Gov. Andrew Cuomo doesn't want the state to pick up counties' costs of a health care program for the poor, Joseph Spector at Gannett's Albany bureau reports.

Mr. Cuomo is quoted saying the state is "not in a position to be picking any additional costs since we need $2 billion just to get back to zero.”

It's an idea that north country lawmakers had suggested and that could have helped cash-strapped St. Lawrence County, which, like all the other counties in the state, pays 25 percent of the costs of Medicaid.

And right about when the blog item was posted, the New York State Association of Counties sent out a news release supporting the bill. Timing!

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