I was very disappointed to read about the Legislative Council’s decision to sue the Governor over Medicaid expansion. My disappointment stems from the fact that not expanding Medicaid seems like it should be a relatively simple decision and now we will spend a significant amount of money on legal fees that is an unnecessary expenditure.
The Governor’s desire to expand Medicaid and provide health care to everyone is a noble goal. However, taking on this additional financial burden only makes sense if we have money to pay for it. Oh, but you say the expansion will be paid for by the Feds. We’ll get “free” Federal money for Medicaid expansion. Hello! Did someone forget that the Federal government is broke and we going farther and farther in debt every year. Remember, there is a cost sharing aspect to Medicaid expansion that will place an additional financial burden on the state’s general fund. Did the Governor forget that the state is broke too?
We should all be looking for ways to reduce government spending. It is time to tighten our belts, not expand programs.
