Please Cover Your Cough. We Can’t Get Sick.
I have an important announcement for folks from Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
We need you not to be sending germs into Texas. Our Governor’s new health plan is: don’t get sick.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry officially notified the federal government on Thursday that the state will not set up an exchange to help people buy health insurance.
Texas has the largest proportion of citizens in the nation without health care at about 25 percent, or 6.2 million people. Democrats in the Texas Legislature have urged the Republican majority to reconsider their opposition in order to get more Texans insured.
So, bankruptcy lawyers, morticians, and greeting card makers (“Sorry you’re sick and can’t afford a doctor”) are the big winner here in Texas.
Losers? Texans.
Thanks to Frank for the heads up.
“We need you not to be sending germs into Texas.”
Ha. Well, Texas just sent a load of black widow spiders to England.
http://bit.ly/TLVyQL
So, fair’s fair …
1The lack of good sense shown by most of the officials of the State of Texas is absolutely remarkable. How in the world did Rick Perry get elected/re-elected. And the Legislature??? The Big Goofy Governor is only outshone in goofiness by the R’s in the State Legislature. Texas government didn’t used to be stupid. They were wrong lots of times – but they weren’t just out and out stupid. When did it all change? Did W “stupid-ize” Texas like he tried to do the Country?
2Actually this may be the best thing for Texans. Our idiot governor would have constructed a poorly-planned program favoring the insurance companies. Now we’ll get a program designed by the federal government — a program that might actually work for the people who need it.
3I figure this will help lots of lawyers who probably are lining up to help or fight Perry’s decision. Is it possible that it could be illegal what he is doing? If so, what should we do?
4For someone who whines about government control (until he needs something), Perry is awfully willing to roll over and let the government run exchanges in Texas. I’m pleased he isn’t involved, his friends and donors can’t screw the thing up.
5Texas’ medical problems will be solved by creating a medical school in an area otherwise poorly service by the medical profession – downtown Austin. Given the lack of industry there, it is hoped that the new facility will bring traffic and population to this otherwise neglected part of the state.
6Southern Beale: Sent to wrong destination — should have been sent to the head honcho of the Irish Government. Can you imagine doctors standing by watching a woman die, begging for help while they wait to do an abortion until the fetal heartbeat quits? I can imagine shooting them.
7FL governor Rick Scott did the same thing…
8What a treat! All the tourists coming to the Southeast will now have Another vacation memory: They can all go home with a nasty little bug!
Makes sense to me!!
I agree with Ted McLaughlin. Let the feds do whatever this exchange scheme requires. Keep Gov. OOOPS! cronies away. I’m disappointed that we continue to talk about health insurance rather than health care. Single payer is the way to go and the sooner we get there the better (and cheaper) it will be for all.
9For me, this may be the better choice. I trust Kathleen Sebelius a lot more than I trust Rick Perry.
The fact that I’m supporting a position of Gov. Perry means I’m probably wrong. It certainly feels strange.
10I wish there was some way I could send my cold to Rick Perry.
Maybe I just need to sneeze on a tissue, and send it priority mail. I don’t know.
I know I have been dealing with the “creeping crud” for about a week now….. and I’m sick and tired of it.
Can we just face the fact….. that nobody…… and I mean nobody in the “Rick Perry” world (i.e. administration)….. is smart enough to do what needs to be done????
Thank goodness for the feds on this one.
11So let me get this straight: by doing something inherently WRONG, bordering on evil, Governor Rick has done something RIGHT???? Whadda country whadda state.
12Totally off topic.
Have y’all stocked up on your Twinkies and Ding Dongs????
I looked for some at the grocery today, and didn’t see nary a one.
13If Texas doesn’t set up a health exchange then the feds will do it for them. Of course, by not expanding Medicaid Texas is losing a ton of money and increasing the burden on the hospitals that have to provide free emergency care. This must make sense to Perry politically because it sure makes no sense morally or economically.
14Miemaw,
15I think we can totally do without Twinkies if it means the workers stand together. If a company would rather go under than work with its employees, I can live without what they produce.
I agree with several of the commenters here – this is actually great news for Texans.
The bad news is Perry’s separate refusal to expand Medicaid in Texas. That’s what will actually hurt Texas.
16@Meimaw…they’re all in the TX Lege…
17Oo, Miemaw, I think Gov Perry receiving 6.2 million snotty Kleenex via mail would be a glorious thing!
18I left Texas for Georgia (love will make you do funny things) and the same stupid thinking followed me. Damn.
19Shoot, it won’t matter once you folks have successfully pulled off secession! The Republic of Texas won’t need anybody’s help EVER if the federal gubmint will just cut ‘er loose.
But I’m afraid that stream of Lonestar refugees flowing into neighboring states might become a burden on those of us who love America enough to stick around and fix her problems, so we’d probably have to build that damn fence you folks have been clamoring for… along your northern border, of course. E-lectrofied and everything, just like Herman Cain talked about!
Texas has dumbed down the nation’s school textbooks, and now they want to leave the union to avoid federal mandated health care. Polling suggests the nation’s overall intelligence quotient would rise 25 full points, on average, if the Lone Star State buggers off…
Adios, amoebas~
20I’m hearing on MSNBC that these Red State governors electing not to set up the exchanges may in the end be a very good thing. They’re saying that if the feds do it, it will be much easier to convert to universal care. One reason it was decided that the states would set up their own exchanges was so there would be different plans and it would be easier to see which worked out the best. Sorta like a competition, but like Ralph Wiggam said, I’d rather Guv Goodhair not do it.
21If little Ricky gets Nywhere near it it won’t be one of the good plans, for sure!!
22@June: my thinking is just the opposite. The state guv refused to do what the Feds wanted and, lo and behold, the Feds came up with something that made everybody happy–more or less. I’m picturing a stake being driven into the heart of the Rethug party. Wishful thinking, maybe.
23If we promise not to send germs into Texas will they promise not to send politicians out of it?
24