I notice that of the solutions suggested, raising taxes on the rich isn’t one of them. Truly, such a thing is unthinkable: far more unthinkable than poor people dying because they don’t have medication.
Interesting set of priorities.
I also strongly suspect that the savings will be less than the government thinks, since without medication many folks will wind up in the hospital.
Just sayin’.
grayslady
Please adjust your headline and your copy to reflect that you are discussing *Medicaid*, not Medicare. Medicare is for 65-and-overs; Medicaid is for needy citizens, and it varies by state as to who qualifies and what the benefits are. Thanks.
Celsius 233
What the hell is it going to take for the citizens of the U.S. to finally decide which way they want to die; on the streets fighting for the democracy THEY lost; or a whimpering death from untreated health issues because the costs are beyond their means?
Jaysus f&*#ing christ; it’s so much better in the real world.
Truth be told; if I had stayed, I’d be living in abject poverty working any and everything I could just to survive. That said, don’t ask me anything! Find out for yourselves! I’m bored with the laziness and apathy of ya’all. Talk, talk, talk, but no action. Figure it out your own selves; and you will if you’re serious! Cheers!
Ian Welsh
Thanks grayslady.
Tom Hickey
The cynical would say that this is part of the comprehensive global program to reduce the number of “eaters.”
Bernard
for 40 odd years Americans have been told Government is the problem. so, we are finally at a point where getting rid of Government is being done.
welcome to America
David H.
Tom Hickey — it’s not cynical when it’s the truth!
Yours is the kind of phrasing Rep. Grayson has used (“die quickly,”) which has at least made a few ripples in the national debate. Unfortunately, comments like these are treated almost as comedy by the media, rather than as the simple truth spoken in stark terms. His is an admirable attempt to frame the debate in “our” favor, but the neoliberals’ framing is so pervasive as to make truthful comments just seem odd and amusing rather than serious commentary.
guest
Well, it’s not like the sick poor get to keep the money. Look on the bright side: some evil drug company is going to lose revenue. (I suppose that sounds/is callous, but I personally am more scared of drugs than illness. I only have insurance in case I get hit by a bus or something).
TW Andrews
3-4 years from now, I’m pulling the eject lever and moving to Switzerland.
Cujo359
We don’t have a state income tax in Washington. Thanks to some recent ballot initiatives, creating new taxes is even harder than it should be. The middle class and the poor would end up paying as much for this medicine as the rich do in our regressive tax environment.
I think we should increase taxes to pay for this anyway, but our situation isn’t quite what the federal government’s is.