Comments on: Will Cities Get Some of the Stimulus Money? http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/17/will-cities-get-some-of-the-stimulus-money/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jmc http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/17/will-cities-get-some-of-the-stimulus-money/comment-page-1/#comment-63500 jmc Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:00:31 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5483#comment-63500 Rhywun, do you spend much time in the hospital? Smoking is a huge part of health costs. The idea that smokers just drop dead and thereby save the government money is a fallacy. Lung cancer and CV disease is very expensive to treat. Strokes can cause massive increases in health care spending as they leave people incapacitated. Rhywun, do you spend much time in the hospital? Smoking is a huge part of health costs. The idea that smokers just drop dead and thereby save the government money is a fallacy. Lung cancer and CV disease is very expensive to treat. Strokes can cause massive increases in health care spending as they leave people incapacitated.

]]> By: rex http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/17/will-cities-get-some-of-the-stimulus-money/comment-page-1/#comment-63156 rex Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:08:06 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5483#comment-63156 That is part of the fallacy of funding only "shovel ready" projects. Engineers need work too. Oh well, the stimulus package was designed to "jump start" the economy. It has been a while since I have worked on a car, but if I remember right, a jump start only works on a car with a dead battery. If the engine is broken, a jump start will only make a whirring noise for as long as you give it juice. That is part of the fallacy of funding only “shovel ready” projects. Engineers need work too.

Oh well, the stimulus package was designed to “jump start” the economy. It has been a while since I have worked on a car, but if I remember right, a jump start only works on a car with a dead battery. If the engine is broken, a jump start will only make a whirring noise for as long as you give it juice.

]]> By: Rhywun http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/17/will-cities-get-some-of-the-stimulus-money/comment-page-1/#comment-63155 Rhywun Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:02:25 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5483#comment-63155 Actually, non-smokers live longer and therefore consume <i>more</i> Medicaid dollars (and more health-care dollars in general). But your point about NYC always getting the shaft from the rest of the state is accurate. Actually, non-smokers live longer and therefore consume more Medicaid dollars (and more health-care dollars in general).

But your point about NYC always getting the shaft from the rest of the state is accurate.

]]> By: Mark Walker http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/17/will-cities-get-some-of-the-stimulus-money/comment-page-1/#comment-63154 Mark Walker Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:57:12 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5483#comment-63154 We're partying like it's 1945. We’re partying like it’s 1945.

]]> By: SeenThePlans http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/17/will-cities-get-some-of-the-stimulus-money/comment-page-1/#comment-63153 SeenThePlans Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:52:11 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5483#comment-63153 It's the same situation right here in New York City (at least for money coming through USDOT). The only projects that can qualify for stimulus money are those that were planned and procured by the federal process and are inches away from being ready to break ground. It’s the same situation right here in New York City (at least for money coming through USDOT). The only projects that can qualify for stimulus money are those that were planned and procured by the federal process and are inches away from being ready to break ground.

]]> By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/17/will-cities-get-some-of-the-stimulus-money/comment-page-1/#comment-63151 Larry Littlefield Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:22:40 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5483#comment-63151 It is worth noting that the federal stimulus bill requires that in states that shift part of the cost of Medicaid to the local level (basically ours), some of the savings be passed onto localities rather than be captured entirely by the state. And, it requires that the federal education aid be distributed in accordance with the pre-existing state school aid program. The past practice has been for the state to slash state aid to the city's schools while increasing state education funding for the rest of the state -- generally buying off the UFT with a pension enhancement, devastating the city's schools even more. That's what happened in the mid-1990s. And, when the tobacco companies ponied up money to settle lawsuits based on the higher Medicaid costs caused by their profits, the state not only spent the whole future settlement stream up front by bonding against it, but also distributed the local share of the money in proportion to population even though NYC had paid most of the Medicaid local share the companies were repaying. In short, someone in Washington had the idea that the rest of the state is out to get NYC, and tried to stop it. No such luck on transport. And I wouldn't could on Albany getting around the other stuff too. It is worth noting that the federal stimulus bill requires that in states that shift part of the cost of Medicaid to the local level (basically ours), some of the savings be passed onto localities rather than be captured entirely by the state.

And, it requires that the federal education aid be distributed in accordance with the pre-existing state school aid program.

The past practice has been for the state to slash state aid to the city’s schools while increasing state education funding for the rest of the state — generally buying off the UFT with a pension enhancement, devastating the city’s schools even more. That’s what happened in the mid-1990s.

And, when the tobacco companies ponied up money to settle lawsuits based on the higher Medicaid costs caused by their profits, the state not only spent the whole future settlement stream up front by bonding against it, but also distributed the local share of the money in proportion to population even though NYC had paid most of the Medicaid local share the companies were repaying.

In short, someone in Washington had the idea that the rest of the state is out to get NYC, and tried to stop it. No such luck on transport. And I wouldn’t could on Albany getting around the other stuff too.

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