Oct 012013
 

Most people don’t have the time or patience to understand the political dynamics that led to today’s government shutdown. But let’s be clear about the root cause: the federal government is closed because Republicans do not want people to have access to affordable health insurance. It’s that simple. Republicans love to frame their zealotry as a defense of freedom; namely, the freedom to be bankrupted by a heart attack or car accident. It is this distorted, nihilistic, utterly fucked-up notion of “freedom” that has transformed the GOP into a party that is incapable of governing responsibly.

Republicans promised to unveil an alternative to the Affordable Care Act back in 2011. Two years later, they have still offered nothing because Republicans are fundamentally uninterested in health care reform. For them, the old, dysfunctional, highly uncompetitive insurance regime worked just fine. And if you were excluded from that system, well, you just weren’t deserving in the first place.

This shutdown will eventually end (hopefully, without a cataclysmic debt default) and the exchanges will continue to enroll people in coverage. Unfortunately, we’ll have to endure an extended conservative tantrum and the pointless idling of a million workers first.

 

Jul 312013
 

Constituent service is one of the more mundane responsibilities of Congressional members, but it’s a vital service for the people they represent. When people have trouble with their Social Security or veteran benefits, they can call their representative or senator and expect to receive assistance. However, some GOP members have decided that they will not assist people who have issues with obtaining health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Here’s a couple choice quotes from Republican representatives:

“Given that we come from Kansas, it’s much easier to say, ‘Call your former governor,'” said Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R), referring to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

“You say, ‘She’s the one. She’s responsible. She was your governor, elected twice, and now you reelected the president, but he picked her.'” Huelskamp said.

“We know how to forward a phone call,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).

 

Conservatives’ pathological opposition to the ACA is one thing, but refusing to help constituents access a legitimate government program is breathtaking in its nihilism. It’s yet another example of the sabotage mentality that has consumed the Tea Party faction. It’s also another reason for the Obama administration to ensure that it runs an effective outreach campaign that bypasses the intransigence of elected officials.

“Given that we come from Kansas, it’s much easier to say, ‘Call your former governor,'” said Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R), referring to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

“You say, ‘She’s the one. She’s responsible. She was your governor, elected twice, and now you reelected the president, but he picked her.'” Huelskamp said.

“We know how to forward a phone call,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/305777-gop-to-constituents-questions-on-obamacare-call-obama?wpisrc=nl_wonk_b#ixzz2aeSGonOn 
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Jul 262013
 

The Department of Justice has filed suit against the State of Florida for warehousing kids with disabilities in nursing homes and keeping them isolated from their families and communities. The DOJ alleges that the heavy institutional bias of Florida’s Medicaid program violates the rights of these kids under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as articulated in the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead ruling. The children in question have complex medical conditions and some rely on ventilators or feeding tubes.

The lawsuit shouldn’t come as a surprise to Florida officials. The DOJ has been warning the state for the past couple years that its segregation of kids with disabilities was a serious problem that could result in legal action. But Governor Rick Scott and his Tea Party allies in the legislature instead chose to refuse federal funds that would have helped these kids remain at home because they wanted to make a political statement about the Affordable Care Act. Florida also has not increased its reimbursement rates for home care services since 1987.

For people with disabilities, Florida and Minnesota might as well be different countries. It shouldn’t be this way, but our fragmented Medicaid system perpetuates these gross inequities. Perhaps this lawsuit and others like it will persuade state policymakers to reassess their priorities and work in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that both kids and adults with disabilities can live and thrive in their communities.

Dec 142012
 

I was going to post some pop culture triviality, but that can wait for another day. Instead, I’ll just echo the sentiment of this Onion article: fuck it all. More specifically, fuck the NRA. Fuck Mike Huckabee. And fuck our political leadership for their cowardice in refusing to even discuss the culture of violence in this country–a culture in which I have absolutely participated.