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| William J. Howell |
The 200th day of 2014 happened to fall this weekend. Depending on which figures you prefer, that means Virginia’s refusal to opt into expanded Medicaid since Jan. 1 has cost the state at least $693 million in federal funding. Democrats say it’s an even $1 billion.
Those princely sums, which many other states have rushed to capture, would have provided health coverage to some 400,000 currently uninsured Virginians, many of them indigent. It would have cost not one additional dime to Virginia taxpayers, who have already paid for expanding Medicaid in the course of their regular federal tax filings.
The decision to leave those dollars on the table — an amount that increases by at least $3.46 million per day — is the doing of Republicans in the General Assembly. Those sages of Richmond, led by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, William J. Howell (R-Stafford), have proposed no alternative to providing health coverage to the hundreds of thousands of Virginians who lack it, nor any other method of capturing all or part of the federal funds that remain within Virginia’s grasp, should the state opt into the expansion.
Instead, Mr. Howell and the Republican House caucus have elected to play political games, calling for the legislature to reconvene to “debate” Medicaid expansion, which they unequivocally oppose.
I know how Virginia feels. Though Alaska has a much smaller population we still have many, many thousands who also fall within the coverage gap left by the fact that our Governor, Sean Parnell, has also refused to accept the federal funds to expand Medicaid.
Hmm, 400,000 that seems like just about enough voters to completely sway an election, don't you think?
Consider these uninsured to be martyrs in the cause of getting people to see what shits the Repubs are and vote them out.
ReplyDeleteO/T but watch out Portland, they're coming for you kids!
ReplyDeleteEvangelical Group Aims to Convert Children as Young as Five at Portland Parks and Pools
CEF spent last week training its volunteers, Esteves said, and will span out through the area this week trying to reach children.
"We do teach that children are sinners, but we're not nasty about it," Esteves said. "If we were nasty about it, the kids wouldn't come back." He said that they don't try to coerce the children, as "coercion leads to false conversion."
At a park on Monday, the group laid out a tarp for children and chairs for their parents. A pair of volunteers led about 12 kids through Bible verses and songs that praised a Christian god.
"My heart was dark with sin," they sang, "until the savior came in."
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/child-evangelism-fellowship-portland
This is the same group responsible for the Good News Clubs, which are after-school bible study groups IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS around the country.
DeleteTheir focus is on getting these kids brainwashed young so they become good little evangelists. Scary stuff, especially since it's happening in our tax-supported schools!
http://www.goodnewsclubs.info/
I live in Virginia. In fact, I live in the very gerrymandered district formerly served by Phil "My daughter wants to stay a judge" Puckett.
ReplyDeleteMost of the low information "voters" you describe here just don't vote. While I have never worked for DSS itself, I have worked in the social services field in a variety of agencies. I've dealt with clients ranging from pregnant teen moms, Head Start families, sheltered workshop participants & indigent seniors. Very, very few of them are even registered to vote--and Virginia offers this option when you get your driver's license.
I've asked clients in the past why they don't vote. They tell me that they "don't believe in politics." Personally, I think many of them are confused & intimidated by the entire election process.
These are not well educated people. They literally can't see how voting will do anything to immediately affect their lives. They live check-to-check, & very few of them had any long term plans for the future. What those folks do in Richmond has nothing to do with their daily lives. They sure don't have time for activism.
And to be perfectly honest, the local pols don't exactly welcome these folks into their ranks. Representatives from both parties tend to be churchgoers (most of my clients were "unchurched"), college educated, & nicely dressed. My clients tended to live in trailer parks, Section 8 housing, or run down, drug-filled apartment complexes. Can't exactly see these folks mixing at a local organizational meeting.
I don't know the answer. I wish I did. Fortunately, most of the Dems around here recognize that they may need to step in to protect these people's rights & benefits. That's one of the few things that gives me hope around here.
Thanks for your comments.
DeleteI worked on the last 2 campaigns for the POTUS, and for the next election I had already decided that I wanted to work the tables where they register voters, because some of the people I volunteered with said it was very rewarding, especially when they were able to reach the very types of people you have described.
Also, I really wish that this post of Gryphen's could get to the people who really need to see it, but sadly, it won't. The people who need to see it aren't reading the Washington Post or Gryphen's blog.
O/t but just read Malia may close her blog. Sounds as if there have been threats. The Palins will one day pay. Just wait and see. COWARDS that they are.
ReplyDeleteTHEY ARE SUCH FUCKERS!!!!
ReplyDeleteBREAKING: Two Republican Judges Order Obamacare Defunded
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/07/22/3459165/halbig/
Celebrate the end of Obamacare
ReplyDeleteCourt strikes a death blow.
Impeach the Kenyan Muslim Marxist
Not all those 400,000 are eligible to vote, or take their vote seriously, but a fraction of that has got to make a difference in the mid-term elections.
ReplyDelete