Medicaid and vetoes

One of the big uproars of the day is how Governor Dunleavy's cuts to Medicaid are going to stop the world from spinning.  To many liberals, that may be the case case, but did anyone really stop to look at how we got to this place?

Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

When Obamacare came into effect, the option was there for the states to expand Medicaid.  This seemed like a good idea to oh so many people all over the country.  Let the Federal Government take care of our problems so we can focus on other problems.  It sounds wonderful, on the outside.  However, some Governors actually read the conditions of this free money and decided it was not for their state.  One of the conditions was that the money would only be available for so long, and then it will be up to each State to fund this program themselves.  Our Governor at the time, Sean Parnell, decided not to enroll in this program and decided against accepting the funds.  In fact, he was one of many Governors who had their State bring charges against the Federal Government.  People complained back then, however he explained that this program was not a fix to the health care problem.  It only made the problem worse down the line.  He had Alaskan's best interests in mind when he refused this money.

Then, along came Governor Bill Walker.  One of the first things Governor Walker did was reverse Governor Parnell's decision about accepting the funds for Medicaid expansion.  All of a sudden, the State had this extra money, or so we were led to believe.  Our money that had been going to pay for Medicaid services in the budget was then rerouted somewhere else.  Yay!  Governor Walker fixed the health care crisis in Alaska.  More Federal dollars, blah, blah, blah.  What folks immediately forgot was the fact that this was short term money.

Now we have Governor Dunleavy.  He is doing his best to bring State spending in line with our coffers.  Our savings is gone (thank you Governor Walker).  The Medicaid money from the Feds is now gone, so in order to continue at the level we were, we need to pony up.  The problem is, we don't have the funds to do that.  Tough decisions need to be made.  Governor Dunleavy is making tough decisions.  Do we like all of them?  No, we don't.  Is the world going to end because of these decisions?  No it won't.  The world will still go on, however, our lives are going to change.  We simply cannot keep spending at the level we have been.

Here's another way to look at things.  You had a second job.  You paid off all of your debt, and then you started spending the funds from your second job instead of saving them for a rainy day.  Now your second job is gone, but you still have bills to pay, and they are relying on the funds from the non existent second job.  So, you start running up your credit cards.  Okay, your bank account doesn't see the hurt yet, because you are making minimum payments.  Now your credit cards are maxed out.  You still have these bills, but no second job, and now no emergency buffer.  What do you do?  You start cutting out expenditures.  Guess what folks, this is where we are at.  Our savings is gone, our credit cards are maxed out, and something needs to happen.  Do we like the choices being made?  No, we don't.  However, we are going to have to cut something.  So, if we spread the cuts around to everyone, no one group gets hurt more than the other.

One other thing to think about.  Does anyone remember which US Senator is responsible for Obamacare passing?  I'll give you a clue.  He used to be Mayor of Anchorage.  

Doesn't representative government mean the people are represented?

I'm slightly confused.  Okay, majorly confused. We elected our Legislators (both State and Federal) to represent us, the people.  As I understand it, their job is to say "this is what my constituents want" and vote that way.  Now I get it that not everyone wants the same thing.  Some want more handouts, some want smaller government invasion of privacy, and others want something totally different.  We don't all agree.  That's normal, that's okay; that's why there is chocolate, vanilla and tutti fruity.  What I don't get is why it is okay for our elected representation (at the State level) can decide to break the laws that THEY THEMSELVES WROTE, because they don't WANT to follow the Governor's decree.  How is this okay?  They couldn't get their jobs done in the 90 days they are supposed to get it done, and they couldn't even get it done in the 120 days that are constitutionally mandated.  They had to go into special session, and EVEN THEN they could not and would not get their work completed.  So, the Governor called them into YET ANOTHER special session.  This time, however, he called the session for someplace outside Juneau, someplace where access to the session is less prohibitive than our capitol, which is only accessible by air.  He even chose a place that is not currently overrun by tourists.  22 of our Legislators followed the Governor's decree and reported to Wasilla Middle School.  Of the remaining Legislators, 38 decided that they have the authority to override this decree.  Mind you in order to call their own special session, they need 40 votes.  Last time I went to school, 38 was less than 40.  I think these folks invented Common Core mathematics.  (There are 3 or 4 Legislators with excused absences, so they did not vote.)

These Legislators have one job to do during this special session.  Approve the amount of the Permanent Fund Dividend.  For the past 3 years, our former Governor decided to change the way the PFD is paid out.  He decided the constitutionally mandated formula was incorrect, and he took half of each PFD to supposedly pay for government.  He also spent our savings account down to almost nothing.  Now here's the thing.  HE NEVER TRANSFERRED THE MONEY FROM THE PFD FUND TO THE STATE COFFERS.  THE MONEY WAS STILL THERE.  More and more Alaskans figured this out, and became more and more vocal.  We fired that Governor in the election, and brought in someone who wants to balance the budget, pay back the non-appropriated dividend, and make the State start living within its means again.  The 38 or so Legislators heard the outcry of the people, so they quickly transferred the unpaid dividend into the protected principal account from the earnings reserve account, which is what is used to pay the dividend.  Now, all of a sudden, the money isn't there.  It was NEVER spent, but now it constitutionally cannot be withdrawn.  All of a sudden, the money that was supposed to be paid out to the people is locked away from the people.

Did I mention that they are breaking the law by not convening in the location declared by the Governor.  Did I mention that they are breaking the law by taking their per diem during the special session instead of after.  They voted that little law into effect last year.  They obviously believe that they are above the laws that they enacted for themselves. 

I don't know about you, but I sure as heck do not want representation by people who refuse to follow the laws they themselves enacted.  It reminds me of my childhood - do as I say, not as I do.  I didn't do so well with that either.