Arizona Drops Children’s Health Program

[thebigbadbutch]

Arizona on Thursday became the first state to eliminate its Children’s Health Insurance Program when Gov. Jan Brewer signed an austere budget that will leave nearly 47,000 low-income children without coverage.

The Arizona budget is a vivid reflection of how the fiscal crisis afflicting state governments is cutting deeply into health care. The

Comments

[piratesswoop]

Wow.

Just....wow.

I've never understood why, when budget cuts are needed, the first things to go are things like education and health. I mean we kind of need the future of our nation to be educated and healthy, right?

[aujourlejour]

this week, the new governor of new jersey (a republican who cites mark sanford as an idol) made extreme, extreme, extreme cuts to all levels of education.... while giving those who make more than 400k a year a 1 billion dollar tax cut.

[papilio_luna]

Typical.

My immediate response to "Zomg nothing else can be done but make these cuts!" is always, "Um, raise taxes?"

I'm sorry, but no one is going broke over taxes. If you are, you're doing it wrong. But people are going to go broke because of medical bills and lack of access to continuing education for job re-training. So... I dunno, seems like a no-brainer to me.

[aujourlejour]

yeah, and not only that, but he cut 100% of women's health funding, which is completely counter-intuitive because health costs will go up when women still need these NECESSARY SERVICES but can no longer pay for it.

he also ran on an "omg your property taxes, lemme cut those" platform, only now property taxes will inevitably rise because the school boards will need to pass budgets that will compensate for the enormous loss they've been handed.

basically, he punched every resident of new jersey in the face, with the obvious exception of men who make more than 400k.

[jesidres]

Jesus fucking christ with a hand grenade.

[promisemewings]

Of all the people who should be in top priority for health care, it's both children and the elderly. This is sad.

[mirallegro]

I can't wait to get out of this hellhole.

same.

[popehippo]

Stop the country.

I want to get off.

[thebigbadbutch]

Arizona is not at all representative of the USA. Most Americans actually care whether kids live or die of preventable/treatable health issues (I hope).

[popehippo]

I know that, but the general idea that America seems to be having lately of "OH SHIT WE'RE IN DEBT, LET'S THROW WOMEN, MINORITIES, AND CHILDREN UNDER THE BUS!!!" makes me want to throw up.

[thelilyqueen]

Thing is, there are a lot of people that may 'care', but in the same way they 'care' about education. It's great as long as they don't have to, you know, do anything or make any actual sacrifices.