Oregon, Republicans, Democrats and Socialized Medicine
Wow what an odd 24 hours. One has to admit that the Democrats in Oregon sure seem to know what they are doing and hand it to them for flat out rolling the Republicans.
After all they have pulled the only Republican, who is elected statewide, into the clutches of socialized medicine. While the Republicans still seem to be like deer caught in the headlights.
I have been on the phone with various party operatives over the past few hours and they are stunned, stunned at the turn of events over the past 24 hours. Some are afraid that the elected Republicans still don't get the losses the public handed out last November and fear a trek deeper into the wilderness.
However I'll let our readers decide and comment on Sen. Smith's latest backstab as well as the response from some of the leaders of the state of Oregon. First let's look at what Democratic Speaker of the Oregon house Jeff Merkley had to say:Merkley Welcomes Smith’s Support for Healthy Kids
SALEM—House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) today welcomed the support of U.S. Senator Gordon Smith for the Healthy Kids bill that will help working families afford health insurance for their kids. There are 117,000 children in Oregon who are not covered by health insurance.
“Our children’s health is everyone’s concern and is way too important for partisanship” Merkley said. “I appreciate Senator Smith’s recognition of the wisdom in caring for all Oregon kids.”
The Healthy Kids legislation calls for a cigarette tax increase of 84.5 cents per pack to fund the program. The bill sets up a sliding payment scale for families based on their income. All Oregon families will have access to the low group-insurance rate for their kids, but families who make less than 300% of the federal poverty level will pay premiums based on their income.
In a joint appearance with Governor Ted Kulongoski, Senator Smith called the cigarette tax an “appropriate” funding mechanism and said insuring Oregon’s children would save money in the long run. Senator Smith said a decision by legislators not to pass the bill would be “pennywise and pound foolish.”
“Senator Smith’s support makes very clear what we all understand – that fighting for Oregon’s kids is not a Republican or a Democratic issue,” Merkley said. “We should all join together to invest in the health of our children.”
The bill, HB 2201, has been approved by the House Health Care and Revenue Committees. It is currently under consideration by the Joint Ways and Means Committee and is expected to be debated on the House floor during the first week of March.
Let me give kudos to Speaker Merkley. The guy knows how to win. I only wish that our leadership would have figured this out about ten years ago. Republicans can learn something from the Speaker. Oh and I am sure the Smith people enjoy the praise they are receiving from the Democrats.
Now how about Minority Leader Wayne Scott (R):REP. SCOTT COMMENTS ON U.S. SENATOR GORDON SMITH’S CAPITOL VISIT
SALEM—House Republican Leader Wayne Scott had the following to say regarding U.S. Senator Gordon Smith’s visit to the State Capitol:
“Sen. Smith and Oregon House Republicans share a commitment to improving children’s health care. While we appreciate Sen. Smith’s work and perspective on this issue, House Republicans continue to have concerns about the long-term sustainability of the program and the appropriateness of the tobacco tax increase to pay for it.”
WOW... Now THAT makes everyone stand up and pay attention doesn't it? I mean don't you feel like Rep. Scott is fighting the good fight? However I am wondering this... I am wondering if the Republicans in Oregon will ever get the gumption to stand up and say NO. Not just no but hell no Sen. Smith we don't agree with you that socialized medicine is the way to protect our kids. Well unless in the long run you want to be like Canada.
And on the Senate side we have minority leader Sen. Ted Ferrioli.STATEMENT FROM SENATOR TED FERRIOLI
REGARDING HEALTHY KIDS
“It is penny-wise and pound foolish to not provide health care to Oregon children. I support Healthy Kids and covering our uninsured children. Since we will eventually be paying for it out of the general fund we need to do it from the start. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right. We have 20% more money to spend this year. That should go to healthcare for our kids. The governor is using our children to raise taxes on cigarette smokers when we have more money than ever in the state treasury.”
Sen. Ferrioli? So a family of 4 making $74,000 does not have the where-with-all to provide for their own health insurance? So you are going to put the majority of Oregonians on socialized health care?
At what level does one take responsibility for the health care of their children? $90,000 year? $100,000 per year? Please tell us. Tell us at what level we should expect taxpayers to stop paying for your healthcare?
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14 comments:
Sen. Smith Votes for Amnesty for 12-20 Million Illegal Aliens (could be more, He doesn't really know, nobody does) and now he supports Socialized Medicine for all the Illegal alien kids in Oregon? (Dr. Madelyn Cosman, PHD,ESQ. says up to 1/2 of all un-insured are Illegals, spring '04 Journal of PHYS. & Surgeons)(Illinois reports over 1/2 on their new program were "previously unqualified for Medicare because of immigration status".)
How many more will sneak in here just hearing this News?
I am sure our Border Patrol are furious. I know they are overwhelmed everytime somebody says Guest worker program.
The party of Lincoln (Happy B-Day), who understood that the Farmers of the South could prosper without "Cheap Labor", should NOT be supporting handouts provided by working Tax Paying Americans, to so called "good for the economy" Illegal Criminal Immigrants.
Thank you Rep. Richardson for trying to exclude such.
If immigration laws were enforced, millions of non paying Hospital visitors would be gone and rates would stabilize as they would actually get paid for their services much more often.
Don't laugh, it is happening in the Eastern part of America right now as ICE conducts big company raids, thousands are fleeing or being deported. 300 walked off the job in S.C. this week for fear of ICE coming in.
Did anyone notice the price of Chicken or Lunchmeat go through the roof because of the ICE raids?
I do not even know where to start, but there is just way to much going on here to take a pass.
First the proposal:
Bad math, bad tax policy. The proposal only generates 50% of the required revenue to fund the proposed expenditures. 90% of those who would provide the revenue make less than 40k a year. All the while there is legislation in the Senate that would make smoking against the law anywhere indoors. How can they ask smokers to pay for all kids health care at the same time they demonize them?
The Politics: It is clear that Senator Smith has gone in to policy by polling mode. It is all very surprising to anyone who knew the man ten years ago. Most people will see right through it.
At the State level, this issue is a gift if we do not screw it up. The key is to get Democrats in the House on record as voting for as many tax increases as possible. There must have been 10 races decided by less than 1500 votes and if the R in those races gets the lions share of smokers and beer drinkers going their way, we win. Their are many more cigarette smoking, beer drinking Democrats than Republicans.
Danger ahead....give the anchor baby issue a rest my fellow Republicans, anyone notice when Saxton went to that issue he want from a two point winner to a seven point looser? There is much work that needs to be done around health care and immigration, but we can't do much while we are in the minority. Someone else will always be driving the conversation.
Republicans are right on the issues that matter to the people of Oregon, it's just that we continue to fight with each other on the way to the podium to deliver the message. There is a whole bunch at stake here, let's not blink. We must regain the House, everything else is a distant second place.
Ban abuse of monopoly power -- both private and public as each are indistinguishable from the other.
See:
Chavez's Economic Wisdom Resembles that of Oregon and National Health Care Debates
I conclude with
There should be one simple rule that is applicable here: The superior bargaining power of the combined force of the insurance companies and the medical community (even if they have disagreements between them) in the private sector will simply carry over to the public policy arena for any legislation.
Gordon Smith is a POS. If I am even still living in your dump of a state (sorry, fellow 'Pubs) come the November elections in 2008, there is no way in hell I will vote for this POS again. He can rot in hell. Traitor.
To 827:
Please spare us the "illegal alien issue hurt Saxton" canard, that fib was spouted by the open border crowd then and it was false and it's false now.
Actually, by Kulongoski's people's own admissions, illegal immigration was the one issue that worried them because they started hearing their own people call in with concern.
Saxton went down based on a national blue wave and poor debate performances and an inability to answer Kulongoski T.V. ads effectively.
Health care is an issue Republicans can win by invigorating the private sector, promoting efficiency; not by throwing in with Sen. Gordon Smith, especially when he's in pander mode and has joined with Democrats in a first step to socialized medicine.
Yes - the GOP really should run a challenger against Smith, not only in the primary, but in the general election as well. Find somebody really good, maybe Sizemore?
Yeah - that's the ticket!
The GOP will continue to get clobbered on the health care issue until it comes up with a better plan than "we just need more efficiencies" or "tort reform." If you don't want socialized medicine - and I am talking about the real deal here not a health care program for kids - we better come up with something fast. The middle class is starting to feel the pain of increasing health care costs and once enough of the middle class are in tight straights they will absolutely demand socialized medicine unless there is a more compelling alternative. We are running out of time.
Ditto 708.
Start with Tort reform......I live in a town of 50k, there is not a single doctor in the entire town accepting new patients. Good Doctors are leaving Oregon as fast as they can rent U-Hauls. Like anything else, it all starts with supply and demand. Make it profitable to be a Doctor, we'll get more of them....Supply will increase, Demand will decrease....and prices will fall in line. I know this is way to simple to get any traction, but someone asked for a plan. It would work.
Prohibit Capitation, it creates a conflict of interest for every Doctor in this State. Make the Insurance companies do their job instead of passing the risk off on to the Doctors, who then are motivated to spend as little as possible on each and every insured patient.
Waive State income tax for any Corporations whose employees run 20 miles a week.
Let the State of Oregon buy every resident a pair of running shoes, with a note..."Nothing in life is free, get to the track, earn your good health." PS: Put down the ice cream.
Anon1043,
That was funny. However one can tell you are a very hateful person.
Not hatefull, granted sometimes not funny, but not hatefull. 30 pounds lighter and a lot happier since I took up a fitness program 10 years ago.
People should have an incentive to take personal care of their health. If they can't do that, and expect the government to do it for them....we as a society are screwed.
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