That would be NH State Senators Sharon Carson, Russell Prescott, and Dave Boutin (Republicans). I guess the folks behind the leaflets are a bit unhappy that their taxes (remember, just because it may be “free money” to the State, it still means we New Hampshirites are paying for it – but politicians love the sound of “free money” and thinking that we’d actually believe that fairy tale when they throw the pixie dust into the air). Here’s the one for Senator Carson (I imagine that Senator Prescott’s and Boutin’s were similarly configured.
I would also think that the two gentlemen would believe she is far more photogenic then they.
And I believe what is meant by the income tax claim is that that after the three years, NH Taxpayers will be on the hook for the cost as the Fed money dries up. Given Obama’s promise of “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan”, can we respect the Feds’ promise of “If you like our money, we’ll keep sending it to you”?
Or is there a codicil that says “or until we change our money or the Fed Reserve stops printing money for us?” being said with fingers crossed behind their backs? After all, there are a number of programs that have turned out to be unfunded mandates simply because the Feds have not kept their promises (e.g., special ed funding tap-danced quickly to mind).
I also keep thinking – there is nothing in the Republican Platform that advocates for this. In fact, there are planks that speak to the opposite (see the Health section):
- Oppose the implementation of Obamacare in New Hampshire
- Increase the use of market forces to improve health care and lower costs
- Improve access to the information necessary to make informed health care decisions, including information about the quality and cost of services provided by physicians, hospitals and insurers
- Allow free market driven health care plans and “ala carte” insurance plans free from government mandates. Allow purchase of insurance plans across state lines
The Republican plan in the NH Senate runs counter to all of this:
- Medicaid Expansion IS a part of the overall thrust of Obamacare – get more people onto the dole’s roll for healthcare. It, however, is NOT mandatory – the Supreme Court said that the Feds could not coerce the States into the expansion by threatening to withhold ALL Medicaid money (not just the expansion moneies). So the Republicans have made the decision to voluntarily implement Obamacare here in NH.
- I have been told that the Republican plan is NOT the same as the NH Democrat plan as it is going to use private insurance plans. Sorry, that doesn’t pass the intellectual smell test in claiming coverage under #2; market forces mean PRIVATE market and not one distorted by Govt money. Republicans AND Democrats are reaching for that same “free money” and differ only in how it is spent and cut-off criteria.
- This does nothing in further moving towards #3, at least in the political thrust of this.
- Free market means just that – no government inclusion or coercion used, only buyers and sellers and not third parties.
Congrats to those that put in the effort to make their voices known! The base is upset – and once again we see self-proclaimed Conservatives blithely ignoring the Party’s stated Platform. I also have not yet found anything in the NH or US Constitutions (those pesky foundational laws for the State of NH) that permits this kind of action (although each town and city IS to have a Welfare office – very local control AND accountability by neighbors to neighbors…
…instead of faceless bureaucrats paid by money from the Federal Government it doesn’t have. Nice to see these State level Republicans oh so willing to continue to run up our Federal debt of $17 Trillion – and these are what the Republicans call “the adults and grown-ups in the room”.
No, the only reason I can see for these Republicans voting for this is to “take off the table” an issue that the Democrats could use against them in an election. So, instead, they heap more debt on your kids and your grandkids – great tradeoff.
Expand government, Expand its cost, Expand the debt. The new Republican way? Oh, I’ll hear more flack about this for “attacking Republicans”; well, the paddlings will continue while you act against your stated philosophy and you continue to act as Jr. Partners with the Democrats in expanding (not limiting government).
