Political Insider

By Rusty Shackleford

September 17, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this

Georgians aren’t stupid.

They realize that this piece of legislation isn’t about getting poor kids healthcare.

Rather, it is about getting more people on the government dole. SCHIP is a scheme for democrats to get more people hooked on our government and not thinking/working for themselves.

By S Shiver

September 17, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this

Ding, Ding, Ding, We have a winner. Rusty you are right. Hey, will there ever be a discussion on the Norman Hsuicide scandal? Why are all the articles on here presented in such a way as to frame Republicans as weak? Meanwhile, Bush has completely skunked the Libs on the war. Or the fact the John Edwards worked for Fortress Financial. And now Fortress Financial is foreclosing on a bunch of homes in New Orleans, New York and South Carolina? No discussion of that stuff. Wonder why?

By Rusty is cluless

September 17, 2007 1:53 PM | Link to this

SCHIP saves a ton of taxpayer money in the long run and stops emergency rooms from being clogged up as the only point of service for healthcare for working families. Stop hating on parents trying to do the best they can for their kids, Rusty.

Not sure who looks more clueless on SCHIP below, Sonny Do or Nathn Deal (but Deal sure sounds mean):

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/327.html

By Lily Toad

September 17, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this

Kathleen Sebilius know what she is talking about. She was formerly Insurance Commissioner of Kansas, so she knows how many kids are uninsured. I don’t see how anyone who touts “family values” can be against health care for all.

By Jeff

September 17, 2007 3:52 PM | Link to this

Government is supposed to be SMALL. Why do Democrats keep trying to grow it and shove it up our tail pipes??? (oops… forgot, the Democratic Party is controlled by the people that like to shove things up tail pipes!!)

I would say it is sad that our REPUBLICAN Governor has sided with the Dems on this one, but then again, he only recently became a Republican… guess he still has a bit to grow before he realizes that Government should NEVER grow, for ANY reason.

By Craig

September 17, 2007 5:10 PM | Link to this

Jeff,

I hate to break it to you but the GOP is just as guilty as the Dems of shoving bigger government up our tailpipes. If you’ve noticed DC lately, it’s the largest its ever been thanks to a GOP White House and Congress.

By Jeff

September 17, 2007 5:24 PM | Link to this

Craig:

I would argue that the vast majority of “Republicans” in power right now are RINO. Dr. Ron Paul is one of the few TRUE conservatives in Congress these days, and for that reason is the only viable option for President

By Take a step back

September 17, 2007 5:25 PM | Link to this

This is not partisanship. It’s about saving a ton of money and hosptial respurces, and stopping small problems from becoming big expensive ones. Speak to any doctor who works in an ER, and they’ll go nuts about all of the kids they see that would have never have had to go to the ER if their parents had health insurance and they went to a primary care physician right away, instead of the emergency room becoming the option of last resort.

I don’t care about the conservative/liberal part of the argument. I care about making sure my family and I can get right to an ER doc in an emergency, and not have the ER clogged up with people who wou;dn’t have to be there if they had a primary care physician. I care about saving tax money by being smart and proactive on this, because we waste billions on the uninsured right now. We could save money by making sure every kid was insured, and SCHIP is part of that.

By jC

September 17, 2007 6:14 PM | Link to this

Rusty (and S Shiver) want children to be working so that they can be provided healthcare??? This issue has nothing to do with adults who do not work…and thusly are on the Public Dole…which I, as a disappointed registered Republican, am against.

My ex-party has violated (for so many successive terms in office) the idea of small government…so don’t give us that sophistry. I would rather have health care for children than so many of the other programs, including the War Program. Not only is that ‘compassion without additional funding’, but helps to raise the next generation of HEALTHY and FIT Americans. And yes, I am totally against health care and other benefits to NON-AMERICANS. We need every penny so that we can afford benefits for our own fellow CITIZENS.

By S Shiver

September 17, 2007 6:46 PM | Link to this

Ru Paul is the Mike Gravel of the Republican Party. The majors RINOS are in the Senate. Rudy is no Rino. Thompson is no Rino. Their positions on national security, taxes, and court appointments put the lie to your assertion.

By GeorgiaValues

September 18, 2007 9:12 AM | Link to this

Saxby and Johnny are standing up for our fiscally conservative values and should be commended for standing in the way of a massive tax increase to expand a low income children’s health insurance program to middle class adults.

The Democrats are trying to use the SCHIP debate to push for universal health care and the largest increase in Government entitlements in history.

By James

September 18, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

Georgians know that the SCHIP bill doesn’t get the job done in insuring children. It takes money away from them for adult insurance.

Sen. Chambliss has done the right thing in opposing this bill. Georgia opposes it and Saxby clearly has the right mindset.

By Josh

September 18, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this

This bill is simply a tax increase. Chambliss is in the right by opposing it. Georgia doesn’t want any more taxes. Thank you Saxby for understanding that!

By curious

September 18, 2007 6:32 PM | Link to this

How many of those “uninsured” kids in the ER to which you refer are in this country legally? {Uncompensated ER care for illegals costs Georgia hospitals more than $100-million annually.)

If SCHIP were limited to actual “kids” and not thousands of college students whose parents can afford platinum level private health insurance plans, then it would be worth it, “in the long run,” as you write, because then it would be a true preventive medicine program, like the ones we see in brighter countries.

But SCHIP covers “kids” to 25 years of age. And as long as Georgia (and some other states) ignore eligibility requirements and fail to verify incomes, SCHIP will be little more than yet another income-redistribution program, not a preventive health care program.

Digitize it, using fingerprints, biometrics and verified Social Security numbers (like the smart states started doing years ago); drop all the “kids” whose six-figure parents are lying; and maybe then I’ll support it.

By irather

September 18, 2007 11:18 PM | Link to this

I suppose y’all wREakPUBLICAN rather have these poor kids just die so y’all have a little more chump changes. This is where “big government” is good. This bill is for keeping kids in this country healthy. For y’all that might mean our soldiers for that next war that coming down the (oil) pipe.

By OK curious

September 19, 2007 12:16 AM | Link to this

I feel ‘ya curious. I’m all for SCHIP, but keep it only for those 19 & under, push prevention, and use biometrics, etc. to prevent fraud. SCHIP makes sense if done the right way.

By $2.70 for every $1

September 19, 2007 1:04 AM | Link to this

http://www.gbpi.org/pubs/healthcare/20070915.pdf

“PeachCare is an exceptional value for Georgia’s citizens, as the state receives approximately $2.70 in federal funds for every $1 in state funds invested,” said Sweeney.

Despite the program’s success at increasing access to, and preventing more significant declines in coverage for millions of children nationwide, approximately 314,000 children in Georgia remain uninsured. Many of these children already qualify for PeachCare, yet are not enrolled. One reason for this coverage gap is that federal funding levels established ten years ago are no longer sufficient to keep up with growing demand; and without adequate federal funding, Georgia is less likely to reach out to more unenrolled children. In many states, including Georgia, baseline funding levels will not be adequate to even maintain existing enrollment, much less address the eligible-but-not-enrolled children.

By Edward J Winegart

September 19, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this

Nae!

By John

September 19, 2007 6:34 PM | Link to this

How is it MY job to provide health care for YOUR kids? My responsibility is to MY kids, not YOURS. Take care of your own kids, you lazy welfare bums! Don’t use the government to make me support you.

If you want my help, ask me for it. If I want to help you, I will. If I don’t, I won’t. I don’t need the government to tell me who I should help. (The government is a poor judge of character anyway. That’s why drug dealers still get welfare.)

If you can’t care for your kids, put ‘em up for adoption. There are plenty of good parents out there willing to do the job you won’t do.

By Craig

September 19, 2007 7:02 PM | Link to this

John,

I’m supporting thousands of other kids through public schools. I’m supporting your roads, etc. I think you need to use a different example because the one you just used clearly means you’re just as much a welfare bum.

By John

September 19, 2007 7:52 PM | Link to this

Roads are available for everyone to use, not just welfare bums. I get to use them, so I benefit from them. I don’t mind paying for them and I don’t mind that others use them too, so long as I get where I’m going.

Like roads, public schools are open to all, not just welfare bums. I can opt to send my kids to one (although I never would) if I want. The direct benefit to me is there if I want it. [I could make the argument that we should replace public schools with private schools and a voucher system, but that’s a different argument.]

Paying for your kids’ health care does not provide additional benefits to me or my kids (unlike roads and schools). In fact, the additional financial burden makes it more difficult for me to provide for my children. So not only does subsidizing your kids’ health care not benefit me, it hurts.

What right does the government have to enslave me to you? If they try, why would I continue to do anything productive? Wouldn’t it be to my benefit to drop out of productive work and live off the work of others, like the welfare bums already do? If we all get on the wagon, who will be left to pull it?

By S Shiver

September 19, 2007 8:27 PM | Link to this

Smart John,

Do not try to convince Dumb John. He honestly believes that he is entitled to your money. Its the liberal mindset. They, for what ever reason- lack of education or government education (there is little difference)- believe that they are entitled to cradle to the grave support. It is that simple, for them.

By S Shiver

September 19, 2007 9:19 PM | Link to this

Sorry, Dumb Craig.

By Craig also

September 19, 2007 9:55 PM | Link to this

John the benefit to you arises from the fact that we don’t have hordes of poor kids will all sorts of diseases, spreading them to your kids.

And of course there is that whole Christian thing about how we will be judged by how we take care of the poor and the sick among us.

But then I guess maybe Jesus was dumb, too, huh Shiver…

By John

September 19, 2007 11:59 PM | Link to this

Religion is a basis for private charity, not public policy. If all the Christians/Jews/Hindus/Whatevers want to form a private program to provide health care to poor children, let them. But don’t send the government to my door demanding money because you think your god wants it that way. Likewise, I won’t send the gov’t to your door to enforce my interpretation of God’s will upon you.

Disease control is different than health care. Sure, there is a vast public interest in vaccinating children (and adults) against contagious diseases. I’ll pay for that. But that’s not what we’re talking about.

We’re talking about free medical care for “children” up to 19 years old. So when some kid drives daddy’s car into a tree after drinking too much, I should pay for his medical bills? When some girl gets pregnant at 15 and again at 18, I should pay for it? Isn’t that, you know, the FATHER’S job???

Shiver, Craig isn’t dumb. He’s just a socialist.