A legislative column from Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R,I,C – East Northport)

Now that the governor has presented his 2012-13 Executive Budget proposal, it is time for the Assembly and the Senate, state agencies, local governments, school districts and the public to comb through the many pages and separate the good from the bad. In Albany, public hearings have begun. Many people from across the state will attend these hearings to get questions answered and to bring ideas to the table.

The governor’s budget is on the right track but there are some areas where he has only brushed the surface, especially in regard to New York’s costliest program, Medicaid, and mandate relief for local governments and school districts.

Annually, $53 billion is spent on Medicaid costs in New York, which is roughly twice the national average.  New York is currently only one of a handful of states that requires comparable Medicaid contribution levels from the counties and the state. This means that Washington pays 50 percent, New York State pays 25 percent and taxpayers get stuck with the remaining 25 percent. This formula is a leading cost-driver for higher taxes in Suffolk County and elsewhere.

Last year, we took a big step forward in providing relief to taxpayers by passing a 2 percent cap on property taxes. This will only be successful, however, if we can provide local governments and school districts with meaningful mandate relief, so they can work within their means with the new cap in place.

A perfect solution for our municipalities and schools would be to immediately freeze local contributions to Medicaid while gradually phasing in Albany’s assumption of the program’s costs over the next eight years. A bill that I co-sponsor, Assembly bill 8644, would not only help our communities but also bring attention to a state program that has become unaffordable. Under this legislation, the governor and lt. governor would have the power to make changes to Medicaid in order to ensure a proper safety net for our state’s poor and vulnerable citizens.

While we do have our work cut out for us in some areas of the budget, I believe Gov. Cuomo has made strides toward a stronger education system in New York. Education has always been a priority for me, and I applaud Gov. Cuomo for giving Long Island schools their fair share.

As I said before, we are in the beginning stages, and I look forward to hearing from my constituents and engaging in a spirited debate with my colleagues as we forge ahead to create a budget that is fiscally responsible and realistically manageable.