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| "No seriously, what in the hell is wrong with you people?" |
The Alaska Legislature on Tuesday said it will sue Gov. Bill Walker to block his move last month to expand the public Medicaid health care program without lawmakers’ approval.
Following a private discussion Tuesday morning, a Republican-controlled House-Senate committee voted 10-1 to spend up to $450,000 on two law firms to represent the Legislature in a suit against the governor.
In a news conference after the committee vote, Republican leaders framed their decision to challenge the governor as a constitutional one. They’re seeking an injunction to stop Medicaid expansion from going into effect Sept. 1.
“This is not a policy issue — we’re not discussing whether we should or shouldn’t expand Medicaid,” said Senate President Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage. “This is a question of authority and process and our constitution.”
Okay that last part is complete bullshit.
The Republicans, originally lead by ex-Governor Sean Parnell, have been trying to keep Alaskans from receiving the benefits of Obamacare ever since the program was initially put in place.
So here is Governor Walker finally helping those of us who cannot access affordable health care any other way, and the Republicans are going to spend OUR tax dollars to stop him.
You know sometimes I really hate living here.
Maybe it's about time that the welfare states like Alaska start a state income tax system. I am tired of paying for all these useless court cases from red states that waste the tax dollars I have to pay to support them.
ReplyDeleteBefore the trial begins, the judge should require all the legislators who support the lawsuit to go on the record. If they lose,then they all should be required to reimburse the state.
DeleteI hate living in here All The Time. I can't wait to get the hell out of here.
ReplyDeleteKevin Meyer is the turd of all turd legislators. He is an anti-women beyond all reason a religious nut. It is time he and his crazy ass concern about the Constitution go the way of unelected legislators. How do these men actually have time to listen to right-wing radio, or any radio?
ReplyDeleteOh my! I was under the impression Alaska has turned blue. This is just dreadful!
ReplyDelete“This is not a policy issue — we’re not discussing whether we should or shouldn’t expand Medicaid,” said Senate President Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage. “This is a question of authority and process and our constitution.”
DeleteSounds like it's the old block ANYTHING a Democrat tries to do issue. (See Obama presidency, 2008 +++++)
If it makes you feel any better, Gryph, the defunding of Planned Parenthood was voted down today.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Democrats!
You know that does make me feel a little better.
DeleteYea!!!
DeleteIt could be worse. At least your Governor is Trying! You could be stuck in Oklahoma with Mary Failing refusing to even consider it.
ReplyDeleteCompare the two states and it will cheer you up!
Just another example of how these "pro life" Republicans are not pro life as they continue to deny needed health care to those in need. Oh they say, you can always go to the emergency room. Well, I have been to the emergency room and they don't offer chemo to the cancer patient, they don't offer any preventative services. Sure, they will take you in if you happen to be having a heart attack, but no after care is provided in that emergency room. None of the after care medicines you may need are available and the prescription is not affordable.
ReplyDeleteI would tell you to move to Maine G, but Medicaid has not been expanded here either and many are going without care and people are dying as a result.
Even the LIve Free or Die State of New Hampshire (Maine's next door neighbor) has expanded Medicaid. And they have no income tax or sales tax there (and unlike Alaska, no local sales taxes are allowed).
Let's just hope the judge in Alaska does not give the Republicans the injunction they are seeking and Medicaid expansion becomes available on schedule.
Fuck the Republican monopoly in the Alaska Legislature!! They are going to meet their demise in the next election cycle and I can hardly wait to watch it!
ReplyDeleteAll they are interested in is their warped religious rights, being anti women and very much against the poor and hungry! They just like being in power!
Alaskan voters need to kick them in their fat, white asses!
The more of this kinda shit I see, the happier I am to have left AK. This particular crap would not have affected me at this point in time - cause I finally got old enough for Medicare, and got the medical care I had waited 8 years for.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, there are people up there who would benefit from expansion who are still voting and supporting these guys.
ReplyDeleteThe Democrats running need to figure that one out. Good luck! Another example of suicide thinking, fear of the Other, ignorance, brainwashed fundamentalism + ?
DeleteIf you hate living here Gryphen now is the time to cut your losses. The bottom will be dropping out of the Real Estate market in the next two years so now is the time to sell and leave this place behind. Our state's credit ratings are being lowered and we will find ourselves again in the same situation we were in mid 1980's when those of us that owned homes were sitting on mortgages for homes that were suddenly worth half what they were a few months before. If you have decent equity in your home sell now and head for the Lower 48 (god, how that pains me to say that!) but hubs and I are realizing we've worked way to hard to pay off our current mortgage in 15 years only to see our value home's value plummet in the next two years and be sitting on a home that will probably never recover its value for another 20 years. I love this place, but a single source economy isn't our friend and in times like these, low oil prices, no other source of revenue, as much as I love AK I'm going to have to leave, at least for a while. Good luck weathering the storm; I just don't want to go through another one!
ReplyDeleteI don't care what party a politician belongs to, they're put in office to do what's best for their constituents, people of all parties, Expanding Medicare IS in the best interest of all the people in the State of Alaska, and all states that have governors who cut off their noses to spite their face..
ReplyDeleteOT One of the "actors" in the anti planned parenthood videos has second thoughts (and not just because she's being sued)
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/planned-parenthood-video-sting-star-sees-good-organization-121582.html
@aklegislature on Twitter: Give 'em hell! I sure did!
ReplyDeleteI wrote a few letters and attended a few meetings, but the boys were on message. Their stock response was we must fix the broken billing system first, even though hey approved the company creating the issues.
ReplyDeleteBut the larger issue facing Alaska is its all eggs in the same basket approach to the economy. As far as I can tell, the state has no economic development program, no lobbying effort to attract businesses not affected by harsh weather. A lot of soft industries such as call centers etc. could be housed in Alaska, but aside from a few new retail shops, not much happening.
Like most conservative states, there's not much vision here.
Voters and legislators are pretty clear about the things they are against, but are curiously quiet about offering new and visionary ideas.