Today David Weprin said that it was Bob Turner and his Tea Party-ilk that were responsible because his federal budget plan would mean cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and  inadequate Medicaid provider reimbursements have been cited as one of the  causes of Peninsula’s financial problems.

“Bob Turner is pandering to voters again when he says he supports keeping Peninsula hospital open,” said Weprin spokesperson Elizabeth Kerr. “Bob Turner’s Tea Party-inspired budget plan would force Peninsula Hospital to close."

From the release:

Bob Turner has repeatedly suggested that the federal government should cut federal spending by 35 percent, and he signed a pledge not to support any legislation that would increase federal revenues. It is impossible to protect the federal government’s entitlement programs in the long-term without increasing revenues. It is also impossible to reduce the federal budget by one third without making cuts to entitlements, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

The impact of Bob Turner’s budget plan that would close Peninsula Hospital has far-reaching repercussions. Closure of the hospital would cause 1,000 local workers to lose their jobs and would significantly reduce local residents’ access to hospital services, especially trauma care. This would be the fourth hospital to close in Queens since 2008.