PA governor will cut Medicaid. Following Texas' lead in eliminating it. He is

[AlinPA]

starting with a 14% cut then going to "zero base budgeting". PA is controlled by republicans in the house and senate.
http://www.paindependent.com/todays_news/detail/corbett-targets-medicaid-state-fleet-for-cuts

[polichick]

1. Maybe the voters will finally wake up. nt

[malaise]

2. I dare him

NO I double dare him.

[tinymontgomery]

3. Guess my grandkids

are screwed. Unless the family comes and lives with me in NC. Also if NC does this 1/2 my students won't have insurance. I guess it sucks to be them. :sarcasm:

[dsc]

6. better hope that Purdue wins in 12

or we will see the very same thing here. Even with her in office I figure we will see some pretty bad cuts in both education and health care.

[Terra Alta]

19. I'm already seeing the cuts in mental health

I'm having to pay out of pocket for visits to my therapist, when before I didn't have to pay anything. And it's only going to get worse with the Repukes in control now. A lot of people aren't happy with Purdue, and she's going to have a rough time of it in '12.

[dsc]

20. no kidding

Teachers are angry due to all the budget cuts and I am worried she may well lose the teacher's vote if she runs against someone who can say decent stuff about schools. I know some who voted against her last time and others who will like do so this time. She barely won last time. I hope the GOP goes off the deep end and nominates a nut that is her best hope.

[butterfly77]

38. Its going to get worse ..

for the repukes too. Nothing they will do will make it better only worse and if they think it will not effect them keep on watching..They always try to get back at the poor and end up paying more in the long run...

[tinymontgomery]

22. this place is going

red. Shuler had a thing about going to the middle in the charlotte Observer today. Everyone is running scared.

[Terra Alta]

24. doesn't surprise me about Shuler

don't see why he doesn't just make it official and switch parties. He's a DINO if I've ever seen one.

[Terra Alta]

13. The Repukes just took over both houses of the General Assembly

so don't be surprised to see something similar here.

[Divernan]

4. Corbett needs to build poor houses for Pennsylvanians w/out health care

But he'll be just as happy to let them just die on the streets. It will be like that Monty Python movie - was it Life Of Brian?-where wagons are rolled through the street with someone calling "Bring Out Your Dead!"

[AleksS]

8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Which seems appropriate since R's seem to generally be searching for a mythical artifact and fighting imaginary monsters.

[AlinPA]

5. After TX stops their Medicaid, maybe people will see the problems better. nt

[BzaDem]

7. The interesting thing is, they can't "cut" Medicaid in 2014. They can either fully fund their

portion, or eliminate it. One or the other. That's why Texas is thinking about eliminating it -- because HCR doesn't allow them to cut Medicaid eligibility below 133% of the poverty line in 2014.

And Texas won't leave Medicaid. Neither will PA. The matching funds are too large to give up. It's just bluster.

[pacalo]

9. I sure hope you're right. I could easily imagine Jindal following suit.

[laughingliberal]

26. They could, however, tighten eligibility requirements that don't relate to income. nt

[BzaDem]

31. There can be no further eligibility requirements. Everyone making under 133% of FPL qualifies.

Period. (In 2014.) This is mandated by federal law (unless they give up all matching funds and withdraw from Medicaid).

[laughingliberal]

32. That's good. We actually cover some people up to 175% of the Poverty Level. But we don't cover...

adults without children unless they're disabled or low income Medicare recipients.

[Bandit]

39. I don't think that is true in all states

In my state for instance if you own your home you don't qualify even if your income is zero..It is based upon both income and Net Worth and a reason why I have no insurance what-so-ever...I have a very small income as it is mostly social security and am a year away from medicare..

[dkf]

10. How is it they get away with this?

Does the electorate support this?

[atreides1]

14. Who do you think put them in office?

An electorate that believes that they won't be hit by these cuts, in other words really stupid people!

[dkf]

18. He campaigned on this?

[AlinPA]

33. No. He never said a word until now.

[craigmatic]

11. Sounds like the 2014 election will produce a new governor.

[atreides1]

16. But it won't matter

Because if the governor does go through with this plan, many people will be hurting.

[craigmatic]

21. Democrats exist to stop people from hurting. It's what we're here for.

[BlueCaliDem]

12. Always going after the most vulnerable in our society.

Hope this is a wake-up call to those senior citizens who continuously vote Republican - for some inexplicable reason!

[JVS]

15. PA has a very elderly population. If they try this, they'll be tossed on their asses.

[jerseygal]

17. Medicaid, not Medicare.

Medicaid is state funded for poor people. Medicare is federally funded for old people.

Medicaid is rural poor in Pennsyltucky and urban poor (primarily African American and Hispanic) in Philly and African American in Pittsburgh.

Do you think that the poor have voices in Pennsylvania. 59% of the eligible voters in Philadelphia didn't turn out to vote this time.

[Fla Dem]

36. Many seniors default to medicaid for long term care. n/t

[davidinalameda]

23. that article is from May

:shrug:

[tech9413]

25. I can't believe the proliferation of RW assholes in this state

But I do understand how it happened. I grew up here and everyone I knew worked in manufacturing, steel, mining, or some trade. I saw the change back in the eighty's with the destruction of the steel industry and losing most of the manufacturing and support industries.
When people see their life in danger they tend to react in fear. An emotional response that is usually not based on reason or critical thinking. That makes them susceptible to propaganda that puts the blame on some "other".
Since I moved back here I've talked to tons of people who are smart, well educated, government employees, union members, etc who buy into the BS that they get from the MSM.

[blue neen]

27. Yeah, it's quite interesting. Ronald Reagan used to be despised around here because the

loss of jobs in the steel sector accelerated during his administration.

Another huge factor in the change to the RW in western PA is that Richard Mellon Scaife owns most of the newspapers. It's day after day attacks on Democrats, to the point that the propaganda does finally brainwash the voters, especially the senior citizens who still get a majority of their daily news from the papers.

[JVS]

43. I'm not surprised. Huge numbers of workers and young people have fled the state.

If a party does not protect their constituents, it will not have them anymore.

[defendandprotect]

28. Right wing "third world America" ... and this is aid for the most needy, including children!!!

[w8liftinglady]

29. Texas has 5.4 million under 65 on Medicaid(not including uninsured)

[w8liftinglady]

30. p.s...to include...that will make over 13 million uninsured in Texas,btw.

[defendandprotect]

41. That's the right wing "pro-life" ideology at work -- everyone is trash AFTER birth .... !!!

[PA Democrat]

34. Thank you dumb ass voters of PA!

Keep watching that brain-rotting FOX "news" and then act shocked when you are struggling more every year to provide basic necessities for your families.:mad:

[sweetapogee]

37. In your opinion,

do you think that PA dems in 2012 will run on a platform to restore medicaid to current levels? Or possibly will they run a platform of a better economy for PA? Or possibly another platform all together?

[Junkdrawer]

35. PA: Only state that won't tax Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling....

:mad:

[PCIntern]

40. In the inimitable wording of King Ronald:

"You ain't seen nothing yet."

We have politicos who make Alabama's look progressive...

[kiranon]

42. Some Republicans believe only Democrats use gov't services like Medicare.

They are in for a surprise. After this, even their own mothers won't vote for them.