[movermike] movermike: Gov. Ted Kulongoski's Healthy Kids Plan

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Posted by movermike:
Gov. Ted Kulongoski's Healthy Kids Plan
http://www.movermike.com/posts/1159230422.shtml


   Gov. Ted Kulongoski is running for re-election and he has just come up
   with some "bread and circuses" to win the hearts of Oregon voters.
   Here is the problem as outlined on his [1]website:

     More than 117,000 Oregon children live without health insurance.
     They lack access to doctors, medicine, eyeglasses, asthma inhalers,
     and the other health care services people with insurance take for
     granted. Nearly half these children may be eligible for coverage
     under one of Oregonâs existing public programs, but they are not
     enrolled. Thousands more are from working families who earn too
     much to qualify for those programs, but not enough to pay for
     private insurance.

   Here is the Governor's Healthy Kids Plan:

     Provide every child in Oregon access to the health care he or she
     needs to grow into a happy, productive adult.

   How much will this plan cost the residents of Oregon?

     The Governorâs proposal funds the Healthy Kids Plan with federal,
     state and other fund revenue sources, maximizing federal revenue
     available to the state. The Healthy Kids Plan will cost up to $292
     million more than what the state currently spends on kidsâ health
     coverage every biennium (approximately $110 million state dollars
     and $182 million federal match).

   Where will this money come from? The Governor today has proposed an
   increased cigarette tax that will bring the state's tax on cigarettes
   level with Washington and raise $160 million that will be used for the
   Healthy Kids Plan.

   Has anyone hanging around the governor suggested that users of
   cigarettes may quit or smoke less and that the tax will not raise $160
   million?
   Has anyone close to the governor whispered in his ear that this will
   mean we have a vested interest in keeping smokers smoking?

   And if it is our intent to maximise the number of smokers to provide
   $160 million, has anyone tripped to the notion that with all that
   secondary smoke there will be more kids in need of health care?

   I smell stupidity!

   [2]Gov. Ted Kulongoski [3]Healthy Kids Plan [4]Cigarettes [5]Oregon
   [6]Mover Mike

References

   1. http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/sos2006/kids.shtml
   2. http://technorati.com/tag/Gov.+Ted+Kulongoski
   3. http://technorati.com/tag/Healthy+Kids+Plan
   4. http://technorati.com/tag/Cigarettes
   5. http://technorati.com/tag/Oregon
   6. http://technorati.com/tag/Mover+Mike