As I wandered through the highways and byways of information, I stumbled quite figuratively across a piece of information or should I say several that made my suspicions of how Mr. Rapp got his Health Insurance from Highmark as soon as he was the Mayor of Vienna in 2013?
In a conversation at a cancelled Budget and Finance Meeting in I believe February of 2012, there being only three people present. Mr. Rapp, the since retired City Clerk and my self as the outsider (as always it seems), Mr. Rapp noted to me that he had been paying all of his Health Expenses as his own Insurance had maxed out. That being he had reached the $2 Million dollar cap. He gave me the name of his illness, but I don't remember it, only that he had problems with his lungs due to inhaling or absorbing Gas into them while he owned a couple of gas stations over the years.
In the July 2014 City Meeting on the purchase of Johns Manville, he advised a lady sitting in front of me that his health issue was cancerous tumors on/ in his lungs. This was as the lady was very concerned about issues from the site that might cause cancer.
I tried unsuccessfully sometime back with FOIAs to get the sign in Roster and Minutes of that meeting and the Re imagine meeting held the day before at the Vienna Community Building. Those being the 23rd and 24th of July 2014. As is the habit of this Administration, there were no minutes kept on either of the meetings (or so they say). This was in direct violation I believe of the Open Meetings Act which clearly required them to have been kept and available in a reasonable period of time to the general (us), Public. Why does the above connect to the whole issue? Because it ties his health issue to his opening the door in 2012 and again in 2014.
That would and should have put him in the "Preexisting condition" clauses that the Insurance Companies loved to use at the time (ended 31 December 2013) and would have made him ineligible for Insurance coverage with the City for potentially up to another year as he had stated he had not any coverage?
I submitted a FOIA in early 2013 asking how he had gotten around the clause? His ADA/ City Atty., came back with a denial as it was a private matter under the HIPA Law which protects the Medical Information on a person from exposure except under certain conditions. I rebutted as I was not asking about his health issue (as noted above, he had already opened that door voluntarily) but on his coverage date? Again, a denial; I spent some time going through and over the paperwork I had received from the City in a series of different FOIAs, I finally determined that the City was trying to hide something? How naïve' I am that it took so long to find that fact?
Now at the time I was trying to get this information, Mr. Thornton had his run in with a Wood County Deputy for a DUI charge and ended up in Jail overnight. Pretty standard process. When he went to Court, his case was handled in a manner than might cause a prudent person to question his treatment versus the average "snuffie" who runs afoul of a similar charge? Basically seemed to get a "get out of Jail" free pass? Some people at the time expected Mr. Thornton to resign from the Council, but Mr. Rapp stood hard and fast he would not have to resign. Circle the wagons; old Vienna Council practice.
And there was also in another Budget and Finance meeting at about the same time a decision to go to an outside company to "negotiate" the Health Insurance for the City each year. I had begun to question the fact that for over a decade, the City had automatically renewed the coverage with Highmark (Blue Cross/ Blue Shield). This being also a strong probability a violation of the Purchasing requirements under State Law?
But if one has been reading my Blog for very long, it is an obvious fact the Law, any Law is but a very minor inconvenience as Vienna pursues its agendas. What began to occur now was that the Broker would request "bids/ proposals" from several Insurance Companies and then start to work with Highmark to get their offer below the actual first time lowest submitter such as United Health as an example. And when I asked in a FOIA about other companies being able to "rebid or do a new proposal", it was noted that it was only Highmark being allowed to do this. Kinda strange I thought?
This allowed Highmark to continue to get the Insurance business from Vienna each year and I suspect up to the current 2016- 2017 about to start? And most surprisingly, the cost via Highmark does not seem to go up much from year to year while the rest of the world reels from large cost increases/ benefit decreases? Really, really surprising to say the least.
Going back to Mr. Thornton, it had been planned and budgeted for that he would retire, apply and get a nice little City job as the Economic Development Director with of course a City Vehicle. This all got moved back a year for what I suspect were the problems with his DUI conviction? It would have been a little tough to insure him driving a City Vehicle with that on his record via the City Insurance?
So beginning by July of 2014, he applied (sole applicant for the opening in a City of Vienna posting only; does anyone smell Cronyism/ Favoritism?), and was chosen and hired for the job. But still no vehicle; ended up using his own for that Fiscal Year which ended 30 June 2015. He than came back for a City Vehicle which had been approved the year before. At about the time he was hired, it was alleged to me that he had been required under his Court Case to put in a Breathalyzer on his vehicle? This is what supposedly stopped him from having a City Vehicle the Fiscal Years before, 2013/ 2014? Now this alleged requirement was gone and the vehicle has been purchased for his use.
Because of Mr. Rapp refusing to explain how he was able to circumvent the Pre existing Clause in 2013, I was suspicious and voiced my question on whether we had a quid pro quo between Mr. Thornton, Mr. Rapp and Highmark? Mr. Thornton helped via his long history with Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, now Highmark to get Mr. Rapp Health Insurance? Mr. Rapp got Mr. Thornton the Economic Development Director position and last but not least Highmark got the Health Insurance Coverage each year via the Broker connection to protect the City from supposedly violating the State Law(s) on purchasing?
So up to now, everything is circumstantial and a gross misunderstanding on my part? Right............. of course. But, in a little bit of unbelievable luck, I found something the other day that made me wonder again on what really happened in this deal?
I found that Ms. Rapp (Cassandra), had allegedly gone to work for Highmark sometime in 2012. Now this was about the same time that Mr. Rapp was trying to get Mr. Nohe off the City Council as he was also now a State Senator. This was totally legal per State Law except that a person could not be paid twice for the same period of time. i.e., Mr. Nohe in the State Legislature for the 60 day regular Session, any Special Sessions and get paid also as Mayor OR vice versa. Mr. Rapp never pursued the double pay issue and when I tried to find out why, I got some ADA/ City Atty., comment on why a person's pay could not be reduced. Apple to oranges I felt then and still do? The Ethics Commission conditions on that double pay were explicit at the time..
I now believed that Mr. Rapp wanted Mr. Nohe out so he could be Mayor and get that City Health Insurance as a full time employee. How the Preexisting Clause would have fit in then I am not sure? Possibly to just wait out the time period and than get the coverage?
I do not know exactly when Ms. Rapp allegedly went to work for Highmark, but was hired in supposedly as a" Customer Service Representative", what ever that was there? And as we know, he ran for Mayor in 2012 when Mr. Nohe initially bowed out for a fifth term.
Now in 2014, Ms. Rapp was I guess promoted to an " Associate Sales Support Analyst"? Nice title if nothing else? So now we have yet another tie in to Highmark and the City of Vienna. Ms. Rapp as you all know was also appointed as a member on the Vienna Public Library Board immediately in 2013. She was appointed to a full five year term I believe early last year. Any bets on with whom the Library is now insured with? This position makes her a Public Figure and not personnel issues on what I write. It is her connections to the Political landscape and the allegations swirling around Mr. Rapp.
Again and yet again, are these all circumstantial occurrences? Of course they are; I am just an old fashioned conspiracy theorist. OR, is it time we maybe go back to doing things in Vienna that are more in following State Law, County Ordnance as they may apply and City Ordnances?
Vienna is NOT a separate fiefdom ruled by a whatever the imagined Title may be. It is a fine little Community that is circled in time by a mentality long gone in other places but still lingering here. But by being in a time warp of Corruption, Nepotism and Favoritism, we are harshly charged for the benefits of some at the expense of the many.
It seems too many of our Council Members are mired down in yesterday and unable to come into the 21st Century? We need new and courageous thinking to minimize what we spend and to NOT just tax and tax. It is YOUR money, not that of the City.
I am going to ask again that you folks read, think and comment to your family, friends and neighbors on what YOU think? Of course as ever, if you disagree with me, feel free to say so. But for sure think and talk. Understand what has happened and is happening to you; each and everyone of you.
It would appear to any prudent person that maybe enough is enough and one should think two or three times; than vote once. I am quite serious and asking for your Votes !
WOW, just got a call from a Lady who had just received my first flyer. That being about 10:30 today the 19th of March. Lady asked for two signs when they finally get done. Can sure do that for her. 'nuff said'.
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).