Auntie Alibi was pleased to see the big press conference yesterday at Michael Sussman's office. There was about 25 people in attendance including family members of Valley View residents. Mr. Sussman has filed his Article 78 challenging the creation of the VV LDC and said that case law is on his side. 

The County Executive consistently compares Orange County to Ulster County where they also used an LDC to dispense of their county owned nursing home Golden Hill.

Maybe the CE should compare Orange County to Rockland County where the CSEA is suing the County because their LDC formation was contrary to their county charter.

Here is the article from the THR by Richard Bayne, the "night owl" (said with affection, Mr. Bayne!)

Suit filed to block Valley View transfer

 Lawyer Sussman calls situation a 'moral issue'

GOSHEN — Making good on a threat he made April 9, when the Orange County Legislature voted to transfer Valley View to a local development corporation, attorney Michael Sussman filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to have a judge nullify the transfer.

Calling the suit a "moral issue," Sussman characterized Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus as a "highly ambitious" politician who told the public at election time he had no set agenda for privatizing Valley View, then proceeded down that path. The Legislature voted 12-9 to transfer the Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation to a local development corporation as a preliminary step toward privatizing the facility.

On Wednesday, Sussman filed an Article 78 lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Goshen, seeking to overturn the vote. It names the county, the Legislature, Neuhaus and Orange Valley View Development Corp. as defendants. The suit was filed on behalf of about 40 employees and residents of Valley View. Sussman said residents, some of them in wheelchairs, collected signatures.

The suit contends that since privatizing Valley View would eliminate a county department, a supermajority of 14 votes should have been required to transfer it to the LDC. Sussman said his goal is to send the issue "back to the drawing board" for a new round of budget discussions.

Neuhaus has argued that the county must sell Valley View to close a projected budget gap for 2015 or face laying off hundreds of county employees or a massive tax increase.

Neuhaus' office responded to the suit in an emailed statement saying, "The county Attorney's Office is reviewing the lawsuit and we will vigorously defend against this challenge. Local development corporations have been upheld again and again by courts across New York state. We look forward to the court hearing the facts of this important case and ensuring the long-term success of Valley View nursing home."

Ulster County used a local development corporation as a vehicle to transfer its nursing home to a private firm. The new owner took over June 26.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Sussman said there has been a "significant diminution of care and caring" since the private operator took over Ulster's nursing home. He contends that Orange County residents would support a one-quarter-percent tax increase to keep Valley View in county hands.

The news conference was packed with Valley View staffers and family members of residents. Wendy Gilmore of Blooming Grove, whose 89-year-old mother is in the dementia unit at Valley View, said she fears a takeover by a private firm, because care wouldn't be nearly as good as it is now.

"They (private firms) count diapers," Gilmore said.

dbayne@th-record.com

I do wonder about the word "threat" in the first paragraph, is that meant to be negative? This issue is not about threats! This issue is NOT about politics even though our County Executive is trying to make it so, apparently subscribing to the theory that if you repeat something often enough, it becomes true! This issue is about doing the right thing for the residents of Valley View and for the people of Orange County!!! Mr. Sussman is correct when he calls this a moral issue. Do our elected officials have any moral compass? ( anything which serves to guide a person's decisions based on morals or virtues. "moral":conforming to the rules of right conduct) dictionary.com  Here, Morals! Where are you? C'mere, Morals! Time for dinner...

I’m Lost:

Name: Morals

Where: Orange County

When: multiple times, most recently April 2014

Please call: Your conscience

Also, where are the minutes to the meeting/public hearings? Are the comments of 85 people not worth publishing for the record? They are not on the county website.