Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Medicaid Busts Ohio's Budget

3 Comments:

Blogger Paul Ackerman said...

Damn to sick people ... so inconsiderate of them.

Dickens would have us "reduce the surplus population."

May 17, 2005 at 9:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul:

Let's try this simple excercise. According to the Lawson's piece nearly 30% of the budget goes towards Medicaid. Would 31% be enough for you? No? How about 32%? 33? 34? 35?.... 99.99%?

At some point those paying the bills have to start setting priorities about the allocation of limited resources.

Lawson does not make the case for 'reduce(ing) the surplus population' but a rationale analysis of the costs/benefits.
Lawson argument is not for the hyperbolic one of reducing the population, but to simply meet the Federal standards, not exceed them. A reasonable argument not worthy of demagoguery.

As Ohio citizens we've made the choice at some point (through elected representatives) to go above an beyond the Federal minimum coverage. Are we not entitled to make the choice to be at the Federal minimum when other priorities warrant it?

May 18, 2005 at 11:40 AM  
Blogger Paul Ackerman said...

Ohio isn't the mythical world envisioned by Ayn Rand nor is it a world envisioned by Karl Marx.

There are choices and priorities. This administration's priorities are not my priorities and therefore I spend my nights and weekends working for change.

What angers me is when people speak about "lower income people" like they were an abstraction.

You and I sit in front of expensive computers talking about "issues" while there are people who live this life.

I firmly belive that the sort of Ohio that the Blackwells and the "Patriot Pastors" would create, if given a chance, would be one easily recongizable by Charles Dickens.

I don't want that sort of Ohio for either myself, my wife or my two children.

The record of Republicans at the state and federal level is dismal for everyone who is not a $100,000+ donor. Some people just don't realize that with a $600 reduction in federal taxes come $1,600 in increased taxes at the state and local level.

My home state is New Hampshire (my first 11 years) and they still pride themselves on no sales tax and no income tax.

Don't get the idea that they don't pay taxes. Of course they do. Property taxes are through the roof and all those little taxes (drivers license, hotel, meals, etc) are massive as well.

In conclusion ... demagoguery is where you find it. I find it in proposed draconian budget cuts that affect the poor so we can give more and more to the rich.

Republicans are the real class warriors and they do it quite well.

May 18, 2005 at 12:17 PM  

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