Wife Blames Tenncare Cuts For Husband's Death

[struggle4progress]

Memphis - A Rutledge Tennessee woman who says cuts to Tenncare cost her her husband is asking the governor to put people back on the rolls. It's been nearly two months since 190 thousand were cut from Tenncare and thousands of others had their benefits reduced.

Monday there were prayers and hugs for Barbara Bryant by members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Bryant came to Memphis to talk about her husband's death. One she says could have been prevented. Bryant's husband who was being treated for a blood disorder as well as diabetes and liver disease had his tenncare benefits reduced back in August. Although he needed 12 medications the state would only pay for five. Bryant is asking the governor to put patients like her husband back on tenncare. She says she doesn't want anyone else to die.

"My three kids have the same problem now and am I suppose to burry my three kids and grand kids, because they can't get their medicines," said Bryant.

Members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were among protesters who spent months camped at the governor's office to fight the tenncare cuts. The head of the local group has been asked to speak at the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and says he plans to continue his fight in Washington. <snip>

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=3869209

[BlueJazz]

1. Tennessee Huh?.Gee.isn't that the state that stabbed Al Gore in the back?

..I better shut up before I piss every body off....

[Crunchy Frog]

5. I doubt very much

that the back stabbing was done by members of the Southern Christian Leadership Council. If you want to blame the victims, at least make sure that they're ones who are actually blameworthy.

(Just because they've got the word "Christian" in their name does not mean that they're RW.)

[Erika]

2. This is a Christian government? I don't think so.

There was a post yesterday that stated we are paying for universal health care for all Iraqis. We can't help our own needy?

[bluestateguy]

3. Get rid of Bredesen and get Tim McGraw in there

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Jesus Christ, who wrote this shit? A Junior High student?

This is some of the worst writing I've ever seen in a "legitimate" arena. I've seen a better command of English from high schoolers from other countries.

What the hell kind of useless journalist never bothers to learn grammar or syntax?

This is fucking appalling. If I were the publisher of that paper, that article writer would be fired and asked to go back and get a high school diploma, and whoever hired said "journalist" would be seriously reprimanded and reminded that I prefer people who know how to use the language they are theoretically writing in.

Anyway, that said, this situation is also appalling - cutting healthcare to people who need it. Pro-lifers my goddamn ass.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

6. Answer to question #2

A reporter who is working for a small-town newspaper for the past 30 years. Most people with any talent or editorial standards would have fled.

It was a running joke with my mom when I was a teenager that one day I would stage a coup d'etat and take over our local newspaper because it was such crap. As a college journalist, I interned there one evil summer. The editor in chief got his job in part because of who he knew: He married the former editor's daughter. He's one of those good ol' boys who cares less about integrity and standards than not offending his friends.

If anything, it's worse now. In addition to the departure of a very professional managing editor, they've hired several local "columnists" to fill space who use the column inches as an opportunity to proselytize, gossip, and talk about their place as leaders in the community. The paper has also added a weekend "Faith Journeys" insert whose stated mission is to "glorify our Lord Jesus Christ by sharing stories of faith and communicating His great deeds and blessings, among the churched and the unchurched." This in an area where technology businesses are drawing many new residents who probably aren't Christian. Grrr.