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Bush is so distasteful, dishonest, and really, just so disgusting to me that I just don't spend much time talking about him. I need the supposed naivete of these children, I guess:
But guess who agreed with him?
David Vitter.
Of Louisiana.
You know, Louisiana, with one of the highest poverty rates in the South? (And that says something).
I've been shaking my head about that for a few days. I have to ask, in what Louisiana does David Vitter live? Surely it can't be the one in which 91,000 children still are uninsured (LaCHIP covers about 107,000 children)? Where, consistently, about one-fourth of children live in poverty? And another 23 percent live in families whose income is 100-200 percent of the Federal poverty level?
And the percentages of low birthweight babies and pregnant women getting late or no pre-natal care, the infant mortality rate, the shortage of primary health care providers? All higher than the national average.
Health care in general in Louisiana is in an abysmal state. But the LaCHIP program has made a difference for our children--since 1999, the number of uninsured children in Louisiana has dropped significantly.
And David Vitter has the nerve to ignore all that. Why, Mr. Vitter, why?
His official answers:
Because he wants to make sure "individuals who already have employer-sponsored health insurance [are exempted] from eligibility for SCHIP coverage." Mind you, according to Governor Blanco, "only 10.5 percent of children with LaChip live in families with access to employer sponsored health insurance."
Because he's worried about that evil of all evils, socialized medicine--he called the bill "Hillarycare." (Way to score a point and strike fear and loathing in the hearts of his supporters, huh?)
My official theory:
Despite the very real need for the SCHIP program, and the demonstrable effect it has had, in the state that he's supposed to represent, Mr. Vitter's still trying to stay in his party's good graces. He's had enough trouble without adding the burden of voting against the
Politics. I really wish they'd get back to being about people.
3 comments:
Politics. I really wish they'd get back to being about people.
seriously. don't even get me started...
Damn! That commercial has me stuck on stupid because I know that there are so many young people who feel that way. And don't get me started on the grown folks who feel that way...
Gwyneth
Do these people not think that, if a family has access to employer provided health care and still prefers something state-paid (In Louisiana! Ack)....doesn't that tell you something about that employer care? Like, I don't know, maybe it's so damned expensive the family can't afford it, even though they have access to it? Like maybe it's limited coverage, maybe major medical but not something that covers regular care? I mean...given the Louisiana government, how many people do you know that would trust them with their health care if they had a real alternative?
And did you hear Bush's new thing? He wants to make sure /adults/ don't take advantage of SCHIP. Do you know the only adults eligible for the program? Pregnant women. That's all. Children and pregnant women. So, basically, it's the republican Pro-Life values at work again....because they won't pay for your mom to get the care she needs before you're born to make sure you're healthy when you're born, but when you're born with some preventable with prenatal care problem? Oh well, sure. Then we can pay for it. So long as you know, your mom didn't benefit! Arg!!
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