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It’s a theme that Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb hopes to hear in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s second State of the State address on Wednesday and the governor has already hinted that he’ll focus on the expansion of casino gambling and infrastructure improvements, two items that could be linked to long-term job growth and economic stability.

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LEADER BRIAN KOLB, ASSEMBLY MINORITY CONFERENCE FIGHT TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS FROM SOARING MEDICAID COSTS ANDGOVERNMENT SPENDING
Leader Kolb and Minority Conference offer amendments to cap state spending and freeze local share of Medicaid costs

In an effort to protect taxpayers from the explosive growth of state government spending and decrease the crushing burden of New York’s Medicaid program on local governments, Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) and the Minority Conference proposed two amendments to the Albany tax deal.  The tax deal passed at 1:00 a.m. this morning.

The two amendments – Assembly Bill A.5370 and Assembly Bill A.8453 – were offered by the Assembly Minority Conference to the principal legislation enacting the Albanytax deal.  The state spending cap amendment (A.5370) would have capped year-to-year increases in state spending to the average rate of inflation of the three previous calendar years.  The Medicaid spending cap amendment (A.8453) would have frozen the municipal share of local Medicaid costs at the current level, an important step toward reducing Medicaid costs and delivering unfunded mandate relief for localities.  Both amendments were defeated by the Assembly Democratic Majority by votes of 88 to 51 (state spending cap) and 74 to 63 (Medicaid cap).

“New York may be ‘open for business,’ but Albany was ‘business as usual’ late last night.  The Albany tax deal enacted in the dead of night yesterday – with zero public hearings, zero public input and zero transparency – failed to address two of the biggest threats to New York’s fiscal stability: our state’s addiction to spending and its skyrocketing Medicaid costs. The inability, or unwillingness, to tackle these two huge fiscal challenges was a colossal missed opportunity and will end up costing taxpayers more later on down the line,” said Leader Kolb, who has spoken out against the Albany tax deal and the process used to enact it.

“Government spending and Medicaid were left untouched by Albany’s tax deal despite the fact that from 2000 to 2010, state spending increased by an unsustainable rate of nearly 70 percent.  Also unaffected was the state’s Medicaid program – the costliest in our nation. New York spends more on Medicaid than Texas and Florida combined, even though these two states have almost 44 million residents to our 19 million.  It is clear that reducing Medicaid costs and reining in state spending should have been on the agenda during yesterday’s Special Session.  Instead, they were swept under the rug,” Leader Kolb concluded.

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Finger Lakes Times

Submitted photo

Brian Kolb

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (right) examines a bottle of Champagne with Frontenac Point Vineyard Owner Jim Doolittle.Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb, R-129 of Canandaigua, recently toured Frontenac Point Vineyard and Estate Winery, 9501 Route 89 near Trumansburg.

Kolb toured the facility and met with a group of local residents to discuss a variety of legislative issues, including state agriculture, wine in grocery stores and other local matters.It was part of a larger tour of small businesses in the 129th state Assembly district.For more information about Frontenac, which is owned by Jim and Carol Doolittle, call (607) 387-9619 or visit www.frontenacpoint.com.

They say their goal is to create a more effective form of government that doesn’t burden its costs on you.

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40 hear pitch: Assembly Minority Leader Kolb tells Lewis County residents he supports redistricting, term limits, spending cap.

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