Nursing home plan vetoed

ALBANY Days after a County Legislature overrode Executive Mike Breslin's halt of a 2012 budget, Breslin now has vetoed a resolution by lawmakers supporting a brand brand new nursing home and urging state illness officials to approve a obligation of need.At issue is a brand brand new $71 million county nursing home that lawmakers wish to construct despite Breslin's long-standing objections. The sides have been during odds over a brand brand new trickery for years with Breslin proposing extending home-based services for a elderly and legislators arguing a little elderly need skilled nursing care in a facility.A obligation of need related to a building a whole of a brand brand new trickery has been pending before a state Department of Health for a little time. Last month, a state reviewed a county's plans, but paid in instalments voting on a certificate. The county must have a obligation approved in order to begin building a whole plans.On Dec. 5, legislators approved a resolution reaffirming await for a brand brand new 200-bed nursing home and asking a state to approve a obligation of need.On Thursday, Breslin sent a minute to legislators notifying them he would halt a resolution and urged them "to re-evaluate and recur a building of a brand brand new county-operated nursing facility." He said legislators have a tendency to reduce skill taxes, which would affect a successful operation of a nursing trickery along with a large staff it requires. Breslin is a lame-duck executive who chose not to seek re-election after seventeen years and leaves office Dec. 31.Deputy Majority Leader Shawn Morse, a Cohoes Democrat, fired back Friday during what he called a political game being played by Breslin and suggested when a Legislature meets Monday night, it will "probably have to override a veto.""We put in a resolution asking a Department of Health to recognize that we as a legislature here in Albany County have a responsibility of taking care of our seniors and to approve our obligation of need and recognize our one after another await to set up a brand brand new nursing home," Morse said."I'm sick and tired of a games that are played when people are trying to deal with issues that involve lives, and these games turn people off," he said.In a letter, Breslin noted that last year taxpayers subsidized a nursing home with more than $12.3 million. A brand brand new facility, he said, "will require an annual $19 million subsidy" by taxpayers.Given a county's financial state, Breslin added, he doesn't see how a brand brand new trickery can be built "without poignant double-digit skill tax increases in a coming years." He suggested lawmakers to recur their decision to set up and continue "the effort to magnify long-term care alternatives in a community." Morse stood firm. The obligation of need was filed based on a Berger Commission's report that suggested a county downsize skeleton for a brand brand new trickery no larger than 250 beds. The Berger Commission studied illness care facilities throughout a state.The obligation finally got before a illness Department and was put aside, Morse said, so a legislature adopted a resolution. "We haven't mislaid faith. We haven't mislaid support. We are waiting patiently."Reach Carol DeMare during 454-5431 or cdemare@timesunion.com.

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