Spokane7
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February 2, 2010 in City
Gregoire counting on federal cash
Medicaid assistance would reduce cutbacks, she says
OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire said she’s confident the federal government will come up with $435 million for Medicaid reimbursements over the next 18 months, easing somewhat the cuts the state would have to make on health care spending to fill a projected hole in its budget.
At a Monday press conference to announce the number of jobs generated by federal stimulus money, Gregoire said she expects both houses of Congress will extend the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages, or FMAP, in a way that sends higher reimbursement for Medicaid patients to Washington. The state traditionally has had lower reimbursement rates than many other places.
Higher FMAP funding would reduce the amount of revenue the state would have to produce – through taxes, fees or federal grants – to “buy back” some state programs she proposed cutting in her December budget.
The FMAP proposal was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and has yet to pass the Senate, but it is in President Barack Obama’s 2011 budget proposal.
“I’m going to book it,” Gregoire said, noting that other states, including California, already have factored it into their budgets.
Even with that federal money, the state would still be about $345 million short of the amount the governor said is needed to save essential programs. Some of that money might also be in a federal jobs bill, but that is stalled in the Senate and Gregoire said the state cannot count on it yet. She refused to discuss tax options for the remainder, saying all the figures are subject to change later this month when the revenue forecast is released.
Gregoire and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., said new estimates show the federal Recovery Act spending in Washington will total about $535 million, creating or saving an estimated 14,500 jobs in the state this quarter. The work ranges from cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation to teaching in schools across the state to working in private companies that study or create energy-saving products.
A total of $7.4 billion has been awarded to the state, although only about half has been distributed to specific public projects or private contractors.
Gregoire said the projects, amounts of money and figures on jobs created can be found online at www.recovery.wa.gov. The federal government lists figures for all states on its Web site, www.recovery.gov. Both sites have maps that allow users to zero in on money and job information.
Romney/Paul split weighing on county GOP 
southspokane on February 02 at 7:58 a.m.
Typical tax and spend liberal! She is going to run this state right into the ground. Recall now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
liarsinnews on February 02 at 8:52 a.m.
Leave it to Gregoire to spend money before the state even receives it. Gregoire`s reckless spending habits remind me of a gambler who needs addictive treatment. I agree, RECALL NOW!!
lewis8457 on February 02 at 2:07 p.m.
I can not believe she got re-elected. What were people thinking? she hired 22,000 new state employees in her first term of office!!!!
Sadly she has already ran us into the ground.
In order to get this country back to where we were 3 years ago 10 million jobs need to be created. what chance is there for that to happen when they spend money before they even get it.
Liberty_Bell on February 02 at 7:20 p.m.
What’s truly amazing about the Washington Voter, is how Christine acted as Attorney General, loosing almost every case she handles defending the state against the indefenseable.
Love those DSHS Cases the Best, hundred’s of Millions, wasted on incomp State Employees???
Oh well just cahnge your name to Chris and no-one will ever remember, the mos ignorant AG in State History either.
Like U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, wrote for the majority “Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”
Of course unless you live in Washington, where every generation is the same!
Liberty_Bell on February 02 at 7:25 p.m.
Therefore, for the “Great White Chief in Washington” to maintain his power, there must always be “Chief Lawyer,” who is willing to sell the liberties of other people away.
Chief Joseph
gotcha on February 03 at 6:15 a.m.
Gregoire and Patty Murray need to be gone when they come up for elections. Patty has been trying to cram Obamas health care and Cap and Trade down our throats for the last year and I am sick of these people trying to take control of our spending, our individual rights, and our country. I don’t care if their Dems. or Reps. if they start hammering us with these control political programs we need to wake up and get rid of them before its to late. WAKE UP AMERICA.