Erie County legislator sponsored a resolution last week that would prompt Erie County officials to probe the cost incurred by Erie County taxpayers and businesses due to large businesses that fail to provide its employees adequate health benefits.

The growing cost of Medicaid has been the center of attention over the past year because of its strain on County finances. Last year alone Erie County spent over $184 millions dollars of its $1.1 Billion dollar Budget on Medicaid.

The concern to address this issue stems from the 151,000 Erie County residents currently on Medicaid. With many residents working in jobs that do not provide benefits these families are forced to go onto Medicaid; the taxpayer incurs that cost.

The businesses that employ these resident are often large, profitable corporations. There are over 3,463 retail establishments in Erie County that employ a total of 53,725 workers. The bulk of the establishments, ninety-seven percent, are family run stores that employ less than 100 people.

The other three percent often referred to as "big box" retailers which total 98 companies in Erie County, employ over 99 people. These corporate retailers employ approximately 13,500 people in Erie County.

"The failure of large corporate retailers to provide health benefits to their employees is a low-road business practice that is harmful to the economic health of Erie County," Kennedy said, "This undermines Erie County's system of employer-sponsored healthcare, increasing costs to Erie County taxpayers.

Locally owned businesses and business with a strong history in Erie County are paying higher taxes and insurance premiums because of the failure of giant, national corporations to provide adequate health care benefits. These businesses that provide insurance to their employees should not be penalized by being forced to subsidize healthcare for workers at businesses that fail to provide it.

"As long as these low-road businesses continue to shift their costs of healthcare to the taxpayers, Erie County will find it much more difficult to bring its expenditures on healthcare under control," Kennedy said.

"Furthermore, I commend the "Big Box" retailers in Erie County such as Wegman's and Tops Markets, who provide proper benefits to their employees," Kennedy said, "These other retailers not complying should heed their example."

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