By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Erie County Executive Joel Giambra continues his Medicaid crusade by attending yet another rally in support reforms.
Monday morning, Giambra left on a flight from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport to travel to Long Island. Before leaving Buffalo, Giambra told reporters that many other counties in New York are suffering from the high costs of the state's Medicaid mandates. Giambra says he believes Medicaid reform is finally at the top of the agenda in the State Legislature.
"As we travel throughout the state talking, the message is the Medicaid crisis is coming to a county near you," Giambra said. "There are four counties in the state right now that are at or near their constitutional taxing limit. That means they are insolvent. So, Medicaid is really killing every county government and taxpayers across the state."
Tuesday, Giambra travels to Albany to attend another Medicaid reform effort.
The County Executive also responded to county lawmakers' attempts to ask the Western New York delegation to the State Legislature for emergency spending help. Giambra is pleased with their efforts. He says state lawmakers "slammed the door" on taxpayers in his recent request to have the state pay for NFTA funding.
Among those in Albany Monday were Finance and Management Committee Chair Demone Smith and the newest county legislator, Timothy Kennedy. They were scheduled to make the case that the county is in desperate need of some relief.