ALBANY – One day after Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo blasted a federal proposal to shift Medicaid costs from counties to the state, saying it was not his responsibility, he said a double-digit income tax hike could be on the horizon for New Yorkers.
The governor said taxes could rise 26 percent. His comment is contrary to what he said on Wednesday.
“What makes you think the state should pay?”, Cuomo asked
on Wednesday. “The counties get the sales tax from 1960, which is
when they took over Medicaid. This is the federal government’s idea.
Why does it become my responsibility to bail out the federal government.”
Republican Assemblyman Peter Lopez (R-102) had his own idea of where the state could get the funds to cover it.
“Instead of $4 billion in slush money, we need to reverse course,” Lopez said. “Instead of $4 billion in slush money, pull that money back and use it to cover the local share of Medicaid.”
Another GOP assemblyman, Karl Brabenec (R-98) also said the state should pick up the tab.
“The governor is coming out against it, but what that could amount to is a 26 percent increase in middle class taxes,” Brabenec said. “That is something we can’t afford.”
Rep. John Faso (R, NY-19), who along with Rep. Chris Collins proposed
the Medicaid funding shift, said the governor and state legislature should
“cut inefficient or ineffective programs, particularly the corporate
welfare of which he is so fond” to cover the Medicaid tab.
