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Oregon's Measure 50, President Bush, and the moral test of government
Submitted by seancruz on October 8, 2007 - 7:33am
“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadows of life—the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”
–Hubert Humphrey’s last speech, November 1, 1977
President George W. Bush’s veto of the SCHIP bill underscores the importance of the 2007 Oregon Legislature’s move to put Measure 50 on the November 6 ballot as a constitutional amendment.
Few legislators wanted to amend the Oregon Constitution to get to health insurance, but—faced with a moral choice—both chambers acted correctly in resolving to put the needs of Oregon’s citizens ahead of partisanship, ideology and plain mean-spiritedness.
Without Measure 50 on the near horizon, many thousands of uninsured and underinsured Oregonians with much to hope for but little to expect would face continued involuntary enrollment in President Bush’s Emergency-Room Late-Stage National Health Plan.
Meanwhile, President Bush’s monument for posterity, emblem of his failed presidency, the new United States Embassy in Iraq, largest and most expensive embassy in the world, is well behind schedule and over budget.
News broke today that the complex, originally budgeted for $ 592 million, will cost US taxpayers another $144 million to complete.
Those figures do not include the missile defense system it’s going to need, and it is important to keep in mind that no one is even guessing at what the embassy’s ongoing operating costs are going to be.
Think of the Wapato Jail, super-sized, visible from space, where everyone sprints when on foot, zigging and zagging, trying not to spill the coffee, and you have an image of what this project really is…an artifact already, a blueprint drawn up in those heady days after Shock and Awe, when Coalition troops entered the flower-strewn streets of Baghdad, and the Bush Administration and its neo-con hardliners fantasized a thousand-year legacy.
Oregon lawmakers and Oregon’s voters could never hope to cut a budget fine enough to put a dent in the massive outflow of national resources that President Bush pours down the toilet every minute of the day.
The silver-spoon President stated that he vetoed the SCHIP bill because he opposes “government-run health care.”
Uninsured Oregonians don’t care what it is called or who runs it as much as they care that they have access to it.
According to President Abraham Lincoln, the government Bush is referring to is “of the People, by the People, and for the People….”
Since he serves in the Party of Lincoln, that phrase ought to have some significance in the discussion.
If the government is “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” then government-run health care is actually run by the People.
Having never known a moment in life when his health insurance was not provided by either the oil industry, the State of Texas, the federal government or by his government-run Secret Service detail, President Bush is faced with a moral dilemma: To SCHIP or not.
He fails the moral test…but we already knew that was coming.
And the People of Oregon will make their moral choice known on November 6.
Measure 50
Before we offer "free" healthcare to the people of Oregon, let's examine the Truth.
I struggled to earn my BA and MA after a divorce with 2 kids, during which time I received state health care, food stamps and government housing--temporarily. Such help is necessary for short periods of time to those who are willing to work to get off of it--and for those who are already US citizens.
The truth is that help is readily available for those who need it. And I'm white. The point is I saw many loafers avoid finding jobs so they can continue living in government housing. If we earn too much, we lose food stamps. At some point state health care will drop someone earning an income. It's much easier to be lazy, sit around all day, avoid work, and barely scrape by on state assistance. Working full time is tough.
So be it. Cut them off. Make them show improvement in their situations or get out.
I received $300 per month in food stamps for three people. Even now, though it's getting tougher with 2 growing teenagers, we rarely spend more. Schools offer free breakfast, reduced rate lunches. There is no excuse to be hungry. I paid $75 per month for a 3 bedroom apartment. There is no excuse to be living in squalor. I received very inexpensive (I think $20 per month) state health insurance. There is no excuse for not having coverage. There are walk-in clinics everywhere, free emergency rooms. Many choose to remain on the state handouts just because it's easier than working.
I submit that a majority of those on the dole are illegal immigrants. Kick them off. They don't have a right to put their hands in my pocket. I worked hard. I served 4 years active duty in the US Army, was married to a soldier for 10. I put in my time as a citizen. I've struggled to get on my feet--went back to school full time for nearly 5 years--on free tuition and books, by the way.
Instead of increasing handouts, we must enforce the law. We must increase the attractiveness of self-supporting choices, of avoiding poor choices, of having children only in a stable marriage, of obtaining higher education, of the importance of self-sufficiency.
For those who are truly disabled and incapacitated, we have help.
For all others, cut off the dole. Get up off the couch, quit the drugs, find a job, and grow up. Obtain legal citizenship or leave. Don't live off your children's good luck being born in the US. Be proud, stand tall, do the right thing.
Measure 50 is unnecessary.
Leftist liberals scream all the time about how poorly run government institutions are (VA). Then let's dump them! The government has no reason to be in the healthcare business, education, etc, etc.
Taxing cigarettes sounds great. But eventually, if it worked correctly, there would be no more smokers. Where's the money going to come from then? Do you really want Oregon's constitution changed permanently to support a program that has neither been proven nor efficiently demonstrated? The cigarette tax will not bring in enough income. Where is the rest going to come from?
We all want to brush off responsibility to the government--let THEM deal with it. Well, folks, it isn't anyone else's responsibility to feed us, clothe us, fix us, or heal us. It's time to look inward.
Remove illegal aliens from the roll. Set limits on goverment program moochers. Teach kids to earn their own money, set goals, make plans, demonstrate self-control, obtain higher education, and marry before having kids.
Emergency rooms are not free
Emergency rooms are not free. There just isn't typically an up-front cost to be seen in the ER. That is why it is often used by those without the funds to go to the doctor.
The people are billed for the services, and collection agencies go after them when it's not paid. But when it isn't paid, the rest of us pay for it. We pay for it in increased prices for services, on our premiums, and in taxes given to hospitals for indigent care.
Jenni Simonis
"moral" choice?
The dilemma of uninsured children is an issue of poverty. And poverty is a problem society itself, as a whole, needs to address. If the people of Oregon were really moral, they'd fund the Healthy Kids Program by a general tax increase that ALL Oregonians would pay. Placing this tax burden solely on the backs of smokers is like saying, "I really want to see uninsured children get care ... but only if I personally don't have to pay for it." And that's no different than saying, "I'm all in favor of halfway houses for criminals ... as long as they don't build one in MY neighborhood," or, "I'm all in favor of busing to achieve racial equality in all schools ... as long as MY child doesn't have to be bused."
That kind of fair-weather morality sounds pretty hypocritical to me.
SCHIP and MEASURE 50
I will be voting NO on prop 50. Ballot Measure 50: Amends Constitution: Dedicates Funds to provide Healthcare for children, fund tobacco prevention, through increasedTobaccoTax.
Source:http://www.christonium.com/corvallistidbits/ItemID=11922419655532
And I am happy that Bush vetoed the S Chip prop. It would be funded by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack. Source from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21111931/
Cigarettes are addicting. How much of the settlement from the tobacco companies (smokers) went to helping the folks addicted to quit? Everyone is taxing the smokers for the problems that they have. And when us smokers quit who then is going to support these programs? I already pay more from the tobacco settlements ( did you really think they would just eat the cost from that without passing it along to us smokers. The states already tax us per pack too. I am addicted to the darn cigarettes. I have tried numerous times to quit. I will continue to try and hopefully succeed to quit in the near future. Kicking me while I am trying is not going to be of help to me. It causes me undo stress which makes me smoke more. If I was addicted to alcohol or drugs rehab would be available. I know I am not alone in being addicted either.
But very few people look at that aspect of it, as they are to busy judging smokers or thinking what can I gain from punishing the smokers. When you are addicted to something it will come before food or anything else. You want to help us quit smoking put the money where it is needed. Which is more help in trying to quit. Adding a burden to us will only add to our problems. I have been assulted because of smoking ( in a smoking section) I have been verbally abused for smoking many times while in a smoking section and now you want to tax me multiple times? And you call that fair?
SCHIP and MEASURE 50
It takes decisive action to deal with those who made a dumb choice. It's even harder if this is a choice that's in effect for an extended time, i.e. your smoking addiction.
Your dumb choice is hurting yourself and you are hurting others. Some day your health may fail and you may not be able to support those that depend on you. Do you call that fair? Some day you will require medical treatment because of this dumb choice. That will be paid from insurance money. Rates go up, bla bla bla.
Measure 50 is against those propagating this bad choice. Measure 50 is not only fair, it's righteous!
What's not fair is that kids see tobacco advertisements. What's not fair is people getting sick from second hand smoke. You made a dumb choice, a long time ago. Now you get taxed for it. That should be an incentive to help you quit smoking. And you know that's what you should do. That's what's fair to yourself, to your body, to those around you and those that love you. It's just some tough love and it will help some who are in need.