By Heather Smith, includes “… Last fall, the state’s budget division announced an updated financial outlook that contained a possible $6.1 billion shortfall for the next budget cycle, driven largely by the soaring costs of Medicaid. In his State of the State address in early January, Cuomo shifted the deficit blame to local governments. … Some budget hawks, like the right-leaning Empire Center for Public Policy, point out that much of the budget problem is self-inflicted. …”