14 counties gathered Tuesday in Batavia to discuss the potential effects of proposed federal funding cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, education, and veteran services.
A panel of leaders and community stakeholders took questions from the audience about how funding cuts and related issues will affect them. Most residents asked about a potential change to agricultural businesses because of the possible deportation of farm workers, possible cuts to Social Security, and what federal funding for public schools will look like.
“I don’t know if anybody realizes it but when you go to the VA home here in Batavia, the VA doesn’t pay for your medication anymore,” one person said. “So now we have to struggle to get the veterans their meds that they need.”
“About 35% of the Batavia school children currently get free or reduced breakfast and lunch. So, if these cuts go through, what can this community do to pay for those children? Because when that Medicare, Medicaid goes away, SNAP goes away, those parents are not going to be able to feed those children at home,” another person said.
“People are angry. They’re angry about cuts to health care, they’re angry about cuts to education. They’re angry about cuts to the VA and it’s Democrats, Republicans, independents. It should be done in a civil manner. There shouldn’t be screaming and yelling, but people need to understand what’s going on in the community,” said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
Read the rest of this article at Rochester First.