Bush budget would cut billions for NY, opponents say

[cal04]

New York state would lose at least $1 billion annually in federal funding if changes to the government's health programs for the poor proposed by President Bush are enacted, opponents said Monday.

The newly released budget plan also calls for about $2 billion in new tax incentives to build a rail link between lower Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport by "trading in" unused Sept. 11 aid.
Both the cuts and new rail spending would still have to be approved by Congress, where opposition is already mounting to Bush's lean spending package for the fiscal year beginning in October.

"This is my 25th budget ... and I have never seen a worse budget for New York," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Under the new proposal, New York stands to lose the most in Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care to the poor. The White House has proposed changing how the federal government distributes money to make it more effective, saying some states have mismanaged their share.

In New York, an estimated 3.7 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, plus an additional 550,000 residents under an expanded Medicaid program, according to state figures. That means more than 1 in 5 New Yorkers is enrolled in some type of Medicaid program.
The COPS program, aimed to help cities hire more police officers, would be slashed from $378 million to $117 million, representing a cut of about 70 percent.The congressman said such programs have been caught in a financial tug-of-war between President Bush and Congress in previous years, but the 2006 budget takes a harder position."The starting line for this fight is much further back than it has been in a long time," said Weiner.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usimpa0208,0,7615107.story?coll=ny-top-headlines

[musette_sf]

1. Well, of course!

The Bu$hies HATE New York. You should have gotten your first clue on that, oh, say, about 3 years ago or thereabouts.

[ClintonTyree]

2. We're a "blue state"..........................

what else would you expect from a childish bully like bush?

He'll probably send all of our money to Nebraska for some "faith based" initiatives. Those "red state" people are MUCH more deserving of Federal funds than New York.

The little pecker head shouldn't forget that if it wasn't for the State of New York's tragedy on 9/11 he'd be in Crawford now clearing every bit of brush from his pig farm.

What goes around, comes around. There will be a day when Democrats rule the roost again, and it will be sooner, not later. Then there will be a bit of payback. Maybe we'll give Texas back to Mexico. I sure as hell wouldn't miss it.

[Ilsa]

3. It must have been easy for Bolton and Bush to design this one:

If the item or program does something to help regular and poor people, it is cut or eliminated. If it is something to kill people or help the rich, it gets more funding.

The current Wars aren't even counted. Neither is the cost of *'s new pet project, SS.

[Sleepless In NY]

4. We really all should be calling Clinton & Schumer about this

they have let bush get away with too much as it is. Please call them today & ask what they intend to do about this, as well as any of your other NY Representatives.