I don’t do too many diaries because I often never finish what I write or wait too long to publish it. Or I’m too afraid of getting something wrong that I edit it to death and end up just making it worse.
But I’ll make an exception to this. And writing something of a fair bit of urgency.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has earned a good degree of well earned credit for his handling of the Covid pandemic that is gripping our state and nation. A marked contrast from the bizarre and often contradictory behavior of our president. I will add so has Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio.
There is one important difference between Cuomo and those Republicans. Only Andrew Cuomo is trying to cut Medicaid in the middle of the pandemic. And one good reason they aren’t is not just common sense but because of money Democrats in congress allocated in exchange for States not doing what Cuomo is seeking to do. They might actually lose money if their states tried to do so.
On Sunday, amid his regular coronavirus updates, inspirational slides, and Italian family dinner anecdotes, Governor Andrew Cuomo was asked to respond to New York Senator Chuck Schumer’s charge that the governor was rejecting billions in federal funding from emergency federal COVID-19 legislation simply because Cuomo wanted to tinker with the state’s Medicaid system. “It would be nice if he passed a piece of legislation that actually helped the state of New York,” Cuomo shot back.
Cuomo has been feuding with Schumer over the past couple of weeks, accusing the senator of trying to hamper his plans to make changes to Medicaid, the public health program that insures roughly a third of New Yorkers. Cuomo has made it clear that he is determined to cut Medicaid in the midst of a massive public health crisis—even if it means risking federal funds designated to provide relief.
New York stood to gain up to $6.7 billion through the federal legislation Schumer helped pass (that’s if the intervention program lasts a full year) but only under the condition that it didn’t put any new restrictions on Medicaid eligibility.
gothamist.com/…
The New York State Budget is being negotiated and voted on now. While everyone is distracted by the virus. So it’s important if you live in New York State that you call your State Senator and State Assemblyperson and let them know that you see them and you know.