From The Detroit News — Originally published Sunday, June 7

Congress is giving Michigan $2.25 billion over the next two years to help with the medical care of those who are falling into the safety net because of the miserable economy.

But those suffering in the state and the hospitals who serve them won’t see a dime of the money. In fact, there actually will be less money available in Michigan to meet its Medicaid obligations.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Legislature are hijacking the extra Medicaid dollars from the federal stimulus package … to shield them[selves] from making the tough decisions necessary to reform and restructure Michigan’s budget.

They’re able to do that because Congress didn’t earmark the Medicaid dollars the same way it did education and infrastructure funding. …

[A]s money comes in from the federal government, state funds can be drawn out of the Medicaid program to be used elsewhere. …

The refusal by Granholm and lawmakers to act on basic government reforms … means that Michigan will derive little lasting economic benefit from the federal stimulus dollars. …