The Berks County Commissioners voted 2-1 last week to begin the process of selling our county nursing home.

The justification they are using is that the Berks Heim workers refuse to take pay and benefit cuts.

The county doesn’t have to sell Berks Heim. The last time they tried this, we the people stopped them. We can stop them again.

The commissioners are claiming that there will be a deficit over the next ten years that could total $18 million. However, their numbers are based on numerous dubious assumptions, including over-estimating the salary increases for employees and under-estimating reimbursement rates from Medicaid.

Last year, Commissioner Barnhardt projected that the nursing home could be saved with additional county funding that averaged $4.40 per taxpayer. And that’s without finding ways to make the nursing home more cost effective.

Other financial projections virtually eliminate the deficit for the next few years. In addition, using industry best practices and researching new options could make the Heim viable for another generation.

But that would take a willingness to find real solutions and not just blame the dedicated workers.