Tuesday, January 27, 2009
If Gov. Rick Perry lived in a nursing home on Medicaid rather than in taxpayer-supported luxury, he’d have answered differently.
If state Sen. Steve Ogden had only a refrigerator box to which to retreat when the weather turned foul, as opposed to a cozy Senate cloak room, he would, too.
They have all their needs met. And so, it goes to reason, should everyone in the bodacious state of Texas.
That’s what one would infer from their grandstanding about the possibility that Texas might receive $27 billion from the $825 billion federal stimulus package proposed by the Obama administration.
Both were dismissive, as one might expect of the “less-government” crowd. Perry slammed a “bailout mentality.” Ogden’s reaction, reported the Dallas Morning News’ Robert Garrett, was that “Texas didn’t need a federal bailout.”
Well, that depends. If you’re accustomed to treating the elderly, poor and disabled as afterthoughts, probably not.
If you’re more committed to property tax cuts than quality schools, probably not.
If you don’t really mean to get past your own inflated rhetoric and actually do something to improve highways and meet infrastructure needs, probably not.
The News reported that Texas leaders are “unlikely to reject the federal money.”
Unlikely? Yes. All in favor of letting New Jersey have those dollars say, “aye.”
Our scofflaw state
When it comes to doing what government ought to do to help those with the greatest needs, in Texas the nays have it.
Federal dollars to help the state do that are met with icy glares, as if stooping to pick up the package would test the creases on well-pressed slacks.
Well, OK, I understand what the discomfort is really about in the Austin power structure: the big-picture issue of the federal government going on an activist tear. Suddenly, rank-and-file Republicans see a problem with deficit spending in Washington. Yes, I said suddenly.
Still, for Texas leaders to look askance at the prospect of a crucial cash infusion from Washington is, well, a little embarrassing.
Let’s consider the nursing home Perry is fortunate not to inhabit, at least not right now.
Texas ranks 49th nationally in Medicaid funding. Reimbursement to nursing homes represents 17 percent of Medicaid spending nationwide. The federal stimulus package would mean a $5 billion infusion for Medicaid in Texas. Huge.
Texas lawmakers have made a habit of stiffing nursing homes. Two years ago the state Health and Human Services Commission told the Legislature it needed a 19 percent increase in Medicaid allotments for nursing home care to meet the needs of a swelling senior population. Lawmakers responded with 9 percent.
The Texas Health Care Association points out that more than two of every three nursing homes that accept Medicaid lose money based on Texas’ almost-last-in-the-nation formula for reimbursement. Over the last three years, 60 Texas nursing homes have closed because of the fiscal vise in which they find themselves.
You may not like the idea of Washington spending more on Medicaid when tax cuts and undeclared wars are your idea of “stimulating the economy.”
Texas — big-rig, tall-hat Texas — does a poor job of pretending that it doesn’t have the resources to do what it ought to.
Regarding failure to spend what’s needed, a few years ago Perry said Texas didn’t want to become “another Mississippi.” It turned out that being another Mississippi would have required Texas to go a few notches up on the scale of spending to meet crucial human needs.
Right now projections are that the state will have $9.1 billion less to spend this year than it did two years ago.
So, yes, gentlemen, you embarrass us with your, “We don’t need no stinkin’ stimulus money.” You should be saying, “Where do I sign up?” The better option, of course, would be to pony up like real men, like the big state Texas pretends to be.
John Young’s column appears Thursday, Sunday and occasionally Tuesday. E-mail: jyoung@wacotrib.com.
Comments
By ron cozort
Jul 13, 2009 4:25 PM | Link to this
Actually, I had and paid for my mother and older brother to be in nursing homes. My mother for two years and my brother for two. I did not run to the government to ask for other folks to take care of my responsibilities. Had I and my other brothers not had the money to take care of them we would have taken them into our homes.
It is the family's responsibility to take care of family members not the tax payers.
By qzy
Jan 28, 2009 8:20 PM | Link to this
Todd Klibner, Robbie and Ron Cozort, I hope you three never have to put a loved one in a nursing home. If you do, be prepared to shell out about $150.00 a day and that is only if momma doesn't eat or need meds. You three are the very type who start begging for help the instant you realize that momma's nursing home costs may eat up your inheritance. I see your kind every day and it is sickening! If you don't want so much government spening on medicaid for the elderly, then go preach to your wealthy friends about how they screwed the government by taking all their parents assets out of their name a few years in advance so the parents could get into the nursing home for free on medicaid. It happens every day.
By ron cozort
Jan 28, 2009 3:54 PM | Link to this
Maybe John if we reduce the charity spending these needy folks will go live in another state.
Worked for Illinois as folks left Chicago for Wisconsin to get on the dole extended by the liberal folks of Wisconsin or at least they got addresses in Wisconsin.
By Robbie
Jan 28, 2009 11:20 AM | Link to this
Again... I'm reminded of the restaurant patron at a local diner that complained constantly about his dining choice. He spent the entire meal complaining about why he dislikes the place so much, seemingly completely oblivious to the notion that other restaurants may very well suit his particular desires.
States like California, Michigan, New Jersey, and others that espouse John Young's liberalism have spent their way into irrepairable debt. They are begging the government for bailouts, just as many companies are that have made poor financial decisions.
Texas is not one of them. Texas' bankrolls have been in the black for many years now. For good reasons. Texas offers tax breaks to companies moving into the state. We benefit from large business becoming Texan companies. We do not impose income taxes on employees. We do not have sky-rocketing sales taxes. Yet we opperate a government in the black that does not required federal aid for success.
There are exceptions, but Texas has been fiscally conservative, and we are prospering as a result. Conversely, California has provided state benefits for anything and everything, have hiked taxes, and are bankrupting as a result. That's the liberal way. Listen to this editorialist. Impose his view on Texas, and we're looking at much the same for Texas.
We do not need the stimulous money. Our lawmakers recognize that these funds are tax dollars from future generations. They recognize that the seas did not part for economic growth upon the passage of the last economic stimulous package. $700 billion down the drain. Now we are facing a new $825 billion package that will amount to more of the same wasteful spending. Billions of dollars patching a hemorrhaging government free-for-all spending bill and ushering in liberal programs imposed by a president begging for no opposition.
Remember the famous words of the famous Democrat... "Ask not what your country can do for you..." Where is that spirit? The government is not responsible you, your needs, or your desires. You are. Your source of "rights" under the govenment is being tapped out. The taxpayers are fed up with paying these bills for other people. Thank a Texas lawmaker for rejecting these funds. They will not benefit Texas. They will not benfit you. They will hold our future generations in bondage to a bloated tax bill to the government, and that is unacceptable.
By Karen
Jan 28, 2009 10:31 AM | Link to this
Hmm, Todd...YOU appear to be reading the Waco Trib...
By Anne
Jan 28, 2009 10:20 AM | Link to this
Right on, John Young! I was a nursing home ombudsman for two years here in Texas and still visit one nursing home. My brother (who moved from Texas) is a nursing home ombudsman in upstate New York. Conditions we've each observed have led us to conclude that (me) I'd do anything to stay out of one and (him) they are not bad and people are generally too reluctant to go to them when they can be happy and better off there than on their own. Better tax monies make a real difference in conditions and people's lives.
By Steve
Jan 28, 2009 9:43 AM | Link to this
Hooray for John Young for speaking the cold hard truth about the hypocrisy found in our state's political leadership.
By todd Klibner
Jan 28, 2009 9:22 AM | Link to this
Leave it to Young to advocate political prostitution. He is a big government whore himself. What he supports are policies and programs designed to turn Texas into another economic disaster, like Michigan. Well, John Boy, not all of us are willing lambs being led to slaughter. Only fools believe that spending money you do not have is the path to prosperity. Here folks, we have more evidence that reading the Waco Trib makes you stupid.
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