We have hooked up now with governor David Paterson in Albany and the governor now is on the WB -- live line Governor Paterson good morning. It. When he started and ask your question about health care. The US senator early this morning cleared -- last obstacle health care reform which means that passage of the president's health care reform measures. Virtually assured. This week probably on Christmas you know. You say that health care reform is going to be end quote untenable burden for New York State -- probably. Understand the implications -- likely impact of this bill in New York State more so than the average person explain why you feel this way. Well John let me -- as a preamble to this. Tell you that. The last incarnation of the bill that I saw was Saturday afternoon and that's what I issued this release I don't. I am not aware that anything has changed. But it's it has I reserve the right to come back and tell you that they've addressed the problem. But the three states that the hardest hit by the build the states that would not fare well. The state of Massachusetts Vermont and New York State. As of Saturday. Massachusetts and Vermont and would give him some sweeteners. As was the state of Nebraska last night to -- senator Nelson's vote. And the situation has improved considerably for those states the problem is that -- has the most generous. Medicaid plan in the country. But wait the states are making money off of the bill is by enlisting new Medicaid patients -- New York he would do that we're at the limit. Our. We are in the sense bill being punished for our own charity. And with no change in that we could lose the one point one to one point 25 billion dollars a year as a result of this bill and I've been pointing this out. For the last few weeks. And I do believe that our -- the US senators Schumer and Gillibrand are aware of this now and our -- Trying to. -- address this situation. And I spoke to. Senator -- Saturday and Sunday he. Get -- these you know he's. Working very hard as he always is for states but that is. My head that was my understanding with the -- stood. One Saturday. And some of this is kind of complicated but I think the easiest waited -- to put it. Is -- New York suffered under the Medicaid bill and New York has been suffering under the Medicaid -- John forever. Medicaid reimbursement is is factored. Point eight per capita income basis. And New York State because of the -- We used to have the large salaries go Wall Street. Appears to have a better situation than it actually does. Per capita income reimbursement is a long way to factor Medicaid reimbursement Medicaid is. An issue of poverty when people -- below the poverty line to qualify for Medicaid. The poverty rate in our state should be good measure and neither of poverty rate is pretty 5% higher than the national average. And efficiently and that you have so many states. That are lecturing the rest of the world one. How we should managed carefully with the resources but they're getting so much more money back from the federal government that they pay in taxes state like South Carolina. Mississippi Alabama. These states are benefiting immeasurably. The US state in 2007. -- 86 point nine billion dollars more power to Washington and it got back. And the second state. What California who got paid about sixty billion dollars more than they got back in California. -- Twice our population so. Why is it really has got to people affair with neither state which has been the bailout package for the rest of the country -- Governor Paterson a lot of people would say well why is New York being so generous with Medicaid. Is and that's see where we should go after this problem. Well actually. Let's leave out how we feel about the Medicaid program -- sentences of what I'm saying it. The way they've constructed the bill but what Medicaid patients you add. And that the the -- you will. You'll benefit under this bill. That's just how is New York has already had a generous Medicaid. Packets obviously to -- the bills written we should not have because now we get and the patients and and and make. Make our money back but you would think that if this bill is encouraging. The idea of having fewer people few people needing health insurance. That you would think it since the year authority complied with that standard that we would get some equitable benefits to doing what Washington is doing now. Governor let's move on two. The subject -- stated to schools now you've already announced that you're going to delay aide to school districts across the state. You've said that you've done a lot of research and you know that there are a lot of those surpluses and many of these districts. Now members of school boards of the -- that you have a rainy day fund surplus. And their asking why can't you use some of that money to soft on the blow. I mean -- earlier today is the readiness or else. You have exhausted. Which it we have exhausted the rainy day fund. We view of the rainy day fund as of now. We have units are short term investment pools these are little pools of money that we keep in case of an emergency. We exhausted every available resource. We got to a point we owed about five billion dollars and we had about four billion dollars. So we were a billion dollars in -- And that's why I delayed the payment. It is if you owed. A hundred dollars and you have radio and you over a hundred dollars to. If you were given immunity psyched up to eighty dollars sort of state. And divided equally by percentage to the groups that we that we were making payments -- we delayed the last twenty. The only other way this uses the it was the kind of -- executive option that I have taken. But if I hadn't you know what would have happened is we've we've just made the payments as they came in and that we -- zero would have made no -- -- So the school. Districts have better. -- Oh this reality that 95%. Of these school districts have reserve fund that would cover. These cost when they had a the teachers unions and they've rounded up some. School board association and some other education institutions they're big press summit last Wednesday. And they actually had. A person get up from machine and local school district which is Saratoga county. Complaining. About the devastation that these delayed payments is going to occur. That that that is gonna create the school that fiction and a -- has three point eight million. Three point 8001000 visitors. And the cut be delayed payments. That we are imposing let them. Amount to 180000. Dollars by 8% of the money that they have. Had a good over the complained that the other thing is it the chicken union. The special interest. Have been they were to win this lawsuit. They would be taking. Almost all of the four billion dollars that I simply had to pay. Leaving the other group the local government. These service providers. And other movies towns and villages end. And cities around the state. They would have at by taking all the rest of the resources. They would have taken what was in 19% delayed for all the group. And multiply it to become a 67%. Delayed payment for the other groups so in other words they've -- in the special interest anymore but the special. That extra special interest selflessly. Taking the last three resources away from the other groups with their losses.
