Via the New York Times:

“President Bush has begun one of the most ambitious efforts to reinvent Medicare and Medicaid since the programs were created 38 years ago. Combined with his earlier plan for Social Security, the proposals offer a fundamentally different vision of social welfare policy, many experts say.”

Isn’t that wonderful? After proposing 15 Billion in aid to Africa, and reportedly caving to Turkey’s demands for 52 Billion for the privilege of fighting a war from their soil, the Bush administration is finally ready to start spending US tax dollars on US taxpayers. Or are they?

Apparently not. The new plan calls for our nation’s elderly to “rely more on private health plans, and less on the government, for their health benefits.” Yes, you read that right. The BIG plan to save Medicare and Medicaid is to force Grandma and Grandpa America to join an HMO instead of sponging off of us hard working younger Americans. Bravo George, what an excellent fucking idea.

Fortunately, I’m not the only one who thinks that this plan is asinine. This week the governors of the 50 states are in Washington D.C. to meet with the President. Many of them represent states that are facing their worst fiscal crisis in a generation. They were planning on asking the federal government for emergency funding to help see them through these uncertain times. That plan was scuttled by partisan politics. As an authority on these matters, Florida Governor Jeb “I am not the mouth piece of my brother’s administration” Bush had this to say: "You can't just keep printing money… That policy position was partisan. It was the position of big government.” Thanks Jeb, while your state’s senior citizens are eating cat food so they can afford their prescriptions, I hope you make damn sure they know how partisan the 52 Billion dollar bribe to Turkey was.

Normally, this would all be troubling enough on its own, but it gets even better. From the Buffalo News we hear that at the meeting of governors in D.C., the president's aides have restricted the governors “collectively to “just two scripted questions" at today's meeting at the White House.” Two scripted questions…Collectively! Now that’s leadership at its finest. Oh and just in case there is some dissent in the ranks, “In addition to limiting questions from the visiting governors, the White House barred the usual media coverage of Sunday night's dinner party.” Well that’s just great. The highest elected officials of our land are now treated like Sheryl Crow at the Grammys.

Of course, its not all doom and gloom in D.C. Not everyone hates the administration’s brave new health care initiative. “Gov. John G. Rowland of Connecticut, a Republican, was enthusiastic about the plan. "It's a great deal," Mr. Rowland said. "I'm very pleased with the prospect of greater state flexibility."” The Governor of Connecticut is enthusiastic? Not the same Connecticut that’s home to nearly every insurance company in the United States? Why would that state possibly support a plan that forces the elderly to enroll in HMOs? I’m disgusted.

If you have anyone in your family pushing 60, be sure to tell them to start saving now, because all those thousands of dollars they’ve been paying into “the system” over the years isn’t going to be worth so much as a bottle of aspirin once this plan gets passed.

Enjoy!

Labels: George W. Bush, HMO, medicaid, medicare