Paladino Denies Existence of Campaign Debt

"My companies and I pay all our legitimate bills," proclaimed former GOP gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino via facebook on Tuesday, in response to an article in the Buffalo News. The Buffalo News story laid out a series of debts leftover from the campaign, which Paladino flatly denies.
Characterizing their intentions as "malicious and hostile," Paladino accused the Buffalo News of spreading "unsubstantiated, libelous and defamatory lies" with their front page story on March 12.
In response to direct allegations in the story, regarding money owed to campaign staffers Michael Caputo and Michael Johns, Paladino has this to say:

My campaign owes nothing to Michael Caputo or his band of parasitic malcontents against whom we have defenses, offsets or counterclaims. None were employees. All were independent contractors on nebulous oral agreements made without authority by Caputo. Their plan was to see what they could rip off before they get caught.
Michael Johns was retained to study and produce a get-out-the vote plan utilizing Tea Party volunteers. He conspired to change the terms of his oral contract and got caught. He was paid in advance over $18,000 for two months of services and expenses. His bill for $8,000 is more than offset by our claim for services and work product never rendered.

Paladino went on to reject the idea that the Buffalo News could judge his campaign and suggested that the paper was being used.
"It's the same basic story for the rest. People with legitimate campaign obligations were paid in full. The scam artists can sue us," concluded Paladino.

Paladino Diagnoses Medicaid Reform

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino is not happy about the Medicaid proposals adopted yesterday by the Gov. Andrew Cuomo's team of Medicaid Crusaders. Paladino alleges that the proposals ignore billions of dollars in waste, continue a flawed system and were reviewed in a secretive manner.
"Did anyone in the press notice the theater being played out by Andrew Cuomo and Sheldon Silver regarding Medicaid reform. They don't want the Medicaid spigot turned off," wrote Paladino on his Facebook page, echoing the style of failed Republican Sarah Palin.
He suggested that the commission had avoided addressing $5 billion to $10 billion in waste and fraud that are allowed to continue without reforms likes means testing, to ensure that only needy people are receiving Medicaid.
Part of the shortcomings in the proposals, according to Paladino, was that Cuomo had culled members from the wrong places. "There was no one on the commission for the taxpayers," he argued. "Cuomo's Medicaid guy was the chair."
Additionally, Paladino described Thursday's proceedings as a sham. He described the scene this way, "They showed up Thursday afternoon and were given 79 recommendations to study and then told to vote to approve all the issues at 4:00. There was no discussion, vetting or transparency. The commission of stakeholders was intimidated into voting for broad-brush recommendations for legislation to allow bureaucrats wide discretion to set out new rules."
Before ending his post, presumably to upload facebook pictures and play farmville, Paladino took parting shots at the media and Senate Republicans:
"The press just wants to hug and cuddle with him and the Republican Senate apparently just can't find the words. Will they stand tall and pursue spending and tax cuts to save jobs and start to turn the state around? Will they speak up and expose Cuomo's budget for the fraud that it is?"