Today’s “through the looking glass” moment: The City is applying for a $321K grant from the state for solar panels to save $7,500 per year in electricity costs at the sewage treatment plant. From the Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton considers solar panels for plant):

City officials are hoping to install solar panels at the Binghamton water filtration plant to save on electricity costs.

The city council voted Wednesday to authorize an application for $320,933 in grant funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to pay most of the cost of the project.

If the state approves the grant, the solar panels will save about $7,500 a year in electricity costs at the plant, said Amelia LoDolce, sustainable development planner for the city.

And further into the article, this:

In order to do the project, however, Binghamton must provide a 15 percent match to the state funding. This equates to $56,635, which the city will borrow.

So, Binghamton city residents will have to pony up $56, 635 out of their “City of Binghamton taxpayer pocket” while the rest of us across the state will have to pony up $264,298 our of our “New York State taxpayer pocket” to fund this folly. Why a folly? Anyone with a scintilla of business sense looks at the payback period for a capital investment like this. I would say most businesses, if they invested $321K, would want to AT LEAST break even and make back their investment in ten years or less. What’s the payback period for this one? What is the period of time it will take to recoup the investment of $321K by saving $7.5K per year? Try 43 years!

That folks, is why government needs to run as absolutely little as possible. They can’t even make intelligent decisions about a sewage plant! The technology itself will likely not last more than a decade, maybe 15 years, before it needs to be replaced. No matter, soak the taxpayer. The mindset is that state grant money appears magically, like a pot of gold someone found along the roadside. It’s TAXPAYER money taken (forcibly) from us, and you’re flushing it down the toilet Binghamton!

Technorati Tags: Binghamton, Matt Ryan, Binghamton City Council, Citizen Action, sewage treatment plant, government spending, government grants, Amelia LoDolce

It never ceases to amaze me how biased the coverage of this issue is, even by local media outlets. For example, Tom Wilbur, reporter for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, includes this short narrative in a story reporting on the extension of the comment period (Debate on drilling rules extended by DEC):

The 800-plus page technical document is simply too big for many stakeholders, including municipal officials, to process and respond to in a short period, said Stan Scobie, a Binghamton resident and industry watcher.

“It’s becoming extraordinarily clear that people – grass roots groups, landowners, lawyers, municipal officials, just about everybody – needs time to come to grips with this issue,” he said.

And that’s all we know about good old Stan. You might think from the description that he’s just a local bumpkin from Binghamton who keeps a sharp eye on this issue. An “everyman” if you will, only interested in the common good for all citizens. What Mr. Wilbur doesn’t tell you (even though he knows it), is that Stanley Scobie, Ph.D., is a retired professor of psychology at Binghamton University and a hard core leftist Democrat. Prof. Scobie contributed $8,950 to Democrats in 2008, including money for Obama, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Kirsten Gillibrand (New York Senator), Michael Arcuri (New York Congressman), and Al Franken–the comedian/writer of pornography who became a U.S. Senator from Minnesota (via voter fraud). All of them far, far left. (Check out Prof. Scobie’s 2008 contributions here.)

In fact, Prof. Scobie wrote an anti-drilling article in the spring issue of the Sierra Atlantic, the Sierra Club’s regional magazine. In other words, he’s as anti-drilling as they come. But not a peep about that from Mr. Wilbur, the so-called “impartial reporter” who writes about the Marcellus drilling issue for the P&SB. Perhaps a little honesty by the media about their own personal biases and prejudices would be nice for change?

Technorati Tags: Marcellus Shale, shale gas, Stanley Scobie, Tom Wilbur, Press & Sun-Bulletin, leftists, drilling regulations

This vote all got started a few years ago with mismanagement of union contracts for fire protection and other services in the Village. The unions got too much (with some firefighters getting nearly $100K a year!) and it’s breaking the back of JC taxpayers. I can sympathize with those that think by dissolving the politicial entity it will release them from the heavy tax burden. The problem is, you just shift the burden. The good folks of JC will still need fire protection, and if they can’t raise a volunteer fire department to do it and they need to pay people, what makes you think shifting it to the township level will somehow make it all go away?

In the end, what happens is that locally elected representatives for each precinct and district go away–representatives who are part time and paid very little for what they do–and you end up with less representation of your interests. You have fewer people to pressure about getting the potholes fixed on your street. That is, government becomes less responsive. Overall, I find that people who lobby for dissolution of our local political entities in favor of consolidation with larger entities view government as a benevolant ruling function that benefits society. I do not. I, like the founding fathers of our great nation, see government as a necessary evil–with a very limited role to play in peoples’ lives. The people who are in government are our servants–they work for us! NOT the other way around.

I’ll say what I’ve always said on this issue: Consolidate some of your services (like fire and police) with surrounding political entities like the Town of Union or the even Broome County. And share the cost that way. But don’t, for pete’s sake, dissolve the political structure of the Village because you think you’ll save a few dollars on your taxes. It won’t happen, and you’ll lose something far more precious–your political voice.

Technorati Tags: municipal consolitation, Johnson City NY, dissolution

My wife and I purchased a new Maytag washer and dryer from Best Buy in Vestal last week. This is the tale of my rather poor experience.

The opening of our local Best Buy was eagerly anticipated by yours truly after Circuit City went bust last year. The new store had been open all of two weeks when we visited for the first time, a week ago Saturday night. I did price comparison shopping online between Best Buy and Lowes before we went to the store, and found that Best Buy’s prices were significantly lower than Lowes for the same exact appliances (in our case, a Maytag washer and dryer).

When we arrived at Best Buy and I was finally able to talk with the applicance salesperson (they were still pretty busy, lots of people visiting since the doors opened two weeks prior), I told him the models we wanted. When they appeared on the screen, the prices were higher than I recalled from the website and I said so. The salesperson went online and did a “price match” with their own website. It seems Best Buy guarantees they will match any competitor’s price–in this case their own website being the “competitor” with the bricks and mortar store. I’m happy I mentioned the web price because I would have paid a combined $75 more for the pair had I not mentioned the web price.

In making our purchase, I was careful to confirm that the people delivering would a) haul the old washer and dryer away, and b) the people delivering would fully install both the washer and dryer. An admission: I am Mr. Unhandy around the house and nothing frustrates me more than attempting to do things with my hands that I am not good at. I do not install washers and dryers. The salesperson confirmed they would haul away and do the install for me, so I paid cash via my debit card (Dave Ramsey would be proud), and we set the delivery date for Friday, Oct. 16th.

The delivery men came on the appointed day, a pair of them. Very nice lads–I have no quarrels with them as people–they were pleasant to deal with and quite willing to do what I asked. But, they were not equipped to do the install for me. They lacked most of the tools they needed, forcing me to scramble and find tools they could use. And they simply were not trained with knowledge to do the install. One of the tasks is attaching the 220 volt power cord to the dryer. They had to get out the instructions, and then “guess” as to which leads went on which contacts. Scary. I stood well clear when it was finally plugged in for testing.

Another thing was reading the instructions on how to properly rig the water hose that goes from the washer to the wall drain. Instead of reading, they guessed (wrongly) how it should be hooked up. I had to rework it after they were gone–after I read the manual.

They didn’t have a level with them and weren’t going to level the washer machine! Only when I found my level and insisted we get it leveled did it happen. And so it went.

Finally, the straw that broke the camel’s back. The air hose that hooks to the back of the dryer and vents to the outside was fitted exactly for the old dryer, but the new dryer has its hole in a different location. The hose will not stretch to fit. Meaning they left without it being connected. They did not have any parts with them in ancticipation that this sort of thing happens, which I’m confident often does. So with the dryer still pulled out from the wall and not installed, I went to Lowes and purchased a piece of flexible hose, and struggled for the best part of an hour to get it connected. During the installation process I had to ban all family members from the work area as a precaution–in case I exploded! I hope it’s connected properly now–but it’s likely going to need someone else to look at it to be sure, so I don’t burn down the bloody house!

I’m sure some reading this who know me personally are smiling or laughing. Go ahead and have a chuckle! I don’t mind. But I assure you, for me it was no laughing matter.

Bottom line: I will not purchase another appliance from Best Buy in Vestal–and that includes a flat panel TV we’re planning to purchase as a family Christmas present this year. If you can do the installation yourself, and if you’re careful to fully research prices online first, you may be OK purchasing at Best Buy. But if you’re unhandy as I am, steer well clear of Best Buy in Vestal. You’re better off paying more at someplace like our local Olum’s and having it installed correctly rather than chance a poor installation like I experienced.

Technorati Tags: Best Buy, Best Buy Vestal, poor installation, Maytag, washer dryer installation

Completely mind-blowing. The grand total number of jobs created by Obama’s stimulus money in our area of New York State so far? 3 1/2. You read that right…three and one-half jobs. Not hundreds, not thousands, not even tens…just 3 1/2 single jobs. From an article in the Press & Sun-Bulletin:

In the 10 counties of the Binghamton-Elmira-Ithaca region, contracts for federal projects have created the equivalent of 3.5 jobs, the Associated Press found. Three counties in Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier have seen a total of eight jobs created.

I know of Subway sandwich shops that create more jobs–and don’t cost the taxpayers a dime! It begs the question: Of the $16 BILLION already spent from the $787 BILLION stimulus bill, where did it go? Or rather, into whose pockets did it go? The first place I would look is Harry Reid, Christopher Dodd, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank and other sleazy, corrupt politicians.

Hey, how’s that hope and change working for all you Obamaclones?

Technorati Tags: federal stimulus, broome county, binghamton, stimulus jobs

A tip of the hat to the Town of Union (near Endicott, NY) for returning Obama stimulus money they didn’t want nor ask for, to the tune of $561,302. And a big “boo” to Broome County Social Services for sticking their grubby hands out to grab it before it went somewhere else–continuing the waste and fraud that is the Obama administration.

According to the article, Broome County accepts homeless grant rejected by Union, Town officials were surprised to receive the grant which was to be used to address the issue of “homelessness.” So smart those Obama people–blaziningly brilliant, the whole lot of them. Sending more than a half million dollars for homelessness to a place where there isn’t any.

Union officials tried several different ways to spend the money–one of them being to help the elderly replace their furnaces (need to be more green, dontchya know). But the Obamadrones said “no” every time Union officials proposed something–they flat out rejected it. So Union finally said “no thanks” and sent the money back. But then the Broome County Department of Social Services stuck their collective hands out–Social Services being the department with the largest piece of the Broome County budget, gobbling up 32% of all the money spent by Broome County each year (some $114 million proposed for 2010).

Social Services said, “Thanks, we’ll take that money off your hands Obamaclones, and we’ll pay peoples’ rent checks and utility bills with it.” You see, you can’t use Obamabucks to make mortgage payments of taxpaying homeowners who find themselves in trouble. No way. But you can pay rent for renters. How screwed up is that? It makes perfect sense when you factor that renters are more often Democrat (39%) than Republican (20%)*. The Democrats are simply buying votes, creating a depenendcy class who will keep them in power in perpetuity–it’s sickening and maddening.

So the Obamaclones are giving that half mil to Broome County Social Services and now everyone will live happily ever after. Until next year when Social Services wants that money again, and deadbeats who won’t pay their bills want it again, etc.

But you can only mortgage your kids’ and grandkids’ future once. What a shame and a waste and a FRAUD the entire “stimulus” package was. The bigger shame is that it won’t dawn on most people what they’ve done to their progeny until it’s too late. Hey, how’s that hope and change working for all you Obamaclones?

*Renter political party affiliation numbers are from a study by the University of Virginia and Dr. Larry Sabato.

Technorati Tags: Obama, stimulus money, government fraud, Town of Union, Broome County, Broome County Social Services

The Binghamton Housing Authority has won a $302,400 competitive federal grant to make one of its housing units more energy-efficient.

The grant, which was announced Tuesday, will pay for solar panels to be installed at the Carlisle Apartments on the city’s North Side, said David Tanenhaus, executive director of the housing authority. The panels will generate some electricity for the complex, he said.

The federal dollars coming to Binghamton are part of $500 million awarded nationwide by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to renovate public housing units, or make them more energy-efficient. Of the $500 million, nearly $20 million went to 11 public housing authorities in New York. The money is coming from the federal stimulus program, approved earlier this year.

This is so outrageously funny, and tragic, I can’t begin to count the ways. Anyone who has ever lived in Greater Binghamton (or has even visited) will tell you we get about three days of sunshine per year. Well maybe a few more…but not many more! Paying money for solar panels in Binghamton is like planting a field of corn in the Sahara Desert with no water or irrigation. Completely nuts.

Don’t take my word for it. The National Weather Service has records going back decades. They keep track of cloudy days (see Cloudiness – Mean Number of Days). If you check it out, you’ll find Binghamton has more cloudy days on average than Seattle, Washington! The average number of cloudy days in Greater Binghamton is 212 days of the year. Another 102 days are classifed as partly cloudy. And only 52 days are clear. Seattle, WA on the other hand, has 201 cloudy days, 93 partly cloudy days, and 71 clear days.

Where I used to live, inside the city limits of Binghamton, I had a neighbor who installed a large solar panel on the roof of his house to heat his pool. That was it…just heat the pool water to a comfortable level. Didn’t work. Not enough sunshine. I know that solar technology is gradually getting better–but come on! I thought stimulus money was supposed to go for “shovel ready” construction jobs. Practical projects ready to be built now, like bridges and roads. Doinking around with solar panels in one of the cloudiest cities in the U.S. is an utter waste of taxpayer money.

So the question is: If stiumulus money is being this poorly spent right here in Binghamton, what about other places? Multiply our piddly $302K by a multitude of other cities across the country and you get depressed really quick, and not just from the lack of sunshine.

Technorati Tags: stimulus money, Broome County, Binghamton, solar energy

A recent article in the Press & Sun-Bulletin by Gannett reporter Brian Tumulty, titled “Reports predict N.Y. financial crisis from health care,” starts this way:

New York’s Medicaid program will experience a financial crisis if Congress doesn’t enact health care legislation, according to two studies released this week.

Ten years from now, state officials could face a 93 percent rise in the cost of providing Medicaid services to adults and related health services to children from low-income families, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute predict in one report. That report says the average New Yorker could be spending 55 percent more for health services in 10 years.

“It’s a very dire picture, a very bleak picture without health reform,” said Dr. John Lumpkin, director of the health care group at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J. “There’s a lot of discussion in Washington about the various options. What’s not being discussed is that doing nothing is the worst possible option.”

Without our Savior’s health reform plan, all is lost. There is no hope. Woe is me. BUNKUM.

Nowhere in the article does it chronicle how New York has THE most generous Medicaid benefits in the entire country. Most states do not cover every hang nail under Medicaid–but New York does! No where does the article chronicle the cost per capita that New York pays, which in 2006 was $2,316 for every man, woman and child in our entire state (some $44 Billion)! Compare that to California which spent $939 per person and Texas which spent $771 per person on Medicaid in 2006–both of those states have larger populations than New York. Do you see how out of whack New York’s Medicaid program is?

And do you see the shameless shilling the mainstream media performs for the socialist Obama agenda in our country? The media intentionally misleads, leaves out facts and otherwise bends the truth. Shame on Gannett, and shame on the P&SB for running a yellow journalistic article.

Medicaid is bankrupting us–on that no one disagrees. The answer? Decrease Medicaid benefits and the services offered under the program, and do it now. We could freeze Medicaid benefits in New York at half the level we have now without denying basic services or killing anyone, and instantly solve the New York budget crisis with that single act. Who will be “man” enough to do it? Certainly no one in Albany. Don’t fall for the “health care bill will magically solve New York’s Medicaid problem” scare tactics being peddaled by the left.

And may I point out the obvious with regard to the health care plan being offered by His Magnificence? Medicaid IS socialized medicine–it is health care provided to people who don’t pay for it from people (taxpayers) who do. Medicaid is a small preview of what a nationalized system would look like. And Medicaid costs, according to the article mentioned above, are spiraling out of control with no end in sight. What, pray tell, is the difference between what will happen under nationalized/socialized health care and Medicaid? Answer: There is no difference. Conclusion: Either the tax burden will become so extreme in this country we’ll have to repeal certain rights, like free speech (because of concerns of an uprising by the citizens), or health care will be rationed. Perhaps both will happen if this horrible plan is enacted.

Medicaid itself is the best argument against the lunacy Congress is attempting to pass by using parliamentary tricks and deceit. Don’t stand for it. Burn up the lines to your Senators and Congresspeople to let them know WE DON’T WANT OBAMACARE.

Technorati Tags: Medicaid, New York Medicaid, media bias, socialism, Barack Hussein Obama, socialized medicine

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has finally released its Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Instead of making drilling companies do an environmental impact statement for each well they drill, the DEC decided to do one “generic” environmental impact statement that will apply to all drilling sites throughout the state. You can read the document for yourself here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/58440.html.

I have not yet had a chance to fully digest the 500+ page document. I have reviewed some of it (a lot of it is technical). An article in the Press & Sun-Bulletin purports to cover some of the highlights. Read the P&SB article here: NY regulators propose pre-emptive checks of gas wells in Marcellus Shale. But let me warn you that Tom Wilber, the P&SB writer, shades all of his Marcellus drilling articles with anti-drilling sentiment. For example, he says:

The DEC’s regulatory overhaul began after Southern Tier residents crowded into school auditoriums and town halls to attend public information sessions hosted by the agency in the summer of 2008. Those sessions often became heated, as regulators were unable to satisfactorily answer questions about water consumption, waste disposal, chemical handling and other aspects of large scale Marcellus drilling.

Perhaps so Mr. Wilber. Maybe that’s why New York decided to do a complete review in the first place. But in the interests of being fair and balanced, why didn’t you also mention the rally held just recently (this past summer) in Afton, where thousands of landowners showed up to support drilling? There were more people in one location at one time to support drilling than there ever have been in any location who oppose it.

He also asserts in the article:

DEC officials have watched and learned from developments in Dimock Township, Pa., where Cabot Oil & Gas recently had to shut down some operations after repeated spills and environmental problems. Explosive levels of methane contaminated some drinking water supplies earlier this year. More recently, an 8,000 gallon spill of chemicals used to stimulate well production polluted a creek and wetland.

Yes, Cabot has had problems and they are being appropriately spanked for it by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA’s version of our DEC). The situation is being carefully monitored and handled. But again, the lingering sentiment from the paragraph seems to be that all drilling is unsafe and all drilling companies are out to screw the populace. What about the hundreds (thousands?) of other natural gas wells in PA that are doing just fine with their operations? No spills or contamination of anything. No mention of that.

My very preliminary take on the new DEC proposed regulations: Likely overbearing and restrictive, but at least we’re moving again. After a public comment period until Nov. 30, the DEC will hopefully sew this thing up and drilling can finally begin in New York.

Stay tuned as more will surely come out about the proposed new regulations as people have time to review them in detail.

Technorati Tags: Marcellus Shale Drilling, New York DEC, Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement, shale gas, hydrofacturing, shale drilling

Today I am pleased to announce a first for RSSBinghamton–a guest viewpoint. And it’s from someone who is (cordially) taking me to task over my recent remarks about Medicaid. Long-term readers of this blog will know that I welcome dissenting opinions and views from my own.

Today’s guest viewpoint comes from Leigh Ann Scheider, Executive Assistant to Broome County Executive Barbara Fiala. In the article Medicaid is Bankrupting Broome County and All of New York State I encouraged Ms. Fiala to “show leadership” and “think outside the box.” Those comments prompted Leigh Ann to write me a detailed email about Ms. Fiala’s record to date in showing said leadership. She gently chided me that perhaps I did not share enough facts on the matter. I asked Leigh Ann for her permission to post her email in toto (nothing has been changed), and she agreed. And forthwith:

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By Leigh Ann Scheider

Dear Mr. Willis,

This morning I read your blog post on rssbinghamton.com titled “Medicaid is Bankrupting Broome County and All of New York State”.  While your points are valid and very astute, your continuous chant that Broome County Executive Barbara Fiala has not addressed the Medicaid burden is sorely incorrect. In fact, as an outspoken member of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), Executive Fiala has continually called upon state leaders to address this state’s uncontrolled Medicaid costs.

What you seem to have avoided or did not take the time to research is the constant, persistent, identification of the Medicaid burden by Executive Fiala in almost all of her budget addresses. Before and even after the Medicaid cap went into effect, Executive Fiala has drawn attention to the ever increasing Medicaid costs, that as you noted, continue to balloon.

This burden does indeed put local governments and the state in a poor fiscal position. Prior to the Medicaid cap being instituted, counties were negotiating projected Medicaid figures as they would spreads between sports teams (let me be upfront in stating that comparison is purely my own opinion). Factually, it would be better described by any county Budget Director that had to go through the process using empirical data. While the cap has given local governments the ability to more soundly budget for such defined increases, costs continue to rise. As Executive Fiala has said publicly, “Broome County’s Medicaid problem is not fixed”.

In further contrast to your claim that Executive Fiala has not addressed the depicted elephant in the room, her advocacy has gone beyond calling for state leaders to take action. Under her leadership, the State awarded Broome County the ability to conduct an audit of nearly 35 million dollars worth of Medicaid claims. For the news release: Click here. This local action proves Broome County’s commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and preventing fraudulent practices. More information will be released soon on a large settlement that will more than cover the costs of the audits.

I respect your interest and perception of the Medicaid problem. Provided with the information and public statements made by Executive Fiala, it is my hope you would consider including more factual information within your post. While your post draws attention to a very real problem, it would be more impactful if the information was factual regarding the actions taken by leaders within Broome County.

As with any freelance media, credibility always stirs criticism, however, that is not my intention. Below, I have included remarks from Executive Fiala where she has addressed the Medicaid burden that Broome County taxpayers are faced with. These remarks do not include transcriptions of her comments made to state leaders and or NYSAC. If you have any further questions or comments please feel free to contact me directly through the information provided below. I appreciate your time and willingness to correct information within the contents of your blog.

Best regards,
Leigh Ann Scheider

[County Executive Fiala's previous public comments]

2006 Budget Address

“Some might be wondering that now with the Medicaid Cap, why our taxes are not decreasing? What you have to understand is that the cap is just that. It only caps the amount Medicaid costs would have increased. Do not get me wrong, we are extremely grateful state leaders have finally tackled this tremendous burden that has rested on counties’ shoulders, far too long.

What the state has given us is a formula that allows for an orderly and predictable way to forecast Medicaid expenses instead of the skyrocketing costs we were forced to solely absorb in the past. While we do not know for sure what our Medicaid costs for 2006 will be until the final numbers are certified by New York State on June 30th of 2006, we anticipate our local share of these expenses to rise by $1.2 million dollars.

Medicaid is still the single largest item in the Broome County Budget comprising approximately 11% of the total budget. I will continue to pressure our state lawmakers to better manage Medicaid. Our state by far has the highest Medicaid expenses, including highest total amount, highest per recipient and highest per capita.”

2006 State of the County

“Medicaid is a concern but our Medicaid situation is in much better shape than it was a few years ago, thanks to the state Medicaid cap. But I feel it is important to note that even with the cap in place our costs increased by $1.7 million from 2004 to 2005 and they will continue to increase this year by approximately $1.2 million dollars.

The cap has been a tremendous help in planning for the future but everyone needs to remember this does not make our Medicaid problem disappear. It is still quite a drain on our local resources, comprising about 11 percent of our overall budget or about $34 million dollars a year.

That is why we need to work on continuing to reduce the Medicaid burden that exists for property taxpayers across New York State. This is not to say that those in need will be sacrificed or ignored. I absolutely do not believe that should happen.

However, the system and how it is administered by New York State is broken. It seems there is complete incompetence, fraud or both.

The New York Times reported last year that our Medicaid system which is quote-the most expensive and most generous in the nation-has been misspending billions as a result of fraud, waste and profiteering. This has got to be stopped.

I strongly advocate an aggressive approach to cracking down on fraud. That is why I sought to have Broome County become one of the first counties in New York State to join the Verify New York Program.

This program will enable counties like Broome to flag inefficiencies and billing irregularities. The demonstration project makes counties partners in the effort to detect, investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud.

By participating in this project, we are not assuming there is fraud on the local level, however, if we do nothing, we will never know and I would rather take steps to protect the taxpayers’ dollars than simply hope there is not a problem.

This is not costing Broome County a dime and if any money is recovered as a result of fraud, we will share in those recovered funds.

I want to assure you that Broome County Security Department efforts, to investigate user fraud, will continue as well.”

2007 Budget Address

“In the 2002 resolution, lawmakers resolved that they would review the sales tax distribution formula, “…if within the next 5 years, New York State should assume the County share of Medicaid costs…”

Today I tell you that Broome County Government’s share of Medicaid stands at $33.7 million dollars and climbing. In my opinion, a nearly $34 million dollar Medicaid bill proves that the state has not “assumed the County share of Medicaid costs” and Medicaid remains a huge tax burden.”

2008 Budget Address

“Let me again reiterate, Broome county’s Medicaid problem is not fixed.”

“For anyone to say that the Medicaid is fixed is not only incorrect, it is irresponsible and a dangerous message to send to Albany.”

For full remarks visit: http://www.gobroomecounty.com/files/countyexec/pdfs/2008BudgetFinal.pdf

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Thank you Leigh Ann, for taking the time to write and bring to light Ms. Fiala’s efforts to contain Medicaid costs. As a taxpayer in Broome County, I appreciate her efforts. – Jim

Technorati Tags: Medicaid, Barbara Fiala, Leigh Ann Scheider, Broome County