Budget

Talk Radio Made Me Do It

March 22, 2012 Budget

Talk radio is certainly not my gig. But I was asked on to a local show, Al Roney on AM 1300, this afternoon and it really forced me to do something I don’t do often, or particularly well: really simplify. As in simplify a lot. So it was an interesting and personally challenging exercise. The […]

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We Have a New Candidate for Humpty Dumpty

March 21, 2012 Budget

We said here that it seemed that the leadership of the Albany County Legislature was trying to cover their tracks by confusing everyone. Are they succeeding? Here’s the latest story from the Times Union. We’ll get to the substance later, but at least the State Health Department isn’t buying what Shawn Morse is selling: What’s […]

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Franklin County Really Wants Out the Nursing Home Business

March 7, 2012 Budget

Franklin County is moving ahead with turning its Nursing Home over to a local hospital. From the Adirondack Daily Enterprise: Alice Hyde’s nursing home now has 75 beds and the county nursing home has 80. The new facility would have 135 regular beds plus space for 30 assisted-living residents, who don’t need as much care […]

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Suffolk County Deficit

March 6, 2012 Budget

Most of this story is behind the Newsday pay wall, but the headline is noteworthy. Suffolk County closed 2011 with a $33 million budget gap — believed to be its first year-end deficit in 20 years, officials said Monday. I’ll have to go poke around to see what $33 million is as a percentage.

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Well, it’s Not Like Local Governments are all Flush. Krugman on the Economic Effects of Municipal Retrenchment

March 5, 2012 Budget

In Today’s New York Times, Paul Krugman writes States of Depression. In discussing the sluggish economic recovery, he says: But one significant factor in our continuing economic weakness is the fact that government in America is doing exactly what both theory and history say it shouldn’t: slashing spending in the face of a depressed economy. […]

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So What’s a New County Executive to Do?

February 26, 2012 Budget

Dan McCoy, Albany’s new County Executive will present his first State-of-the-County address this evening, March 5, 2012. What’s he going to say? Here’s my first prediction. Dan McCoy is going to call for selling the Albany County Nursing Home. Why, after building his political coalition among legislators and others, who overwhelmingly wanted to stay in […]

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Albany County Budget Stands … as a Document … Stay Tuned for Reality

December 15, 2011 Budget

As we noted earlier, Mike Breslin, the retiring Albany County Executive vetoed a number of legislative changes to his proposed budget. They would have had the unusual effect of increasing property taxes because he vetoed increased revenue estimates and new forms of “savings.” This past evening, by a very close vote (two-thirds of the members […]

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Albany County Budget Vetoes Would Increase (Not Decrease) Property Taxes

December 13, 2011 Budget

Albany County Executive Michael Breslin, with just a couple weeks to go before his 16 year tenure ends, has issued a series of unusual budget vetoes. These may be his most significant budget vetoes ever and they certainly are within the past half-dozen years, but there’s a twist. They would lead to increased property taxes […]

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The Next Generation of Medicaid in New York

December 12, 2011 Budget

I used to write a lot about New York’s Medicaid program here (here are the Medicaid posts). But then, just as a cap on growth of local government (New York City and counties outside NYC) Medicaid liabilities was created, I went to work for one of those counties. The county liability is now fixed by […]

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Another NY County Shedding its Nursing Home

December 9, 2011 Budget

No budget detail yet, but as part of its budget process, Ulster County has determined to get out of the nursing home business. They’ve established a county-run limited development corporation (LDC) as an intermediary to smooth the process. More details later.

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