“They represent, I believe, the most responsible decisions we could make with the constraints we faced.” These words were in the Dec. 9 press release by Gov. Christine Gregoire regarding the $2.6 billion budget shortfall.
Basic Health Plan, Apple Health for Children and General Assistance Unemployable program affect more than 100,000 people who are usually unemployed or underemployed and low-income. So, while the rest of the country has been awash in nothing but “health care reform,” ostensibly to cover the “uninsured and low-income” among other things, our esteemed governor can’t find anything else to cut except health insurance for the poorest among us, and she refers to those cuts as “responsible?”
How “responsible” is it for Gregoire to jet to Copenhagen, stay at a lavish Copenhagen hotel and limo around town with the world’s elite? And, she took two of her aides with her!
In reviewing just a few of her budget items, I’d think the $825 million spent by government to study its own efficiency, $7.5 million to promote food supply safety, $36 million for Puget Sound Action Agenda, $15 million for a new WSU student tracking program or $6 million to build new Aviation High School and fund the Museum of Flight Space Gallery (now that Boeing is leaving in bits and pieces) among many others might have been more “responsible” cuts, thus saving health care insurance for the low income and children!
What could be her motive? The new federal health care plan she hopes passes and will cover those she has cut. Last time I looked, nothing has passed and considering that this is the federal government, nothing would happen very quickly, either. Now these newly uninsured people will go through emergency rooms to get medical attention which will drive up costs to the rest of us — the new “redistribution of wealth” program. Thank you, Gov. Gregoire.
Catherine Paxton
Arlington
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