The Nannycrats want to take care of you, no matter how much money it means they'll have to take from you:
Senate Bill 5093, which offers health care insurance to all children in Washington by 2010, passed in the Senate today despite Republican pleas that the bill is too expensive and will sink the state deeper in promises it can't keep.To those who want to take care of us, enormous entitlement is a feature. Unsustainable? feh. They'll just fix that later with even more regulation and confiscation. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 15, 2007 12:46 PM | Email This"This bill covers families at 300 percent of the federal poverty level," said Sen. Cheryl Pflug, R-Maple Valley and ranking Republican on the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee. "That means a family of four making $62,000 a year would be eligible. That's higher than the median income in 37 of Washington's 39 counties - an enormous and unsustainable entitlement program."
What a dismal bill...
Posted by: Right said Fred on February 15, 2007 12:52 PMWe own a small rental property, and have been not quite breaking even on the cost. However, with taxes on that place going up $600 this year, I doubt whether we will continue be able to keep rent at the current rate. We have also seen our maintenance and insurance expenses go up (though not as dramatically as the taxes). Our renter is barely able to make the rent as it stands, so I don't think she will stay if we raise it. Who says taxing the "rich" (property owners) is good for the poor? We would love to keep the rent as it is, but can't afford to lose money on the place. If we do, we will be forced to sell it, and our renter will still be out on the street!
Posted by: Peggy U on February 15, 2007 01:01 PM
You hit it right on the head. Everytime you raise the rent to cover the higher cost, the people on the lower end take the hit. Highter rents means less money for them and a greater chance of them not affording health & dental care.
It's a never ending problem the goverment is creating.
"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism, but under the name of liberalism, they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program until one day America will be a Socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened."
-Norman Thomas
You're entitled to spend your money any way you want. And I won't monitor it. However, if you do not buy insurance (and other priorities) in favor of a new pair of $150 Nike b-ball star shoes, then I can't feel sorry for you. And--don't make ME pay for YOUR poor choices! Let the poor choosers have their cake & fate. Best lesson for them. The others who are truly needy (by fate) can go to charitiable organizations that I gladly support.
Lastly, NOTHING for ILLEGAL ALIENS.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on February 15, 2007 02:28 PMMy kids had a terrific pediatrician for 12 years. In fact, we were there when he came into the area and hung up his shingle. When our first child was born, his wife (I guess in an effort to promote his business)came to our house to visit and welcome us as customers (he got busy pretty quickly, and she dropped that habit in a hurry!). Because of the high number of low income patients on government insurance, he was not recouping his operating costs. He was required by law to see a certain percentage of high maintenance cases at only partial reimbursement from the government. (This, by the way, is more of a burden for doctors in areas outside of Seattle, where there are not as many providers for special needs patients.) When he realized that his car mechanic was making about the same amount of money without the long hours and loss of family time, he decided to go where the climate would meet his and his family's needs. So, he moved to Tennessee. There is just no replacement for this guy!
A friend of mine has a child who was born with multiple chronic health problems. She was also a patient of this doctor. My friend was devastated at losing this resource after 12 years of ongoing quality care.
I have had to drop my own doctor because she cut back on the types of services she provides. One day I received a letter stating that the clinic she worked at would cease to provide many of the services for which they were not being fully reimbursed, in addition to those services which were deemed too much of an insurance liability (such as ob gyn services). This was a couple of years ago. Fortunately, I am relatively healthy, because I still don't have a replacement. It is difficult to find one, even when you have good insurance, and then you are put on a lengthy waiting list.
You are experiencing the early symptoms of a Canadian-style health care system.
Congratulations.
Posted by: huckleberry on February 15, 2007 03:49 PMI seem to recall reading about two years ago that the population of California was in an extreme state of flux, not in the raw numbers, but in the demographics. Our own beloved Stefan Sharkansky and his family are typical of the class of people who have fled California, and they are being replaced with, yup, immigrants, and not all of the legal variety. To the extent that the replacements hold jobs and pay state taxes and fees, California's entitlement scheme might be sustainable, but I don't think that will happen.
TrueSoldier is correct. Washington will not wake up until the reds start leaving in droves, and join people like Mindy Cameron in Idaho.
Posted by: huckleberry on February 15, 2007 05:21 PMThis state will become another version of Europe unless the nanny state effort in Health Care is thwarted. The only way that can happen is to vote out the malevolant clowns who are pushing this legislation in 2008. Elect fiscal conservatives !
Posted by: KS on February 15, 2007 09:14 PMI also suspect the state will see a massive move of vagrant workers and anyone nationwide who needs medical coverage.
Gotta use up all that surplus, so she can come back for more this year....
Democraps at work...Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp
You hit the nail on the head. The Democrats are looking at trying to pad the vote count for them a little more. Tie this move in with HB 1742 making it easier to sweep mistakes under the rug in elections and there you have it a way the Democrats figure they can gain in their majority and work towards their socialist utopia. Just one more reason we need to vote the Queen out in 2008 and at least limit the majority so that a veto of some of these lame brained ideas will stick.
On a side note, I had heard from a Seattle police officer that had transfered from another state that in the state he had come from they have signs posted telling the homeless and illegals about how many more benefits they can get in Washington, California and Oregon if they just move there. I do not know if this is true or just an urban legend, but it would not surprise me at all.
Posted by: TrueSoldier on February 16, 2007 08:54 AMagain, ADA = good liberal intentions gone awry. and we all pay for years in property taxes for the legal settlements.
alas, Aesop has been turned on his head. Stupid life choices ACTUALLY PAY OFF in some states like WA!