ANOTHER REASON WHY I♥NY

There is a horse running in the Belmont named "Luv Guv". And if he wins (the odds are 40:1), who's giving out the trophy? Could be Governor Paterson.

BONUS: the New York Times called Eliot Spitzer for comment. That is beautiful.

POLL: PATERSON HAS NO FRIENDS

Pretty much anybody polls better than David Paterson these days.

Maybe not Carl Pavano.

OH, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE

C'mon, Sweeney - get it right. It's the Democrats who drive drunk with girls on their laps. Republicans send creepy text messages to interns and go wide-stancing in public restrooms.

It's sad what things have come to...truly sad.

MENTAL HEALTH BREAK

I really don't want to read any more about the state budget any more. Here - it's Arthur Conley tearing it up for a Norwegian audience. Who knew they dug the sweet soul music way up there?

"WE'RE SCREWED"

That word comes to me from a state legislative source with knowledge of the now-revived MTA mobility tax on Hudson Valley employers. More fun news in today's NY Times.

A SHOT IN THE SHORTS

Just...ouch.

OKAY (OKAY) JUST A LITTLE PINPRICK...

...but there'll be plenty more AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH when you see the state's price tag for the lancets and test strips provided by Medicaid to diabetics. Over $13 million frittered away over five years, just on excesses in this one small subset of medical supplies:

Auditors also found that DOH’s claims processing system, eMedNY, does not prevent providers (pharmacies) from billing for or recipients from obtaining more diabetic testing supplies than what New York guidelines allow. For example, one recipient received 9,650 test strips in a one-year period by going to multiple pharmacies, including 2,900 test strips in one month. The recipient would have had to test his or her blood sugar 96 times a day to use all of the 2,900 test strips in that month. Nine of the 10 states examined as part of the audit said they limit diabetic testing supplies by recipient, not by provider as New York does.

Next step, as always, is to follow the money - and see who in Albany is receiving largesse from the makers and marketers of the lancets and testing strips. Meantime, here's some Floyd to set the mood for all those needles we're stuck paying for: