Albany, NY – Lawmakers buckled Monday to Governor Paterson’s emergency spending legislation that cut $775 million from New York’s health care budget — a move aimed at keeping the cash-strapped state government form shutting down.
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In the Senate, the emergency budget bill passed along party lines, with all 32 Democrats voting for it and all Republicans present voting against. In the Assembly the package passed with the support of most Democrats.
Protesters said the health care cuts will close trauma centers, reduce care for the indigent and devastate already struggling nursing homes.
Moreover, the state will lose some federal matching funds.
Why such difficult choices? Because the budget is two months late and the balance sheet is about $10 billion off. And the governor said he had to force the Legislature to take action.
Patersons new strategy to put these seriously unpopular cuts into the weekly emergency budget extender bills that the state has been passing once a week for ten weeks since they missed the budget deadline worked.
These extender bills are what has kept he state government running without a budget.
Legislators either had to pass the bill or shut down government. Paterson administration sources said they wanted to avoid a statewide crisis.
In theory, the governor could pull this same trick once a week until the whole budget gets done, piecemeal.
He could do health care this week, education cuts next week, another subject the following week. And our sources are hinting that next week in addition to education cuts Paterson might include the soda tax — which is very unpopular with the Legislature.
Never thought I’d see the day when Democrats voted for cuts in spending and Republicans opposed it. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around, with Republicans screaming for less spending, less government? The world doesn’t make sense anymore.
a way to save some real money… eliminate the state government entirely
These protestors are a bunch of jerks. The state is broke and all they can cry is don’t cut my programs. They don’t say where the money should come from nor do they want higher taxes. The republicans are equally inept by voting against it while not offering any alternatives.
the grand plan seems to be to ruin new york city in any way possible.
Wanna control this ballooning-budget ? Make everyone on Medicaid pay 20% of the total cost.
Where does ObamaCare fit into this picture here?
and you all want obamacare! wait till that health care goes fully into effect and you will see how one will have to wait on line for a hip replacement.
Let them start with WELFARE payments to ILLEGAL ALIENS first. Last yr Bloomie wanted to give one way tickets to all ILLEGALS. Was a wonderful idea. Now just cut off all welfare benefits, and then give them a one way ticket at the airport.