My quick thoughts below (emphasis mine):
For Immediate Release – Monday, November 20, 2013
Contact: Greg Moore (603) 303-929Americans for Prosperity Comments on Breakdown of Medicaid Expansion Talks
CONCORD – Americans for Prosperity – New Hampshire (AFP-NH) today offered the following comments regarding news of the breakdown between the Senate and the Governor and House on competing plans to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The Senate President today indicated that the prospects of an expansion plan passing appear to have collapsed.
“The fact the plans to expand Medicaid have broken down is a win both for New Hampshire taxpayers and the thousands of Granite Staters who won’t get dumped into a substandard Medicaid program,” said Greg Moore, AFP-NH State Director. “This should give our legislators a chance to come up with a proposal that addresses the needs of just those who are truly needy and without options and not force tens of thousands of people who would otherwise have access to employer-based coverage or coverage through the exchange into Medicaid.”
Moore pointed out that delaying the vote would also allow state officials to watch the outcome of the federal budget negotiations. Earlier this week, National Journal reported that a House proposal on the budget would reduce federal participation in Medicaid expansion.
“With so many moving parts, it makes perfect sense to wait and see what happens in Washington before New Hampshire even considers expanding Medicaid,” added Moore. “This is the right time to take a ‘time out’ and consider a whole new array of options, including better proposals that offer coverage without expanding Medicaid. Neither of the competing Medicaid expansion plans served the public well or offered a real New Hampshire solution, and now we have time to come up with some new strategies.”
I AM glad to see the talks collapse. Oh sure, Harrell and his Progressive gangsters are already wailing “WHAT? You Republicans won’t give us cover for the gigantic screw up that Jeanne Shaheen, Paul Hodes, and Carol Shea-Porter gave us? NASTY beasties – forcing us to take this all on ourselves!” (glad to give that micro-push to send you over the edge there, pal!). The Democrat Party long ago left the confines of good governance when they decided that the US Constitution was of no practical usage.
I’m just disappointed that the Republicans have strayed so far afield as well – the breakdown will hopefully given them a chance to look at themselves and go “er, maybe this is a blessing in disguise?”. Actually, it will be – and that they will realize that adopting the Democrat view of Government (“We legislatively steal from the successful to give to others – for votes”).
It has taken the Country over 100 years of Progressive undermining to lose that shieldwall of the Constitution – that utterly amazing document that gave rise to the most powerful and free country in world history. Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Obama (as well as a coterie of Republican Progressives as well) decided that Government should ride herd over its citizens, completely turning upside down the originalist idea that we Citizens happen to have a Government; the “background umpire” has become the Ruling Class.
I hope there is no compromise going forward. It isn’t, as the Progressives will rant, that I hate the poor, or kids, or puppies for that matter. Instead, I believe that we have lost something even more important – that the Federal Government has a specific role with specifically enumerated “stuff it can do”. Unfortunately, it has gone far beyond those boundaries for decades. Care for these folks should be done; it used to take place strictly within that entity formally know as Civil Society which, unfortunately, now has been all but crowded out by Government expansionists’ actions. It certainly could be a State level function, but if so, if it is that important, don’t use the Federal monies. Make the hard choices – within the current budget, what would have to be? Yes, a real challenge to truly have to set priorities and a recognition that Government, at any level, cannot do all and be all things for all people.
I have ideas on how this can be fixed – but it won’t be easy and it won’t be quick. Progressives have already conditioned people to believe that ONLY Government can do big and important things – a wrong headed notion. Much will need to be stripped away and stripped down to free our Citizens to refocus and to be revived from the somnolence that “someone has to do something about this” instead of saying “I can” and do it in voluntary associations with others. Government cannot and should not do it all – and yet it continues to try to do so and often, simply gets in our ways.
