We lived in Texas for a few years - in Austin, that oasis of sanity in an otherwise batsh!t-crazy state, thank the gods. Texas is a place where businesses have to post signs telling people not to bring their damned guns in with them.
But things are getting crazier.
Conservative legislators are talking up the idea of having the state opt out of Medicaid, and Governor Goodhair Perry wants the state to opt out of Social Security.
Far-right conservatives are offering that possibility in impassioned news conferences. Moderate Republicans are studying it behind closed doors. And the party’s advisers on health care policy say it is being discussed more seriously than ever, though they admit it may be as much a huge in-your-face to Washington as anything else.
...
he Heritage Foundation, a conservative research organization, estimates Texas could save $60 billion from 2013 to 2019 by opting out of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, dropping coverage for acute care but continuing to finance long-term care services. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which has 3.6 million children, people with disabilities and impoverished Texans enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, will release its own study on the effect of ending the state’s participation in the federal match program at some point between now and January.
Yeah, wingnuts! Get tough on 3.6 million hildren, people with disabilities and impoverished Texans!
In fairness, the callous bastards of which I speak are trying to balance a budget shortfall, and we all know that that's not gotten much easier lately. But why take aim at those who most desperately need these programs?
“Here’s what I think would be a very wise thing,” he began. “In 1981, Matagorda, Brazoria, and Galveston Counties all opted out of the Social Security program for their employees. Today, their program is very, very well-funded and there is no question about whether it’s going to be funded in the out years. It’s there. That’s an option out there.”
“So, you want to let people opt out?” responded Spitzer.
“I think, let the states decide if that’s what’s best for their cities,” Perry replied.
“So the states will let people opt out of Social Security?” Spitzer asked
“They should,” the recently reelected Texas governor said.
HELLZA YEAH!! Chuck senior citizens to the curb, Gubner Rick! We all know that anyone who wasn't born wealthy is just plain lazy, right?
All I can say about this is that:
A) Life is about to become much harder on people in Texas; and
B) I'm very, very glad that we don't live in that bastion of bat0guano lunacy anymore.
(Still love Austin, though.)