Texas Considers Medicaid Withdrawal

[Sgent]

Source: NY Times

Some Republican lawmakers — still reveling in Tuesday’s statewide election sweep — are proposing an unprecedented solution to the state’s estimated $25 billion budget shortfall: dropping out of the federal Medicaid program.

Far-right conservatives are offering that possibility in impassioned news conferences. Moderate Republicans are studying it behind closed doors. And the party’s advisers on health care policy say it is being discussed more seriously than ever, though they admit it may be as much a huge in-your-face to Washington as anything else.

“With Obamacare mandates coming down, we have a situation where we cannot reduce benefits or change eligibility” to cut costs, said State Representative Warren Chisum, Republican of Pampa, the veteran conservative lawmaker who recently entered the race for speaker of the House. “This system is bankrupting our state,” he said. “We need to get out of it. And with the budget shortfall we’re anticipating, we may have to act this year.”

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative research organization, estimates Texas could save $60 billion from 2013 to 2019 by opting out of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, dropping coverage for acute care but continuing to finance long-term care services. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which has 3.6 million children, people with disabilities and impoverished Texans enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, will release its own study on the effect of ending the state’s participation in the federal match program at some point between now and January.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/us/politics/07ttmedicaid.html?hp

[Andy823]

1. Well...

That might tick off a few people in Texas and get them out to vote in 2012 for democrats!

[EC]

2. If they live long enough...

Or they'll have a mass exodus of people seeking health-care in other states...

[kestrel91316]

30. That would be the purpose of this. They want other states to shoulder the burden

of caring for those who Texas has raped, pillaged, impoverished, and now wants to throw away.

[valerief]

37. +1

[CBHagman]

98. Yeah, that's something I could see.

Mind you, if you have few resources at all, you might not go anywhere else but the emergency room, or a free clinic, if you can find one. I'd bet this would overwhelm any and all nonprofit groups attempting to fill in the gaps.

[Angry Dragon]

3. If they all don't die first

[CTyankee]

100. well, you know what dickens said about "the surplus population".

Isn't that the point?

[movonne]

107. Didn't Grayson say repugs want you to not get sick but if you do.. die

quickly...

[LuckyTheDog]

56. The Freepers are giddy

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2622886/posts

Sample responses:

GO...GO...GO.

-----

If they succeed, it could be the end of the welfare state as we know it. That, or the second civil war.


-----

Most government spending since FDR has been Unconstitutional. Progressive (non-uniform) tax rates are Unconstitutional. Fiat money is Unconstitutional—the Constitution forbids anything other than gold and silver coins being used as “Tender in Payment of Debt.”

Given that, the Tea Party should make clear that ALL US Treasury debt is invalid and will NOT ever be paid back, because it was used to fund Unconstitutional expenditures, based on Unconstitutional money, and repayment was predicated on Unconstitutional tax rates.

Since the Tea Party dislikes government debt so much, voters should really like the idea of eliminating all government debt in this way. And if the global bond market starts to believe that this policy will actually win out in the United States, thety will stop buying US government debt. And that will shut down socialism and progressivism faster than the voters themselves could ever hope to accomplish.

-----

I think Texas should not just look at dropping Medicaid and CHIPS but follow through with ending both programs. It’s not MY responsibility to pay for someone else’s medical care with my taxes. It’s high time to end the welfare state as we know it and hopefully Texans have the cajones to follow through with this proposal. If the welfare-sucking slugs don’t like it, let them leave the state to we Texans not frightened by hard work and doing things on our own.

[Chan790]

97. Freepers are dumb.

The reason they will never succeed is in that rant. "ALL US Treasury debt is invalid and will NOT ever be paid back, because it was used to fund Unconstitutional expenditures, based on Unconstitutional money, and repayment was predicated on Unconstitutional tax rates."

Clearly they have no idea who holds a lot of T-bonds? RW civil war will be fun to watch from an outsider's perspective.

[NC_Nurse]

4. I notice they don't plan to drop then long- term care part. Wouldn't want the seniors

To lose a single thing, since they always VOTE and since they make up most the of Tea party.

Disgusting.

[colinmom71]

20. Most seniors are on Medicare, not Medicaid...

The allowing long-term care part probably has more to do with allowing those with developmental disabilities from childhood through adulthood to remain on Medicaid rolls that are already part of the program (I'm guessing). A sort of "grandfathering" clause for currently enrolled disabled persons, since their families will likely make the biggest publicity problem were the program to be eliminated altogether (considering the issues with the federally applied SSDI program that allots Medicaid to such families)... The idea of totally discontinuing Medicaid without at least that exception would cost Texas millions just to defend the federal and individual lawsuits in claims to allow access to SSDI allotted Medicaid access.

But what they're really trying to end is new enrollees to the Medicaid services that many of it's citizens utilize for low-to-working class income families. It would be interesting to see how that might effect federal disability programs, but I'd still like to think that in the end they will decide it's a bad idea overall and not just because of the legal challenges such a policy would present.

[Iowa]

66. And you would be wrong...

"Most seniors are on Medicare, not Medicaid... The allowing long-term care part probably has more to do with..."

Medicare doesn't cover Long Term Care, but Medicaid does. If grandma plans it right, she can appear impoverished on paper and get Medicaid to cover nursing home costs, even if she has assets. That's what this is about - it's about protecting elderly folks who have farms or other assets and who game the system to get Medicaid to cover LTC. It's also about protecting the nursing home industry.

[dixiegrrrrl]

77. Low income seniors can apply to Medicaid to help cover Medicare premiums.

Apparently few people know that.
You have to meet Federal poverty guidelines, and means test, which means you have to be really really poor to qualify, and there has to be enough money in the annual Medicaid budget, seniors have to apply every year.

[molly77]

94. Nursing homes charge too much. No way anybody can afford them these days.

It is a shame that in a supposedly progressive country...our health care system is medieval.

[CountAllVotes]

110. If grandma plans it right, she can appear impoverished on paper

Actually I know of an old woman that does this. She owns or did own 3 houses. She signed them over to her daughter who cares for her. She often says that she has "outlived her money". In the meantime, if she needs anything at all, she gets it, as the daughter buys it for her from the money being generated by renting out two of the homes that she now owns. The 3rd home they live in together. The old woman is in poor health and probably won't live a whole lot longer I suspect as she is on kidney dialysis 3X a week now.

I'm at odds with this old woman right now over her racism and I have not spoken with her in awhile as it is too much for me to listen to her ramblings. :(

Sad really. As for the rationale behind this, sure it makes sense but she is not in a nursing home, her daughter continues to care for her. :shrug:

[Crunchy Frog]

27. Wouldn't want the nursing home industry to lose its financial basis, more like.

[valerief]

39. +1

[LarryNM]

48. You Are Correct

Medicaid/Socialism for nursing home care for the elderly (and the nursing home industry) is looked on much more favorably than care for children and "able bodied" adults even among conservatives. And it has been this way a long time.

[CTyankee]

114. Children don't vote, for one thing. Seniors do but so do their grown kids.

After all, who can pay both their own medical bills and their aging parents' medical bills?

[zelda7743]

63. This would decimate the long-term care industry

Most residents rely on Medicaid to pay for room and board...and Medicaid does not cover what it actually costs to provide care to these residents. Part of the problem is the government regulations; gone are the days where the facilities were just "old age homes." The facilities have to pay for pharmaceuticals, oxygen, labs, x-rays, etc. for any residents that don't have Medicare or private insurance (which is a lot more than you would think). There is not a lot of profit in the nursing home industry.

[Iowa]

67. Yep...

The nursing home industry is notoriously Republican.

[AlinPA]

5. "opting out of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program" - that sounds like a

republican dream.

[ananda]

6. Boy it's a mean world here in Texas.

It was getting that way already, and now it will just get worse.

Just so fucking mean.

[Joanne98]

7. They're trying to kill people. Black people, brown people and poor whites..

It's called murder by proxy. They need to be called HITLER!

[Rozlee]

57. And that's exactly how they'll phrase their argument.

They'll come up with some bullshit "studies" that show that 2/3 of all Medicaid recepients are illegal aliens and get all the teabaggers (there's a bunch of them down here in Ya'll Land) pissing themselves in joy at the opportunity to spread even more hate against minorities. They'll whip up Rethugs and get everything done all nice and fine and kick poor whites and minorities out on the curb. It's the way they always do things. Get rid of a program by saying it's benefitting a group you hate. God, if my whole family didn't live here, I'd move to California or Vermont in a heartbeat!

[otohara]

8. Opting Out, A Nice Way to Describe

You're on your own needy Texans.

[Ian David]

9. Texas is the only red state that pays more to the federal government than they get back.

This might "work" for them.

Notice that I put "work" in "quotes."

[bc3000]

23. The United Texan Emirates

You're right, but let's not pretend they are one of the few red states that doesn't take more from the federal till than they add because of anything other than oil wealth. They're Saudi rich.

Here's a deal for Texas, how about when you get out from under the yoke of evil federal oppression, you take the other red states with you so those of us in the blue states can stop carrying your sorry republican asses.

[Knight Hawk]

55. They tried that

Maybe it would have all worked out better if we had let the eleven ststes of the Confederacy leave when they tried too.The slaves would have probably freed after the Industrial Revolution kicked in big time anyway.

[countrydad58]

99. I had

a ancestor that died on the battlfield of Gettysburg for what?

[bluedigger]

10. Let them!

Until we let the conservatives actually govern according to their principles, we will be unable to demonstrate the bankruptcy of their ideology. What is bad for Texas might save the rest of us.

[tabasco]

117. They're going to destroy the country

and blame it on the liberals.

[jwirr]

11. Yeah, Texas already rations health care - remember the baby that

died the same time as Shivo (sp?)? They will save their money by passing out bus tickets to anyone who is poor and wants to leave the state. Bastards.

[awoke_in_2003]

16. and go wear?...

if they can't afford bus tickets, they can't afford to relocate.

[jwirr]

17. I once lived in a town near the border of another state that was more

generous and the county openly encouraged people to relocate. In fact they paid me to get my severely disabled daughter and the rest of my family across the border. It happens. In my case I was better off but I hear you. Many will be in worse straights if they go the wrong place.

[toddwv]

22. They'll still find the $20 million to fund abstinence only miseducation

While they watch their teen pregnancy and birth rate increase while the national average declines...

[Odin2005]

54. That happens in Fargo.

All the group homes in town for the disabled live on the Minnesota side in Moorhead, none in Fargo proper.

[jwirr]

115. In that case I understand completely. Minnesota has built one of the

best community based health care systems in the nation for special needs patients. That is why I am here. I only hope we can save this system now. How we treat these very vulnerable people says who we are. And for all those sign supporters in Bachmann's district that means how we treat them after they are born also.

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. Love my Texan libs, but the state better not show up hat in hand when this move

bankrupts them on the ER-healthcare plan.

[countrydad58]

13. Raise your own army too

circa 1860. Neo-confederate fuckers!

[bluestateguy]

14. They are allowed to do that under federal law

Maybe if more poor folks in Texas would vote and if they do, stop voting on bullshit culture war "issues" this would not be a threat.

[onethatcares]

15. the state with the worst healthcare for its poor is gonna

just throw them along side the highways and dig ditches.

Why am I not surprised at this? Honest to gaud, why?

[Drale]

18. When will people finally see the light?

that its not about saving americans money, its about making as much ill-gotten money for themselves?

[Iliyah]

21. No Social Security

nor health care and probably no jobs. We are going to see a exodus of Texans moving to California.

[lobodons]

19. YES!! Do it!!

Dems will take those electoral votes in 2012!! Thank you very much.

[southernyankeebelle]

24. Grayson was right. Just look what the nation has to look forward to if we get Perry as president.

TX you reep what you soe. I don't feel sorry for your state at all. TX the land of no compassion. Grayson was right on. The republicans want you to die.

[ixion]

25. Go for it...

Morans... :eyes:

[mzmolly]

26. But keep those tax cuts for the wealthy comin!

:crazy:

[Downwinder]

28. Can they really afford to lose that many teabaggers?

[HooptieWagon]

29. Fine. Why not let them secede altogether?

It'll save the rest of us money. Texas will have to worry about it's border itself and fund their own defense forces. If they want to be a third world country, why not let them?

[CLANG]

35. Mexico would quickly conquer Texas, the country.

But of course the USA(-TX) couldn't allow that to happen, so WE would have to conquer Texas first. So what really is the point of seceding?

[HooptieWagon]

42. If they can't defend themselves from Mexico

Then their small-government utopia experiment is proven a failure. IMO, worth sacrificing Texas to shut up and discredit the GOP.

[Ter]

79. Not a chance in hell they would attack Texas for no reason in this day and age

And if they did, it would be lights out for them. Texas has a vastly more advanced militia, and nukes.

[CLANG]

81. Not after the US pulls out of their country.

[Ter]

83. That's the thing, who gets the nukes?

Who gets the military weaponry? Opening up a can of worms here, but suppose Texas secedes and keeps the weapons?

[CLANG]

85. They are protected very well by the US military. Let them try to take them away.

[Ter]

88. But if Texas secedes, THEY are the military there

Anything and everything immediately becomes the property of the Republic of Texas. Maybe. Or not, it would certainly be interesting to watch!

[CLANG]

103. I don't think it works that way, but it would surely be interesting!!

[Kolesar]

31. How will Wal*mart get coverage if they cannot send their employees to the welfare office

for Medicaid insurance?

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tomm2thumbs]

33. my guess is Houston is never going to let that happen - the MediCity has too many patrons

but if they do try, they are going to do it quickly, before people catch on

[Kyad02]

34. And Epedemics don't casre what party you belong to

Don't these bastards realize that causing sick people to remain sick will cause epedemics to spread, even to rich white Repukes with "beautiful minds" ? Not only evil but stupid as well.

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. I wonder if Goodhair Perry

will seriously talk secession again.

And this is one reason kiddies why Republicans want you dead.

No don't expect too many in DC or anywhere else to run with that bumper sticker message

Republicans want you dead.

Yes it is that simple

[droidamus2]

38. Is this the idea

There are people that depend on Medicaid/Medicare to literally survive is the idea to cut off the program so those people will leave Texas and thus put the burden on other states? My significant other has end stage kidney failure with out Medicare and federal aid she would literally be dead by now. Are these people so ignorant or unempathetic that they don't realize this could be a death sentence for some people. These people have no shame!!!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

40. 3/4 of the people in Texas will die of their illnesses...I double dare them to do it

[still_one]

41. and these fuckers call themselves "christian"? why doesn't someone call them on that? /nt

[Crunchy Frog]

68. Yes, that's because the churches are going to pick up the slack.

:crazy:

[felix_numinous]

43. That is beyond insane.

But it might be just the thing for more people to figure out who is willing to throw them under the bus.

[radhika]

44. As a Californian, I say buh-bye....

I am sick of these cock-of-the-walk strutting asshats of TX and other Posse Comitatus states. I have reached a decision that surprises even me, formerly pro-collective. The hell with 'em. Get TX off the back of the greater US - and let the chiildren, the disabled and poor folks of TX bear the consequences of the type of politicians they choose. I'd support its secession too.

Easy for me to say here in CA, where we stayed Blue throughout and have just received a federal waiver to start implementing our approach to HCR. We also have a well-drafted, previously voted on Single Payer Program that has broad support. This plan - OneCareNow - passed the legislature twice, but was vetoed by the Governor. We're still broke, foreclosed and jobless, but now we're finally working on it. We've also fixed the budget approval process, all of which gives CA a fighting chance to stabilize our state. Maybe the folks of TX need a real life lesson of living without a safety net.

[countrydad58]

53. Send federal troops

in & crush the confederacy once & for all to save the poor & sick. Hang Perry like Sadaam!

[Ter]

80. No way

If they send troops, others states will surely come to their defense. I don't want another Civil War, let them secede.

[Sailing]

58. I'm getting real sick and tired

of seeing the influx of republicans with California license plates moving and showing up here in Texas. You brag about how California is getting bluer, but it is occurring at our expense. Keep your damn criminal republicans in your own state and deal with them yourself instead of dumping them all on us and making it worse for us here in Texas. End of rant.

[Jennicut]

60. It is inevitable. The evil will keep moving in and if possible, the good people keep moving out.

The more repressive they become, the worse it will be. It attracts these types.

[radhika]

73. Nope - they belong with you - same values n/t

[NBachers]

90. I got two words for ya: EN RON

[1BostonBeannie]

72. Did you see the Medicaid privatization deal Arnie struck with O?

Reported Nov. 2 or 3rd depending on whether you have the hard copy or the online version which has been retroactively changed by the North Co. Times in San Diego!

The Obama Admin. just awarded the GOP Schwarzenegger Admin. a "waiver" to allow them to PRIVATIZE Medi-Cal. Noam Levey "State gets OK to expand Medicaid"
"In addition to expanding coverage, the medicaid waiver is designed to shift more Medi-Cal beneficiaries into managed care..."

We are seeing the far right move to eliminate any public funding of healthcare or the center to center right Obama Admin. privatize it. I am a Medi-Cal beneficiary and this news is troubling to say the least. HMOs are garbage. I do not want to be forced into an HMO!

[avaistheone1]

86. Unfortunately when the rubber meets the road and Texas' poor,

disabled and confused realize they have been swindled by their Long Horn leaders they will be on their way to California to live off whatever is left in the Golden state. You watch.

[KT2000]

45. Force the poor to move

to other states? Is that the plan for those who want to survive?

[SemperEadem]

46. so, Tx is saying to its citizens

FUCK YOU, FUCK YOUR UGLY DAMN CHILDREN... DIE AND GO TO HELL.

Hope it's a lovely holiday season for ya.

[Downwinder]

47. On Tuesday Perry was running ads on how great Texas was doing.

[Danmel]

93. Pataki did the same thing when he ran for his last term

Then gave the big gloom & doom speech on inauguration day, which in NY is New Years Day. Blew my resolution to be less cynical right out of the water.

[mcollier]

49. How about cutting subsidies to oil companies

Nevermind that's not an option because republicans in congress are bought and payed for by the oil industry amongst others.

[LarryNM]

50. Didn't Arizona or maybe Wyoming once try to opt out of Medicaid?

Also, I think this will be an attempt to make all care for the "poor" to be operated by "faith based charities" while keeping tax monies for corporate welfare.

[Saokymo]

51. As a Texan, I must say...

Do it. Do it and see where it leads, you stupid, arrogant right-wing bastards. I dare you to.

There's not much I can say beyond that, aside from incoherent raging. I'm appalled that anyone could even think of such a measure in the first place.

[Zambero]

76. "Comfy Conservatives" will need to reconsider their allegiance

We know who they are -- those straight-ticket Republican voters who depend on entitlements and entrenched safety net programs such as Medicaid and Food Stamps yet take them for granted, as if they are not really "government" programs championed by liberal lawmakers in years past. Once they are faced with a hostile right-wing assaults on their health, well-being, financial security, and standard of living, they may have to rethink their political affiliation, or as Rep. Grayson foretold, "die and do so quickly". The Republicans will get the gov't off these folks' backs alright, and then shove it hard and fast into their rectums.

[area51]

91. Welcome to DU, Saokymo.

:hi:

[Odin2005]

52. Pure evil.

[madrchsod]

59. can you say--drug resistant tuberculous.....

yes drug resistant tb and other really nasty shit. other treatable diseases and conditions will result in many needless deaths.

but look at the bright side..this will cull the herd of those who cannot work or reproduce.

[quakerboy]

89. If it gets far enough

perhaps we will reach a point where those with money and power are desperate enough that they have to pay a reasonable wage to compete for workers...

[Jennicut]

61. Wow. Just wow. Well, any fellow Texans who want to move and can move are welcome here in CT.

We are about to get SustiNET, a public option, up and running. We just elected a Dem Governor too. We don't have the same employment opportunities and the cost of living would be sticker shock to those not used to it (you are paid better here too, don't forget). But we have a normal government and not a lot of conservative aholes.

[CTyankee]

101. Also, we would welcome gay Texans here in CT! An added benefit.

Breathing the political air here in CT is so much healthier for you! Yeah, it's cold, but not as cold as Vermont, another great place to live...

[Jennicut]

104. Yeah, possible snow tomorrow. Eek. But worth every cold shivery moment.

And yes, we allow gay marriage. The thing about it was, it was so nonchalant. No huge protests, no extreme hatred. People just accepted it and moved on. Part of our spirit here, I guess. Mind your own business and respect privacy.

[CTyankee]

111. I'm not gay, but I cannot tell you how much it means to me to live in a state

where gay rights have been so warmly and beautifully expressed. I read parts of that state Supreme Court decision and damn near cried it was so affirming...

[Jennicut]

112. I am never leaving. I declared it to my parents, my friends, my husband.

We are NEVER leaving unless the right wingers take it over somehow and I doubt that. I don't care if there might be a better job somewhere else, the quality of living would go downhill the minute I stepped in another state. I don't care if that sounds mean, it is not meant to be against any great liberals here on DU that live in other states (besides Vermont, of course). But after 34 years of living in sanity I just cannot leave it, even to a somewhat purple state.

[CTyankee]

116. Also, CT has other advantages. We are close to both New York and Boston and

I frequently go to both. My daughter has a vacation home on Martha's Vineyard so I can vacation there for little money. My son lives in NYC so I can go there for theatre and museums. And I live in the cultural capital of the state, New Haven (also the pizza capital of the USA, IMO). Not everybody would like that, but I do.

[Jennicut]

119. Pizza capital, without a doubt.

[sleipnir]

62. The balkanization of America continues

Yet another sign that we're dividing up and soon you can choose what rules you wish to live under.

[Frances]

64. Death panels?

[Crunchy Frog]

70. No, this is just freedom of choice.

I heard Gov. Perry say this on NPR just the other day. If somebody chooses to crawl off into the gutter and die for lack of money then we have to respect that exercise of their freedom.

[YankeeLeft7x]

65. Don't Get Sick - Under the GOP You Will Die Quickly.....

Don't Get Sick because under the GOP you will die and die quickly.....

Alan Grayson is not such a liberal "nutcase" now he is?

Nope!!!!

[1BostonBeannie]

69. Medicaid withdrawal vs. Medicaid privatization?

So the GOP wants to eliminate Medicaid. They've wanted to eliminate any New Deal smelling program forever, and Great Society programs too.

But here is a troubling item that appeared in our local paper, a right wing rag called the North County Times from writer Noam Levey called State Gets OK to Expand Medicaid Nov. 3rd ( a Google search seems to show they have retroactively changed the name of the story to California gets OK to expand Medicaid dated Nov. 2nd. but I am holding the original hard copy in my hands! Is Orwell's memory hole actually happening? )

The story reveals at the last column that the Obama Admin. gave GOP Arnold Schwarzenegger's Admin. a "waiver" to privatize their Medicaid program called Medi-Cal.

"In additiona to expanding coverage, the Medicaid waiver is designed to shift more Medi-Cal beneficiaries into managed care..."

It would appear that the Obama Admin. is privatizing Medicaid.
For those of us on Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) this is not welcome news. In fact it is terrible news. HMOs do not provide better care than traditional Medicare Medicaid (unless you pay for excellent coverage! Poor people find that difficult.)

So we are left with two framed arguments, eliminate healthcoverage for the poor per the GOP or privatize as the Obama Admin. appears to be doing and expect reduced care and increased patient costs as the profit motive is introduced into the formerly Great Society socialized safety net program for the poor.

Someone please comment on this. Privatization is NOT good. Elimination is worse. WHY IS THERE SO LITTLE COVERAGE ABOUT THIS???

[Honeycombe8]

106. Medicaid has nothing to do with Medicare. Medicare is a fed. program. Medicaid is a combo...

state with federal assistance program. Two separate programs with two separate sets of criteria, two sets of benefits, two kinds of care providers who accept patients under those programs. They are not related at all.

Medicare: Anyone age 65 and over qualifies, if they paid into the system. (I guess there are some other basic rules, like having to be a citizen or whatever.)

Medicaid: If you are below a certain income level..then the STATE provides Medicaid benefits for care (with federal supplementation). The rules are promulgated by the STATE (with some federal requirements). Most of the cost is borne by the STATE.

A doctor can choose to accept patients from Medicare but not Medicaid. In fact, few care providers accept MedicAID patients.

Medicaid rules vary from state to state. Medicare is the same across the country.

[earcandle]

71. How many people will this kill? Genocide? WTF? We can't rule in ways where people don't count.

Ever and be a Democracy, living under OUR constitution, our
bill of rights, our declaration of independence.  Who needs
the education?  The press?  The White House?  Who is allowing
this ridiculous
charade?  

[earcandle]

74. We must actually do some work to get our country back, please read.. comment... forward the action?

We have to stay committed to keep and work within our rule of
law and act authentically doing so.
Those empowered to manage legal and police departments need to
back us up with the laws, or we get new people who get the job
done:i.e. put our rules and regulations back in place and
educate the populace on what they are through public mediums
for free.  

The police can't stabilize a civilization.  But they can try
to force it to behave in fascist ways.  Then we call in our
military and bring those contractors we pay back to town to
corral them.  

Don't be surprised if we find an amazing inbreeding between a
variety of "forces" on this planet, equivalent to
none.  The crimes and the genocide is untold in mainstream
culture. 

We can capture and pick them up one at a time. Send them
straight to therapy
and well being workshops to try to retrain them back to their
"sense of and duty to"
a common humanity, as we find out from them how and why and
what has happened to them,
to our world, our country, and who is doing it to us so we can
dismantle these forces
systematically and within a control that is serving everyone,
including the perpetrators
to learn and to evolve.   

Listen, all of you (us) .  Both sides.  You (we)  are pissing
in y(our) own bowl. 

[KamaAina]

75. Ahh-nuld floated that one earlier this year

hopefully this will be shot down just as quickly by the Dem legislature.

Um... er... oh shit... :scared: :scared: :scared:

[radhika]

78. How About Expulsion - not Secession?

The USA can sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for TX, AK or whatever state to get sick of playing the'we're leaving' card. Or we can just say, good idea. You're out! All I'd miss is Austin's SXSW and Willie Nelson.

Funny thing, if Mexico invaded and reclaimed TX, they'd still be stuck with a National Plan - ha!

[Marnie]

82. And after they do that what?

Poor people are still going to get sick and injured and end up in ER and Walk in Clinics, and the state is still going to have to cover the cost of care or risk hospitals and clinics having to close down and doctors go our of business.
The only other alternative is to totally deny health care to the poor.

[Zambero]

87. Hey, not to worry

Once they nullify 'Obamacare' mandates, it'll be carte blanche for emergency rooms, with no need for anyone to purchase health insurance if they don't feel like it. The generous taxpayers of Texas will be picking up the tab, all in the name of 'individual liberty'. Huh? Personal responsibility? Oh give me a break -- that's soooo 1990's and a political non-starter to boot. Only liberals would bring that up in this day and age!

:sarcasm:

[yurbud]

84. the Republicans are going to strangle themselves with their own bile

the only question is whether the Democrats have the balls to point it out and offer a real alternative.

[Kablooie]

92. That's an easy choice. Medicaid is for low income people who can't afford health care.

So they can't fight back.

Food stamps might be next.

They are perfectly content destroying all of society's safety nets for the poor.

People starving in the street has no effect on them at all.

[rasputin1952]

95. The "logic" here is that it's cheaper bury children than heal them...

The callous and cruel among us are growing...If the TX legislature wants to save money, it could just dissolve itself.

It is always those that are already on the ground that get pummeled further. Leave it to some pompous asses to come up with another way to actually create their own "Death Panel"...the TX GOP. Is there any other state that seems to actually enjoy death as much as the TX lege does?

[Turbineguy]

96. This would put a lot of middle class people

out of work. Middle class people who's money will no longer be going to the rich. Obviously many would have to move away from Texas to other states. Maybe what those other states should opt for is a Soviet style "internal passport". That way they can deny entry or at least can grant "refugee status".

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

102. They'll reimburse all the FICA taxes paid out first, right?

Right?

[Honeycombe8]

105. FICA is for Medicare, I think. Not Medicaid. Medicaid is paid for by states....

with supplementation from the federal government.

Medicare is strictly federal.

[Recursion]

108. FICA is for Social Security

There's a separate line item for Medicare (called, unsurprisingly enough, "Medicare"; check your pay stub it should be there).

Medicaid is paid for by a combination of your Federal and State income taxes; a lot of its problems come from the fact that it doesn't have a dedicated revenue stream (this is the main reason people were wary of the public option -- without a dedicated revenue stream it would have the same vulnerabilities Medicaid does, and would probably eventually be subsumed by it).

[SOS]

113. Texas gets plenty of Medicaid supplementation...

Texas Medicaid expenditures are $21.4 billion of which 71% comes from the Federal government.
Compared to a US average of 56%.

Texas gets a Federal contribution of $2.44 per state dollar, compared to a US average of $1.28.
Texas gets nearly double the average Federal contribution.

http://www.statehealthfacts.org/mfs.jsp?rgn=45&rgn=1&x=17&y=13

[bullwinkle428]

109. Once again, Alan Grayson is proven to CORRECT.

[muriel_volestrangler]

118. Warren Chisum, supporter of a geocentric, anti-semitic website, is in the running for Texas Speaker?

http://www.texscience.org/news/chisum-bridges.htm

If he wins, that state Congress is fucked. His attempted excuse for trying to persuade fellow representatives to follow the policy of the anti-semitic site was "I never even read it - I just did what my dear (anti-semitic) friend told me". The man is a total idiot.