Insuring All Children: The people want it
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD
Insurance for all kids is the first place to loosen the partisan knots holding America back from better access to health care. U.S. senators took a good, strongly bipartisan first step last week for children's health.
The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill that would add $35 billion over five years to federal support for the efforts of Washington and other states to provide children's health insurance. Thanks to Sen. Maria Cantwell, the reauthorization for the State Children's Health Insurance Program also would erase a longstanding inequity that shortchanges Washington because it started to expand coverage before the federal government.
"We are delighted with the progress that is being made in Congress," said Jon Gould of the state Children's Alliance. Cantwell's Senate push could make a big difference in the success of a new state law aimed at providing health coverage for all Washington children by 2010.
Polls show that close to three quarters of Americans want full coverage for children. The wide support and Congress' long history of bipartisan cooperation on the program help explain why the committee voted 17-4 for expansion, despite a brutishly mean veto threat from President Bush. He complains the expansion would be a step toward "government-run" health care. If anything, passage might provide momentum for a bipartisan, free-market health plan sponsored by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Washington Rep. Brian Baird.
The Senate plan would raise cigaratte taxes 61 cents per pack and cover more hard-working families with modest incomes. Bush calls the tax "huge." Yes, hugely helpful, well targeted and more responsible than free-lunch budgeting.
The Senate proposal needs improvements, such as another $15 billion to cover all eligible children and an end to exclusions of some legally present immigrant children. With or without the president, though, health care insurance for all children is good plan for America.
Doing some simple math.... 61 cents more per box means $4.27 a week more for chain smokers (smoking at least one pack a day) , enough for a gallon of gas in most places. Over a year that number grows to about $222 and some change, enough to buy a few xbox games... not an xbox but games. Over 10 years, which you'd have to figure most chain smoker would make it to is about $2220 more. Now of course you add that to the cost already made and your talking about something close to $10,000 over 10 years. A costly habiat indeed....Luckily for smokers they're is some hope....
Smokers United (http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Parliament/4061/Index.html) has created a campaign to stop being (in their words) discrimated against. Here's some stuff they claim keeps screwing them.
Just because you smoke....
YOU CAN
* Lose custody of your children!
* Be kicked out of your home!
* Be denied a job or be fired from the one you have!
* Be denied medical services!
Anti-tobacco organizations are funded by the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between the states and Big Tobacco. The $209 BILLION ‘settlement’ is being paid by raising the price of cigarettes, so the industry doesn’t pay it, smokers do. The manufacturers now make 28 cents on a purchased pack of cigarettes; government at all levels gets the rest and happily doles it out to those who want to defame smokers. In other words, we’re paying them to take away our dignity and our rights.
These groups spend millions of dollars a year “denormalizing” smoking. The result is that smokers are being demonized; children are being taught--in school! --to disrespect, fear and hate their parents who smoke. They provide “kits” with all legal papers necessary to make a smoker’s life miserable. Nonsmokers are being told that secondhand smoke will kill them and therefore smokers are murderers. Legislators are bombarded with misinformation from the prohibitionists and we, the people, don’t even know there’s a plot against us until it’s a done deal.
Their goal is a smokefree world, regardless of whose rights they have to trample, who they have to hurt, what lies they have to tell, which legislators they have to buy.
Smoke free world? Those evil bastards.
Oh in addition to the smokers and tobacco companies banning together to fight this.... they got one other thing go for them:
Bush: No Deal On Children's Health Plan
President Says He Objects On Philosophical Grounds
By Christopher LeeWashington Post Staff WriterThursday, July 19, 2007; Page A03
President Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.
The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House.
President Says He Objects On Philosophical Grounds
By Christopher LeeWashington Post Staff WriterThursday, July 19, 2007; Page A03
President Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.
The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House.
So... we guess thats that. We'd discuss this more... but honestly we gotta go have a smoke. We will only prolly be able to afford this for 18 more months. (wink, wink)
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