NYS joins the "bailout bandwagon" - what will it mean for Buffalo? (New York: insurance)

[FedupWNY]

New York Governor Paterson seeks a federal bailout, calling it an "Economic recovery agenda"

Included in his request:

*$500 billion in aid to states and working families,

*$250 billion for countercyclical programs such as Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP), unemployment insurance, food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child care;

*$250 billion for flexible education block grants to states.

$300 billion for infrastructure investments, including funds for “ready-to-go” projects to rehabilitate and construct our transportation, water, schools, housing, broadband, and health information technology infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs in the near-term, and supporting economic development, public health and safety for decades to come; and funds for longer-term projects, which have transformative regional impacts, create green jobs, and support national goals for energy efficiency, environmental conservation and smart growth.

I'm no fool. NYS has been a neglected state for as long as I can remember, but Buffalo/upstate has been ignored much longer and I keep wondering how much will upstate benefit from generations of downstate governors?

I can support the NYS bailout, as long as it's going to cover the entire State of New York equally based on needs and not population.

[HeadedWest]

So is this bailout for all states, or just those which have been fiscally irresponsible?

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

So is this bailout for all states, or just those which have been fiscally irresponsible?

It's a "joining" of several governors seeking financial help from the federal government. Gov. Paterson is requesting for what was above quoted.

[MarineFromBuffalo]

Originally Posted by FedupWNY

New York Governor Paterson seeks a federal bailout, calling it an "Economic recovery agenda"

Included in his request:



I'm no fool. NYS has been a neglected state for as long as I can remember, but Buffalo/upstate has been ignored much longer and I keep wondering how much will upstate benefit from generations of downstate governors?

I can support the NYS bailout, as long as it's going to cover the entire State of New York equally based on needs and not population.

I hope if given the bailout NYS uses the money wisely. But knowing NYS I bet about 70% stays downstate. Which is a shame because not only Buffalo but a lot of other cities could use the money and would probably put it to better use.

[juppiter]

I don't think NYS should get a bail out per se, but it should get reimbursed in some manner due to the fact that it doesn't receive nearly as much federal aid as most other states.

[nar69]

being in the healthcare industry i can tell you this right now....new york medicaid program is WAY too generous. hands out branded medications that cost 400-700 dollars as opposed to generics that are 50-100. i know in some cases it's necessary, but in many it's not.

that would be a good place to start cutting funds...

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by juppiter

I don't think NYS should get a bail out per se, but it should get reimbursed in some manner due to the fact that it doesn't receive nearly as much federal aid as most other states.

The infrastructure funding is really needed especially in Buffalo & Niagara Falls.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by juppiter

I don't think NYS should get a bail out per se, but it should get reimbursed in some manner due to the fact that it doesn't receive nearly as much federal aid as most other states.

If every state got reimbursed exactly 100% for what they paid, we could save a lot of money by just eliminating a big chunk of the federal government. (Many of the bureaucrats spend all day figuring out where money should be spent.)

Then the money wouldn't leave the state in the first place, and it wouldn't be subject to political games and frictional losses in DC.

But then I guess your argument would scale down to disparities in the way the state spends the money. Just like now: NYC versus the rest of the state.

You could eliminate that problem by ensuring that as much money as possible collected within a county doesn't leave the county.

But then towns and cities within counties could have an allocation not equal to their contribution.

Ultimately, what you get when you pursue this logic is that we should all keep much of our taxes ourselves, to spend how we like. Then every person has control.

Which is pretty much how the founders imagined the country would work.

[tikitwo8765]

i agree with fedupny, infrastructure is really needed in buffalo and niagara falls