Letters: Blind Erie man lauds Sala for Braille city calendar, Davis panned for raises – GoErie.com

Mas Sala provides excellent government service

It is easy to criticize government; often, I am first in line. 

This time, just the opposite is true. 

In mid-December of 2020, I read in the Erie Times-News, that the city of Erie would issue a calendar to city residents. I’m a blind person and I wanted a calendar I could read, in Braille. Braille is not too popular these days, although among those of us of a certain age, it is very popular. 

I contacted the mayor’s office of citizen relations and made my request. 

It took some time to find the Braille transcriptionist who could complete the project most efficiently; but in the end we settled on the Spencerport Lions Braille Service in suburban Rochester, New York. 

The diligent work of certified Braille transcriptionist Jan Brewer, coupled with the efficient and tireless effort of Mas Sala and his staff, have resulted in my ability to browse through the Erie calendar for 2021, and now, 2022, using the format of my choosing, Braille! The beautifully-brailled calendar arrived on Feb. 18, 2021. Here in 2022, the calendar arrived even earlier on Jan. 25; and, this year Mr. Sala and his staff acted without my request, still another sign of their efficiency and sincerity. 

Yes, I did not have access to my blind-friendly calendar on the same day as my sighted wife and friends, but I do have it now, for which I am delighted. 

Contemporary technology has created revolutionary independence for blind people. Without it I could not be writing and editing this letter; nor could I have read about the calendar in the Erie Times-News. But without Braille, which my blind mother helped teach me in the early 1960’s, I would not be able to appreciate the joy, enrichment and rewards of real reading. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act is more than 30 years old, having been signed into law by then-president George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990. But Mas Sala and his dedicated staff didn’t stop to check the statute or the regulations which were promulgated as a result of that statute; no, they just responded to a request from a citizen. They are to be praised and thanked. And this year they followed up on that request which was received in January of 2021, without the need for any reminder from me. 

Chester M. Smalley, Erie 

Brenton Davis too quick to spend our tax dollars on hefty raises

County Executive Brenton Davis, only a month in office, is already spending taxpayers’ money on hefty pay raises for his friends that he hired for positions in his administration. 

Mr. Davis, why don’t you first have a six to 12 month probationary period, then evaluate these new employees? If they make the cut and are doing a good job, then and only then, give them a pay raise.  

Do the right thing Mr. Davis, spend the hard-earned money of the taxpayers wisely and conservatively. Don’t squander their money.  

Steve Renick, Edinboro

Nursing homes need state support

While we applaud the proposed investment in hospital front-line health care workers announced by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, nursing homes continue to be ground zero for the pandemic. Our members’ staff, residents and their families continue to reel under the pressure of the pandemic and its impact on our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians. 

A lack of funding is creating a harrowing trend we’ve pointed out repeatedly during the pandemic: high-quality, nonprofit nursing homes are closing or being forced to sell to out-of-state corporations. This month, the Jewish Home of Greater Harrisburg joined the list. Since 2020, nursing homes in Pittsburgh, Erie, Allentown and Berks and Montgomery counties have closed or sold. While hospitals are battling front-line issues now, the trouble for nursing homes started long before the pandemic.  

Homes rely on Medicaid to care for residents who can no longer afford to pay for their care. Pennsylvania’s Medicaid reimbursement rates have been routinely flatlined in state budgets. In 2017 alone, Pennsylvania nursing homes suffered a staggering $631 million shortfall. Facilities used to rely on their rainy day funds to cover the shortfall, but the pandemic has drained these accounts. 

Hospital care during COVID-19 makes headlines, but nursing homes cannot be forgotten. Lawmakers and the Wolf administration must release emergency funding — and provide a robust increase in Medicaid funding in the upcoming 2022-23 fiscal budget. Without this, history shows more nursing homes will close their doors. 

Bob Bertolette, interim president and CEO LeadingAge PA