36 Reasons To Vote For Bush In 2004

[SuperScout]

Establishing income tests for government entitlement programs? O, the sheer horror of it all! You mean we've been providing freebies to a bunch of folks who could have otherwise paid for them theyownselves, and now we're not? Do you mean to tell us that there is no bottomless pot of gold from which to dip, to pay for all the scoialists' inspired, cradle-to-the-grave giveaways? Why, we'd rather provide unlimited tax breaks to all us millionaires, oil marketers, energy scoundrels, and armadillo herders. Sounds rather intelligent to me. And despite all this draconian cutting and slicing, screwing the poor, kicking widows off their homesteads, blackmarketing all that stolen oil from Iraq, we still have people standing in line, begging to become citizens of this dreadfully morbid State. For those that want more governmental programs, we encourage them to the nearest entrance ramp for IH 10, to go in either direction, and depart ASAP. We are a land of winners, not whiners.

[Gimpy]

Tell the 494,000 Texans who will be eliminated from the ranks of the insured (most of whom are children BTW)! Or the 101,500 infirm or older Texans who receive assistance with bathing, cooking and cleaning in their homes.....and will no longer get that help!

Or, 3,000 families and 5,000 youths that were eliminated from the Child abuse and juvenile delinquency prevention programs!

Or the families of about 5,200 mentally retarded children and adults will no longer receive respite and other services that allow patients to stay out of institutions!

Or the nearly 3,000 mentally ill children and adults that will lose medication and therapy now provided by community mental health and mental retardation centers.

Or because Texas doesn't have to cover them and chooses not to, about 10,000 poor parents will lose Medicaid coverage.

Or the retired teachers who will pay up to 30 percent more for their health insurance premiums.

And don't forget about the thousands of JOBS LOST because of this "invisible deficit" you seem to be so proud of, and that those job losses will contribute to Texas' growing unemployment rate that stood at 6.6 percent in the second quarter, its highest level in nine years, and well above the U.S. rate of 6.2 percent.

Yeah, you've got a lot to squeal with glee about down there alright Super. You REALLY are in a land of "winners" OK.

You and your Republican compadres should feel REAL proud!

:cd:


PS.......You REALLY ARE showing your ignorance of the facts about your state requirements, ya know? The "income assesment " or "means test" for poor folks was ALREADY in place before this latest bit of shenanigens was accomplisehed by your republican led state legislature. They just INCREASED the bottom line amount of income earned to make it more DIFFICULT for the poor folks to get the help they need! No surprise there though......they're accustomed to screwing the little guys and their families anyway, huh?

[Gimpy]

Ya havin a difficult time finding a way to get around this one without utilizing your expertise with equine-hockey?

Evidently.

[melody1181]

I live in TX too...I know for a fact that we are in bad shape....alot of programs are being cut that are important. As for insurance....alot of people can't afford it. I am one of them. Its ridiculous the price. Because I can't afford it I guess I didn't earn it?????

[Gimpy]

Don't tell SuperScout..........he thinks everything is fine and dandy down there in Texas! You might incur his wrath and unrelenting shouts of how this is just a democrat or liberal myth about everything going on down there!

Here's some MORE "evidence" of just how bad things are getting!

January 9, 2004
OP-ED COLUMNIST
Sick State Budgets, Sick Kids
By BOB HERBERT



While headlines continue to tell us how great the economy is doing, states across the U.S. are pulling the plug on desperately needed health coverage for low-income Americans, including about a half-million children.

Even as the Bush administration continues its bizarre quest for ever more tax cuts, the states, which by law have to balance their budgets, are cutting vital social programs so deeply that tragic consequences are inevitable. The cruel reality is that Americans at the top are thriving at the expense of the well-being of those at the bottom and, increasingly, in the middle.

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that 34 states have made potentially devastating cuts over the past two years in public health insurance programs, including Medicaid and the very successful children's health insurance programs known as CHIPS. More cuts are expected this year.
"Almost half of those losing health coverage (490,000 to 650,000 people) are children," the report said. "Substantial numbers of low-income parents, seniors, people with disabilities, childless adults and immigrants are also losing coverage. Cutbacks of this depth in health insurance coverage for low-income families and individuals are unprecedented."

The worst of the cuts are in Texas. "The Lone Star State has adopted deep cutbacks in its State Children's Health Insurance Program that will cause about 160,000 children ? one-third of its SCHIP caseload ? to lose coverage," the report said.

Texas is also making Medicaid available to fewer pregnant women, a dangerous move that increases the number of women without coverage for prenatal care and the actual deliveries. "All told," the report said, "Texas is eliminating coverage for between 344,000 and 494,000 children and adults. Census data showed that, even before these changes, the percentage of people who were uninsured was higher in Texas than in any other state."

A loss of health coverage frequently leads to a reluctance to seek needed care. "In poor or low-income families, where there is not a lot of disposable income, people will avoid going to the doctor or getting a prescription," said Leighton Ku, one of the authors of the report. "Certain diseases can then become much more severe. With children, it's likely that they won't get treatment for ear infections, asthma, diabetes ? conditions that can ultimately lead to hospitalization."

When treatment can no longer be avoided, the financial consequences can be ruinous. Medical expenses are one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S.

Officials at the center noted the case of a woman in St. Louis who works but whose annual income is below the poverty line. Under eligibility rules in effect until 18 months ago, she would have qualified for Medicaid. Under the new rules, she does not.

The woman became ill and was told upon her release from the hospital to seek follow-up care. But without any health insurance, her medical bills have been overwhelming. According to the center, "[The woman] has occasional abdominal pain but is not getting any treatment. She intends to declare bankruptcy because she cannot pay the $47,000 she owes in medical bills, but so far has been unable to save the funds needed to pay for a bankruptcy filing."

People caught in this kind of squeeze often find themselves "sicker, much poorer, or both," said Robert Greenstein, the center's director.

It seems extremely strange that in the United States of America, the richest, most powerful nation in the history of the world, we are going backward in the 21st century in our ability to provide the most fundamental kinds of health care to ordinary people, including children.

The health insurance cutbacks would have been even worse if not for the $20 billion in emergency state aid that was reluctantly approved by the Bush administration and the Republican-led Congress last year . Despite the slow economic upturn, states are still struggling. They face a collective budget deficit of $40 billion to $50 billion for the coming fiscal year, and there is little sentiment among Republican leaders in Washington for another round of fiscal relief.

Maybe the nation itself needs a doctor. Shoving low-income people, including children, off the health care rolls at a time when the economy is allegedly booming is a sure sign of some kind of sickness in the society.

********************************

Yep, we need a "doctor" to remove the "illness" that is currently "infecting" not ONLY the Whitehouse & Congress..........but our country as well!

[BLUEHAWK]

Two words:

GENE

MC CARTHY

[Gimpy]

Huh??

[Gimpy]

back up front so's SuperFella can get another chance to try and refute these FACTS!



Course we know he CAN'T!

[Gimpy]

No answers YET??? :cd: :cd: :cd: :cd:

[theoddz]

Thanks for the info on all those issues. I always enjoy reading your posts!! They are, indeed, very enlightening and informing.

I'm going to volunteer to do some work for the local National Democratic Party this year, fer pete's sake!!! My 82 y/o mother intends to do the same in Illinois.

"Like father, like son.......ONE TERM ONLY!! Out the door in 2004!!"