Rarely, if ever, has the state budget been the vehicle to force a brand-new government program onto taxpayers. Normally, a proposal to dramatically expand Medicaid would be debated separately where issues can be discussed, experts brought in, ideas batted about and a piece of legislation can be crafted that can be debated and voted on. Holding education funding, county and city funding, transportation funding and all the rest hostage to Medicaid expansion seems to be a dangerous precedent that should not be taken.