Is Gov. Donald L. Carcieri right to shift $33 million in federal education funding to cover a Medicaid shortfall?

By PBN Staff

Congress recently appropriated $32.9 million for Rhode Island to use in support of education spending. But Gov. Donald L. Carcieri wants to use the money instead to fill a $37 million hole in Medicaid reimbursement from the federal government.

That hole that comes as a result of Washington appropriating only $70 million for Medicaid reimbursement, not the $107 million that the General Assembly had expected when it passed the fiscal year 2011 budget earlier this year.

Education advocates, including Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Deborah A. Gist, have criticize the governor’s decision, noting that the federal money was designed specifically for education.

Where do you stand on the matter?