PRESS RELEASE
DECEMBER 23, 2021
LAPORTE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY SLAMS “FOUR GOP GRINCHES WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS FROM LAPORTE COUNTY EMPLOYEES”
A spokesman for the LaPorte County Democratic Party today slammed the Republican majority of the LaPorte County Council as the “four GOP grinches who stole Christmas from LaPorte County employees” when they voted on a straight party line vote to block requested ‘lump sum retention/pandemic bonuses’ for county employees.
Corey Campbell, said this is “particularly obnoxious when you realize that the Republican Party had nothing to do with the $21.3 million in ARP funds coming to LaPorte County. All Republicans in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate voted against the American Rescue Plan (ARP). These four and their party had nothing to do with landing ARP funds and now have the nerve to stretch out these stipends into 2023 rather than paying them at the holidays like every other government entity around us did.”
Campbell saluted Democrats Randy Novak, Mark Yagelski and Mike Mollenhauer “for supporting the bi-partisan County Commission plan for lump sum stipends” at the holidays. “These four Republicans act like parents dealing with spoiled little kids wanting to impose some discipline by stretching the bonuses out in four installments, which sends a message they don’t trust our employees.”
“County Commissioner Sheila Matias was right to ask for the special meeting saying we need to send a message to hard-working county employees at this holiday season that they are valued and we want to retain them with LaPorte County. You can’t treat dedicated county employees like little kids – like Council members Gramarossa and Rosenbaum did in their comments. They both acted as if employees can’t be trusted with a lump sum. Guess what? – a lump sum stipend would have come in pretty handy to hardworking employees paying off bills right here at the holidays.”
“It’s time the Republican County Council understood the purpose of ARP funds authorized by the President and Congress was not to hoard those funds but to reward public employees for outstanding efforts during the pandemic and undertake needed projects in the community. Let’s hope we see some real improvement by the “Four Grinches” in 2022 on appropriating ARP funds for what they’re intended for.”