The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently released a call to action request, asking their members to weigh-in on negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff by contacting the President and state congressional delegations.  NACo also provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of sequestration, and a copy of the letter that they sent to Congressional leadership.  As described by NACo, “failure to reach a bipartisan deficit reduction deal would be devastating to the fragile national, state, and local economies.”  NACo provides the following key talking points for its members,

KEY TALKING POINTS

• Protect the federal-state-local partnership structure for Medicaid. Medicaid has been a vital safety net for families who lost their health insurance coverage when they lost their jobs. States and counties help finance and administer the Medicaid program in partnership with the Federal government. It provides health care and crucial services and support for more than 60 million low income children and their families, frail elders and blind and disabled Americans in our communities. Now is not the time to take an axe to the program. Cuts or caps to the federal contribution to Medicaid are not “entitlement reform” – they only save the federal Treasury by shifting health care costs down to the states and ultimately, to our local tax-payers.

• Ensure an agreement that preserves the tools counties need to make critical investments in their future including tax-exempt municipal bonds.

• Support key existing programs that leverage private sector investment and job creation locally, including the Community Development Block Grant program, workforce training, PILT, and other programs.

For questions or assistance, contact NACo Legislative Director Ed Rosado at 202-942-4271 or erosado@naco.org