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April 6, 2005
Pataki Mulls Options on State Budget as Health Advocates Call for No Vetoes
The hallways of the State Capitol in Albany have been eerily quiet in the past few days -- lobbyists, advocates, staff and the press are standing by as Governor George Pataki considers whether to use his veto pen on budget bills passed by the Legislature last week. Three-way negotiations are continuing in a number of areas, including health care and welfare, but there have been few public statements by any of the players as to their positions and intentions.
Medicaid Matters, the consumer-side health care advocacy group of which Housing Works is a leading member, is hitting Albany on Wednesday with a clear, simple message: No cuts to benefits and services in Medicaid, Child Health Plus or Family Health Plus, period. MMNY has put forward a comprehensive set of recommendations for saving money while keeping the services needed to save lives and protect the public health (see medicaidmatters.org) and we'll be pressing leading legislators and their staff to protect these important public programs.
And Local 1199/SEIU is planning a day of health advocacy events across the state this Thursday to urge approval of the legislative budget, and block any Pataki vetoes. The health care workers' union has spoken out loudly, clearly and admirably against Medicaid and Family Health Plus cuts. But their credibility has been hurt by revelations that a multi-million dollar initiative to boost worker salaries at upstate nursing homes made it into budget bills without a single mention during the conference committee process, ostensibly designed to allow public examination and analysis of budget proposals.
Housing Works is urging Governor Pataki to stand down in his effort to cut Medicaid and Family Health Plus benefits further than the Legislature was willing to cut. The on-time legislative budget included powerful new tools to save money through cutting drug costs, switching from expensive institutional long-term care towards home care and consumer-directed care, and implementing disease management strategies that can improve health and save money at the same time. Let's work on these first before pushing for further cuts that will hurt poor and disabled New Yorkers, Governor -- give that veto pen a rest.