Joplin Globe: Painful cuts

[usregimechange]

Among the 90,000 people who lost coverage are Sandy Crawford, 57, of Cliff Village, and Joe Lindenfelser, 53, of Seneca... Lindenfelser said he and his wife, Donna, 57, “have both been kicked off Medicaid. We can’t afford to buy medicine now. People will buy food before they buy medicine. We’ll have to do without medicine. We ain’t got no choice.”

...

Donna Rieman’s life was turned upside down when Missouri eliminated her daughter’s Medicaid benefits. “My daughter, Leslie, is a 34-year-old stroke survivor. She is confined to a wheelchair. She is totally dependent. She can’t do anything without help,” said Rieman.

So when the benefits her daughter received through the Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities program were eliminated, Rieman had to quit her secretarial job of 15 years at Missouri Southern State University and relocate her family from Carl Junction to Kansas City to care for her daughter.

“The system is wrong. I truly believe it is wrong,” she said. “Leslie faces medical costs of $2,000 to $3,000 a month without Medicaid. This is very difficult and hard to understand.
“I don’t think Gov. Matt Blunt really thought it through. Unfortunately, I voted for him and I really regret it.”

http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=206371&c=87

[bluestateguy]

1. I've taken a real hit in the compassion department since Nov. 2004

I want to know who each and every one of these people kicked out of Medicaid voted for first before assigning sympathy (children are exempt, of course).

Sorry folks, I've turned to the dark side of the force now.

[Erika]

3. The same thing is happening country wide

Bush/GOP forces want no non-productive citizens draining the budget. GOP state after state is following the Bush lead. Let the non productive die, all the time claiming to be Christian.

[Fovea]

2. Dear Donna.

Matt Blunt really did think it through, and his considered opinion was that the corporations were far more important than other Missourians, and that you should shut up and let your daughter die for the sake of profits.

I am regret that you voted for him too, as do a lot of other Missourians. In the end, that will not help your daughter.

[Erika]

4. But don't be hard on the Bush kids for partying

Priorities are priorites.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. The RW talking points are tearing up our arguments

For example, just this past week, a freeper I know explained to me that these poor people with disabilities are not losing their wheelchairs. The state is refusing now to pay for ELECTRIC wheelchairs. My freeper friend seemed to think there was nothing wrong with this. I asked how a person with no upper body strength could make a non-electric wheelchair move. And I got dead silence as an answer.