NEW YORK, NY March 05, 2009 —The distribution of Medicaid economic stimulus money in New York has spawned a full-on city-state brawl. It was started by Mayor Bloomberg, whose office issued a statement late last night accusing Governor Paterson of shortchanging the city. Congressman Anthony Weiner piled on today. His office says he's preparing a letter to Governor Paterson, arguing that the city deserves more than the $1.9 billion it's getting. At a Council hearing today, several council members also joined the fray, charging the city is losing hundreds of millions of dollars. Queens City Councilmember Thomas White was typical:

WHITE: We will not stand by and see the City of New York not get its fair share of the stimulus package to give us the necessary relief that we need in order to move ahead.

But Governor Paterson's office is standing firm, saying the distribution is fair. WNYC's Andrea Bernstein is here to help us sort it all out.