
Nurse Shortage Not a Problem
See above! Of course, we don’t need nurses. We have interns who have half the qualifications of RNs if they’re lucky…But look! We can pay them on the cheap! Better minds for a better Hazleton! No benefits either! Disgusting!
KOZ/KOEZ Under Investigation
It comes as no great surprise to me that the KOZ/KOEZ program (Keystone Opportunities Zones) is under investigation to see if the moneys and tax breaks are being handled properly by the middlemen involved in supposed urban renewal projects. It is even less of a surprise that the Fabulous Markle Building in down town Hazleton is a huge recipient of KOZ/KOEZ funds and exemptions.
Todd Eachus is heading the investigation because he claims that the moneys and the paths they travel are very difficult to keep track of and that the answers these middlemen that are handling the funds are giving vague, unspecific answers and accountability. ‘You really can’t get good data on whether KOZ is working efficiently,’ said Eachus. I suspect the money is going the usual routes of Hazleton filling undeserved pockets with kickback money, while drawing huge salaries for doing nothing but dragging feet soft-soaping. If this KOZ worked properly it would encourage businesses to come to the GREATER HAZLETON AREA *great thunderous orchestral music* promising these prospective businesses tax free status and other stick and carrot treats. I’m all for rebuilding the downtown area of Hazleton and urban renewal. That is what the downtown needs so very desperately, but when it gets done the Hazleton way with everyone’s hands in the till grabbing for whatever they can get, well, I just don’t hold much hope for it working out. And even then it would only keep the wolf away from the door for a year more years. Hazleton is dead. That’s why the people who can move away do so.
Mr. Eachus…Good luck to you in your search. I hope you’re really concerned about finding if there are misappropriated funds or dishonest data materials. Eachus is also supporting an economic stimulus package. In theory another good urban renewal plan. Cross yer fingers everybody!
The Fabulous MARKLE BUILDING
Ya know there’s a LOT of history to that cornerstone of the downtown area. At least that’s what I was told. I couldn’t find anything worth going on about. Oh, just like the wonderful Altamont, all these places have such a rich and fantastic history even going back just a few decades. Bullshit! The Markle building was a bank that was put together by the affluent people of this area like Ario Pardee and George Bushar Markle for the sole purpose of aiding them in their financial fleecing of this area, and also because the nearest bank for them to use was eighteen miles away in Mauck Chunk (Jim Thorpe, today). All these places were set up for the convenience of the rich and been held onto for years vacant and run down by those wanna be rich Hazleton bigwigs (boneheads) trying to keep this town in check and under thumb waiting to get some fantastic amount of money for these old buildings. These current bigwigs wanna get in on the past glory of the Pardees and the Markles and just fleece and skim like their heroes did years ago. Well, the bigger idiot theory must be working cuz they’re finally starting to move these ancient places. Federal funds and tax breaks don’t hurt much either. Hazleton powers-that-be are just cheap and corrupt, but I digress.
The point I’m making is that this rich and wonderful area as remembered by the walking dead of Hazleton (the ancient shadows of people that just refuse to lay down and die already!) is some kind of fantasy of theirs. This town was never much of anything but a coal mine full of coal crackers and their masters (now its factory slaves and their masters. Same deal different hats!). There’s nothing to look back fondly at. The Markle building was run into the ground. This urban renewal funding has been used to practically gut the entire building out and start over. It probably would have been cheaper just to knock the damn thing down and start fresh. But Hazleton wants to hang onto its glory. Well, we’ll see. As I’ve said I’m all for reinvigorating the downtown of Hazleton, but to hell with this crap about the glorious past of these buildings!
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