Elections have consequences. Did your state refuse Medicaid Expansion under ACA?

[mecch]

If so, vote your officials out of office next time. Your government is selling you down the river.

http://orlandoweekly.com/news/the-perils-of-florida-s-refusal-to-expand-medicaid-1.1665144

[mitch777]

And the Republicans talk about death squads. The ACA will "literally kill women and children". (Michelle Bachman) Hmmm...

The trouble is the people living in these states won't vote these Governors out. Hoodwinked. So sad.

[mecch]

I dunno I vote in NYS.
I dunno if fatalism and cynicism is the response.
Nate Silver predicts a GOP romp and I think if that is so, then somehow Dems must step up and take partial responsibility.  Where is the ownership and pride about moving  the US along to a standard of living enjoyed by other developed, rich countries?  Why are people dying in the USA for lack of some pills?

[mecch]

The freaking corner Christian charity is not going to solve the problem. Every other rich country has figured this out. What kind of cold, clammy Ayn Randian troll tunnel is Ryan living in? Do these people EVER open a report that compares international health care solutions?  Color me farklempt. It's stupefying.

[mecch]

Here's a good one:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/03/ryan-budget-plan-gets-endorsement-from-ayn-rand.html

Rep. Ryan acknowledged Ms. Rand’s praise with humility, telling reporters, “There’s no trick to cutting $4.6 trillion once you take a hard look at failed ideas of the past, such as the social contract.”

Mr. Ryan added, “Unlike the Democrats’ plan, my budget has new ideas, like cutting two of the four food groups and classifying large sodas as medicine.”

Ms. Rand’s thumbs-up capped a victory lap of sorts for Mr. Ryan, who earlier in the day garnered an endorsement from Marie Antoinette.

[buginme2]

.

The trouble is the people living in these states won't vote these Governors out. Hoodwinked. So sad.

Hoodwinked makes it sound like the people have been tricked.   It's a quandary to me why people vote against their own interests.  I don't think the people have been tricked or fooled into voting against their interests.  You just have to fucking pay a little attention. 

Stupid people cling to their foolish religions and guns and end up hurting themselves, tricked no, foolish yes.

[zach]

coming to you live and in color from the red clay state, georgia. jason carter, jimmy's grandson, is running for guvner of our fine state. against nathan deal, that alone gets him my vote

[mitch777]

Hoodwinked makes it sound like the people have been tricked.   It's a quandary to me why people vote against their own interests.  I don't think the people have been tricked or fooled into voting against their interests.  You just have to fucking pay a little attention. 

Stupid people cling to their foolish religions and guns and end up hurting themselves, tricked no, foolish yes.

Hoodwinked. The crap that is being presented to them "tricks" them into believing it in their local news media and yes, at times through misguided religious beliefs. While I would grant you that the thinking is foolish I also see how the system works. To blame it all on foolish beliefs without influence is in itself foolish.

[mecch]

UC Berkeley Leftist Guru Robert Reich:
 
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?action=post;topic=53503.0;last_msg=631080

For years political scientists have wondered why so many working class and poor citizens of so-called "red" states vote against their economic self-interest. The usual explanation is that, for these voters, economic issues are trumped by social and cultural issues like guns, abortion, and race.

I'm not so sure. The wages of production workers have been dropping for thirty years, adjusted for inflation, and their economic security has disappeared. Companies can and do shut down, sometimes literally overnight. A smaller share of working-age Americans hold jobs today than at any time in more than three decades.

People are so desperate for jobs they don't want to rock the boat. They don't want rules and regulations enforced that might cost them their livelihoods. For them, a job is precious -- sometimes even more precious than a safe workplace or safe drinking water.

This is especially true in poorer regions of the country like West Virginia and through much of the South and rural America -- so-called "red" states where the old working class has been voting Republican. Guns, abortion, and race are part of the explanation.

But don't overlook economic anxieties that translate into a willingness to vote for whatever it is that industry wants.

This may explain why Republican officials who have been casting their votes against unions, against expanding Medicaid, against raising the minimum wage, against extended unemployment insurance, and against jobs bills that would put people to work, continue to be elected and re-elected. They obviously have the support of corporate patrons who want to keep unemployment high and workers insecure because a pliant working class helps their bottom lines. But they also, paradoxically, get the votes of many workers who are clinging so desperately to their jobs that they're afraid of change and too cowed to make a ruckus.

________

Me, mecch:  I'm not sure I buy this. I'm not sure someone aware of exploitation is also so desperate that they nevertheless vote for exploitation.  What I learned in my 20th C labour history is that people who do know whats going on also do fight against it. That's how we got unions in the first place.

Last weekend, I watched the documentary Inequality of All, about Reich and his work and politics, and while I mostly buy the politics I did find it very fawning of the man, appealing as he is. Its all a bit too caviar gauche (limousine liberal) for me.

[mecch]

So yes, I would tend to agree more with Mitch. There is a sort of trickery or somehow, a sort of illusionism, involved...   
Also there is flat out voter suppression.

[mitch777]

 
Also there is flat out voter suppression.

And that is just one example.

Geez, the Republicans and their Faux News has been spreading lies about the ACA from day one.

[buginme2]

I'm tired of the excuses. At some point you just get what you voted for.  Those in the south have what they voted for.  In sorry it affects the poor adversely.  Protest. 

People take to the streets and protest here almost on a daily basis about one thing or another.  Why don't they in the south?  Apathy?  I can't protest for you.

[mitch777]

I'm tired of the excuses. At some point you just get what you voted for.  Those in the south have what they voted for.  In sorry it affects the poor adversely.  Protest. 

People take to the streets and protest here almost on a daily basis about one thing or another.  Why don't they in the south?  Apathy?  I can't protest for you.

I agree. I would bet those protests will be coming, although a bit slow. It all has to do with waking these people up from their trance-like state.

I'm sure the Koch brothers PAC ads are meant to sprinkle on a bit more of the poppy sleep but in the end I have more faith in humans even if it takes them awhile to smell the coffee.

SO slow I know. We both live in much more progressive states.

[zach]

mmmmm poppy, i like poppies, what were talking about again? mmmmm poppy

[Miss Philicia]

Pennsylvania has a "pending waiver" to expand Medicaid -- our Republican governor (who has the lowest ratings of any current Republican governor and will duly be kicked out in seven months) unveiled his plans to expand Medicaid access (mind you, PA's amount of uninsured isn't like in the South as it was already more generous than most state programs) but our *cough* Republican controlled legislature has yet to act on the proposal, which would then need federal approval.

Basically this was a desperate shell game act of the governor during an election year that nobody's going to be buying, so I doubt anything will get done until after the election.

[Joe K]

So yes, I would tend to agree more with Mitch. There is a sort of trickery or somehow, a sort of illusionism, involved...   
Also there is flat out voter suppression.

One of the biggest reasons for all of this, is the gutting of the American education system.  Graduates cannot even make change for a $20 and we expect them to be informed voters.  They grow up in environments that poison their minds at a young age, just like religion and then everyone wonders how they vote against their own interest?

They do not know any better.

Joe

[zach]

my son is in university now. majoring in business and finance. made deans list. i'm very proud. also becoming a republican, makes me want to smack sense into him

[tednlou2]

If Dems would come out to vote in midterms, then we could probably hold the senate and take back the House.  So many only show up for presidential elections.  KY has gotten over 40% formerly uninsured now covered. 

Alison Grimes has something like a 6 point lead over Mitch here.  He has just barely squeezed out a win the last few elections.  I am hoping she can send him home, but I'm not holding my breath.  The ACA is becoming harder for repubs to use, but they can still use it.  I see so many claiming that the law has caused their insurance rates to skyrocket.  In reality, the cost of healthcare to income has dropped from ~17.9% down to ~17.2%, since the law was enacted. 

President Clinton gave good advice-- Dems should not be avoiding ACA.  They need to run on it and set the facts straight.  If they don't, then their opponents will give their "facts," and the Dems will look like they have something to hide.  If they throw socialism around-- Well, all health insurance is a form of socialism.  Healthy people pay into their healthcare to pay for the care of others.  In both cases, healthcare companies make profits. 

[bocker3]

For the record, Virginia DID replace a Republican governor, who refused to expand Medicaid, with a Dem.  of course, he couldn't run again, as governors can't serve consecutive terms in VA.
Now we are in a budget stalemate - the Senate and Gov, want Medicaid expansion, in some form, the House of Delegates refuses to even consider.  It's just like Washington down here.......
M

[J.R.E.]

We"ll see in November, if we can throw Scott out, here in Florida, and replace him with Charlie Crist.

Last poll shows Scott one percentage point ahead of Crist. And Scott has plenty of money from rich multi- billionaire backers.

I would also like to see Alex Sink run again in November against David Jolly:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/04/07/sink_urged_to_run_against_jolly_again_122194.html

Crist commercial against Scott :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVaztUmDxsI



This November the Medical marijuana  bill is on the ballad for a vote, so I expect there will be a good turn-out.


Ray

[mikeyb39]

I live in a state that has an idiot for governor (Texas). Of course he shot down the expansion. 

The democrat Wendy Davis running for governor here doesn't stand a chance I don't believe.  I never see her in a television ad or fundraiser. I don't know if she is waiting on a miracle

[buginme2]

You know there is more than one way to vote.  You can move yourself or your business to an area that more reflects your values. 

Businesse will follow and shortly after political leaders take notice. 

It's not coincidence that the Arizona governor recently veto'd that anti gay bill.  She did it because business threatened to leave. 

[buginme2]

There is a great article in the New Yorker today

HIV's grip on the American South.   I'm on my phone and can't attach the link...but it's easy to find.   Coincidently in states that all declined Medicaid expansion.

[zach]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2014/04/hivs-grip-on-the-american-south.html

related

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/19/3416632/georgia-medicaid-expansion-rejected/

[thunter34]

I went to school with Deal's daughter, so I have about a 20 year jump on hating the man than the average Georgian.

This whole healthcare war has been one of the most disgusting episodes I've personally ever witnessed of my country.  It just about breaks me to hear my fellow citizens essentially say "I don't care if my neighbors die" out of one side of their mouths while blathering on about American greatness out of the other.  And worse, it appears to me like many people are poised to let this attitude spill over into nutrition and education as well.

Quite simply, it looks like much of the population has assumed an "every man for himself" stance, one segment from greed, the vast other from desperation.

[zach]

deal is evil incarnate, with a wicked silver forked tongue smile... i can't watch his news conferences without raging at the screen. its worse than college football the way he riles me up

[leatherman]

There is a great article in the New Yorker today

why do you say this is a great article? just curious

Lisa brought her movie to us in Rock Hill, SC not this past WAD (World AIDS Day) but the one before that. It is an interesting film because it looked just like people here in SC. You know South Carolina the state that is #1 in the rate of gonorrhea infection, #3 in the rate of chlamydia, and #8 in the rate of HIV infection. why just between North and South Carolina, we have six cities in the top 25 cities with highest per capita rates of HIV infection in the nation. I was simply amazed when I moved back home to find that although I had already lived through 25 yrs of this epidemic and thought the worst was over, a new epidemic was just beginning.