Editorial Crap

Austin-American Statesman: It's not politics – it's health

When Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison recently pointed out that Texas forfeited $104.6 million in federal dollars designated for children's health insurance, she was criticized for politicizing the Children's Health Insurance Program.

I don't know who made those remarks, but I think it's a dumb way to criticize a politician...

It's true that Hutchison, a Republican, is seriously contemplating a run for governor against Rick Perry. But those who explain away Hutchison's candid remarks as political grandstanding miss the point: Texas, with the highest rate of uninsured children in the nation, can't afford to return health insurance dollars. That money is needed for children whose parents work, but can't afford to buy their kids private health insurance.

Oh please. The editorial says tax money ought to be coerced from citizens in order to pay for children's health insurance? That isn't "politics"? What the fuck else is it?

Congress established CHIP to assist families in those circumstances. These are working people with low to moderate incomes. Only their children are covered by CHIP, which is financed mostly with federal funds, with a few state dollars added.

What does it matter which level of government allocates the money? Ultimately, it's all taken from individuals. It's just slightly more odious that people utterly uninvolved in the happenings of Texas children have to pay for their health care.

Perry's office is correct that the blame for hundreds of millions of dollars Texas received - but failed to spend between 1998 and 2001 - lies elsewhere. President Bush, who was governor when Congress passed CHIP, decided not to call a special session, which lost valuable time in setting up CHIP. Since then, Texas has been playing catch up. The rules of the game allow states three years to spend their yearly allotment of federal dollars.

This isn't "politics" as well?

But the fault for the most recent loss of more than $100 million comes on Perry's watch. With his blessing, the Legislature in 2003 drastically cut the CHIP program — while sitting atop a $104 million surplus of federal money. The cuts eliminated all dental and vision benefits and made it tougher for children to qualify for CHIP and remain on the program.

Presumably, it was done to save money. The truth is that Texas leaders could have used every penny of their federal money and still balanced the budget without raising taxes.

I take this isn't "politics," either.

As a result of the cuts, Texas CHIP rolls have declined by about 175,200 children. The state enrolls about 332,000 children in CHIP, but there are tens of thousands more who are eligible but not enrolled.

The fewer people on the welfare rolls (direct handouts, subsidies, "free" clinics, etc.), the better. That includes children and the elderly. You and I are not responsible for the well-being of others unless we choose to bear that burden or unless we have wronged the others in question.

Our loss is another state's gain. When Texas doesn't spend its money, it goes to New Jersey, New Mexico and Mississippi, among others.

Pigs, fighting over stolen slop.

So, let's stop shooting the messenger and start spending our CHIP dollars on Texas kids.

Copyright 2001-2005 Cox Texas Newspapers, L.P. All rights reserved.

I'm guessing this also doesn't qualify as "politics." What nonsense. As if the concern for children somehow transcends the morality of what the thugs and looters want to do - and have done - with you and your property. This isn't some quest to take the high road, elevated above the gritty struggle of state politics.

This is state politics.

Posted by Drizzten at February 09, 2005 10:49 AM