By By Brian Bohl
New York State Senator Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) vowed to not only strengthen Long Island’s economy, but also help colleges and universities in the process at last week’s Distinguished Lecture Series titled “Building Long Island’s 21st Century Economy.”
At the event, sponsored by the Scott Skodnek Business Development Center and held in the University Club, Skelos said Medicaid fraud in New York is costing taxpayers more than $4.5 billion each year.
More than one-third of the state’s $105 billion budget is allocated for Medicaid, most of which goes to seniors and the disabled to help offset their medical expenses.
Skelos, however, contended that misuse of these government funds is leading to increases in local property and state taxes.
“Basically, 10 percent of our Medicaid budget is stolen through fraud,” he said. “What my delegation has proposed is to establish the position of inspector general in New York to aggressively combat this type of fraud.”
The principle duty of the inspector general would be to investigate claims of misused government funds through reviewing data and complaints compiled by the health department.
Skelos said the new office would be bipartisan.
Skelos, who is deputy majority leader and currently serving an 11th term in the Senate, also introduced his “Long Island Biotech Investment and Job Creation Program,” which has funneled $48 million in state funding toward establishing Long Island as a leader in biotechnological research.
“We have refundable tax credits that provided cash back to biotech companies for investing in New York,” he said.
Ken Schachter, a reporter for the Long Island Business News, said Skelos is focusing on keeping biotech companies in Long Island instead of leaving for more established hubs.
“Skelos has been involved in procuring state funding for the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park at Farmingdale State,” Schachter said.
“The state is trying to keep companies [from moving] and the hope is that the growth of OSI Pharmaceuticals in Melville and some other companies will create a nucleus around which a biotech industry will grow,” he added.
Skelos also pledged investment in colleges and universities, noting that after hospitals, higher education institutions are the largest employers in the state.
“It will be announced shortly that there is an agreement between the private and the public sector that the government will make an investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars in both private colleges and the state university’s system,” he said.
University President Stuart Rabinowitz echoed Skelos’ view that the public sector and schools should work as partners.
“We need a new initiative, and that includes a partnership between government, private industries and all the colleges and universities on Long Island,” Rabinowtiz said.
“We need to work together to help attract young, out-of-state students, retain them and keep them here [on Long Island] after they graduate,” Rabinowitz added.
The last major item on the agenda was the improvement of public transportation in light of rising gas and oil prices.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has a surplus of $928 million, instead of the projected $100 million deficit, yet ridership has decreased as fares increased more than 30 percent in the last four years.
“I’m proposing that the MTA start a program called ‘back to the train campaign,'” Skelos said.
“They need an aggressive marketing campaign to get people back on the trains while also reducing fares.”
Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) has several plans set to improve the economy and, in effect, the lives of those living on Long Island. (Photo Courtesy Skelos’ District Office)