Hochul lays blame for Medicaid cuts on Stefanik
Turnout in Glens Falls for Democratic primary was just 28 percent
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Gov. Kathy Hochul appears to be taking Rep. Elise Stefanik's candidacy for governor seriously with her appearance deep in the heart of the North Country this past week.
Hochul visited Saranac Lake and sat down for an interview with North Country Public Radio.
She also appeared at a Town Hall meeting - something Rep. Stefanik has not done in years in her own district - at Harrietstown Town Hall.
Hochul was taking the fight to Stefanik by telling her constituents how the "Big Beautiful Bill" about to be passed in Congress will hurt them.
"I need to let people know that loud and clear. Our state budget does not have the capacity to be able to offset these horrible cuts," Hochul. "So, if we don't sound the alarm now and get people to stand up and call on their legislators and demand that they support them and not their own political interests."
Hochul appeared to be laying the blame at Stefanik's feet, calling on Stefanik to vote against the final bill. That seems unlikely since she voted for the first version of the bill.
Hochul demanded she stand up and show some "courage."
"I had to come here today and tell you why this moment in time is very perilous,” Hochul said. “It’s dangerous right now because of decisions being made in Washington as we speak."
"This area is under siege," Hochul said during the town hall.
Ironically, those words came one day before President Trump renewed his trade war with Canada.
"The tariffs are already having an impact," Hochul said during the NCPR interview. "The lack of Canadian visitors is having an impact already, but this bill, you know, will just hurt, hit the heart of people who live in the North Country and for people in nursing homes, their parents and grandparents, and others, people with disabilities who count on Medicaid. People need to know what they're in store for."
Hochul went on to warn that hospitals will be danger of closing or reducing services if the bill passes.
Hudson Headwaters Chief Medical Officer William Borgos spoke as well. The Adirondack Explorer reported that Hudson Headwaters was anticipating a loss of $2.3 million to proposed Medicaid cuts and that the Community Health Center Association projected the cuts would cost the state $300 million state-wide.
Borgos said the organization would be facing "devastating consequences."
Hochul said that 1.5 million New Yorkers would lose health care, including 44,000 in the North Country.
Nicole Lauren, CEO of Joint Council for Economic Opportunity, told The Adirondack Explorer the cuts would have a drastic affect on clients that are already struggling to feed themselves.
"It's a growing issue in our region, and one that touches every corner of our community," Lauren said. "It's parents who skip meals so their children can eat. It's seniors who choose to buy prescriptions instead of groceries, and it's working families who do absolutely everytihng right month after month."
It sounds like someone describing a third-world country, but it is happening right here in our communities.
The bill before Congress would cut nutrition programs for children and energy assistances for families struggling to get by.
"They aren't just programs," Lauren told The Explorer, "they are lifelines."
Garry Douglas, the president and CEO of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, talked about the importance of Canada to manufacturing supply chain and the tourism industry in the region.
Visitation from Canada to New York is down 30 percent this year.
"We don't believe that is going to reverse this year," Douglas said.
And then there was the farmers.
Mike Murphy, a manager and partner in a local farm, also spoke.
"Our farm supply wouldn't function without the contributions of our 50 immigrant workers," he told the crowd and that Congress' failure to pass "meaningful immigration reform" has left farms without enough skilled workers.
"The back and forth from the federal government is exhausting and disruptive," Murphy said. "One day massive deportations are promised. The next day, there's talk of exemptions for farm workers."
And it appears the worst is still ahead of us.
PBS fact check
On Friday, President Trump said that taxes will go up 68 percent if the Big Beautiful Bill is not approved. That would be the highest increase in history.
"That needs some context," PBS reporter Lisa Desjardins said as part of a fact check on the PBS NewsHour broadcast. She found that Trump had confused his numbers. Taxes would not go up 68 percent, but that 64 percent of Americans would see a tax increase.
Trump also said that he was cutting $1.7 trillion in spending but that Medicaid would be "left alone."
Desjardins confirmed there was $1.7 trillion in cuts, but those cuts are across a broad sector that includes not only Medicaid, but student loans as well. And while some Americans may not feel the impact, the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will effectmillions of Americans.
Trump also said Medicaid "will be the same."
Desjardins found that was not true either with Republicans admitting, "They want to change Medicaid."
"And when you look at the idea here - Is it being cut or not? - Republicans will say, well, we're cutting the rate of growth, not necessarily cutting — there will be more spending on it," Desjardins explained. "But that cut in the rate of growth is significant. It would be a cut in spending."
And that means many will lose health insurance.
The New York Times wrote this on Thursday about the popularity of the bill:
"We showed a random selection of voters how the bill would affect the take-home income of less affluent Americans versus the top 1 percent. Opposition exploded, with only 11 percent of Americans supporting the bill — one-third the level of support seen among those not shown the distributional results. Among Republicans, the shift was even larger: Support and opposition flipped — to nearly 3 to 1 opposition from nearly 3 to 1 support."
The devil is in the details.
Glens Falls turnout
Glens Falls, a city of about 15,000, has 3,429 registered Democrats as of February 2024.
Of those Democrats 971 voted in the Glens Falls primary for mayor with Diana Palmer besting Bill Collins 694-277.
That's a turnout of just 28.3 percent.
You can make your own judgements about that figure.
Village of Vale
Took in Adirondack Theater Festival's "Village of Vale" Saturday night and while I've always been a supporter of the theater, the performance Saturday night left me speechless.
The sheer talent on this little Glens Falls stage was mind-boggling. At first, I didn't know what to make of this fantasy/thriller, but as it played out I felt like was watching the beginnings of something much bigger - like Star Wars.
This just seemed like it had the potential to be the next BIG thing. And the fact it is starting here in Glens Falls should not surprise anyone. It has been happening for years.
Thurston back
Stephen Thursday, who ran the Foothills Business Daily before taking over as managing editor at The Post-Star, is back with another news publication.
The Saratoga Dispatch made its debut this week.
Before shuttering the Foothills Business Daily, Thurston was covering stories in both Saratoga, Glens Falls and many places in between.
Here is what he had to say on Facebook about his new product:
Proud to announce a news website for Saratoga Springs that I launched with my friend Abby Tegnelia, the former editor of Saratoga Living and Capital District Living magazines - SaratogaDispatch.Substack.com.
Thurston promises daily news from the Spa City and wrote this:
It's a daily news site located in Saratoga Springs, run by people who live in Saratoga Springs, and it covers Saratoga Springs. I'm employing the same news style I used when I ran Foothills Business Daily .com, so the writing is accurate and easy-to-read.
I've never worked with a pro in the lifestyle's/culture and arts writing. Abby's voice on the lifestyle stuff (and her knowledge of Spa City culture) adds such a great vibe to the stuff I write. If you want to know who's doing what in Spa City, read The Dispatch.
We are leading the way into the future of local journalism. Please support us with a paid subscription.
Climate change
You don't hear as many people disputing the existence of "climate change" anymore. When I was in New Orleans last week, it was hotter here in Glens Falls (98 on Wednesday). I obviously went south to get out of the heat.
The United States had its warmest year ever in 2024 and the rise in temperatures is escalating.
Ken Tingley spent more than four decades working in small community newspapers in upstate New York. Since retirement in 2020 he has written three books and is currently adapting his second book "The Last American Newspaper" into a play. He currently lives in Queensbury, N.Y.
I applaud the Governor for finally fighting back against the most vicious, vile member of congress in my lifetime. However, these same folks who are so concerned are the same ones who heaped praise on Stefanik for funding she voted against or had nothing to do with and in the end, like so many other useful idiots, they will still support the MAGA party. Gerry Douglas has been a cowardly Stefanik subservient for years and is complicit in supporting her agenda of lies and misinformation. Yes I am deeply concerned for our region but have no sympathy for the crybabies who kneel at the feet of Stefanik, Stec, Simpson and McNulty.
Thanks Gov. Bringing issues to local residents is the responsibility of local leaders. Stepping in when the local elected leader ignores her constituents is a strong response and should be recognized. Thanks again.