The Evening Brief: Texas Headlines for March 14, 2013
New in The Texas Tribune
• At CPAC, Perry Zings GOP, Calls Medicaid Expansion "Fiscal Coercion": "Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday called the Medicaid expansion piece of federal health reform 'fiscal coercion,' and blamed conservatives who have embraced it for folding 'in the face of federal bribery and mounting pressure.'"
• Perry Asks Congressional Delegation to Fight for Medicaid Flexibility: "Ahead of his Thursday speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference, Gov. Rick Perry has sent a letter to members of Texas' congressional delegation asking them to fight for flexibility for the state's Medicaid program."
Comments (35)
Ruth Helpert-Nunez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's still trying to run for president as a conservative. Well, the election is over. We need to address the huge gaps in care in our state!!!
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rick some can do math. You cannot! You accept 1/3 TEAxans being uninsured.
Christina Jonsson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I call Gov. Perry a chicken sh*t for kicking people when they're down. That's not courageous, that's just mean.
Sergio Jaramillo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
in his words, "Oooooops!".
Rick Scott McGuckin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He didn't mind raising the drinking age, which was the same deal- no raised drinking age, no highway funds.
Rick Scott McGuckin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
(Not that he was Gov. when that happened.)
Catherine Uptain Carr via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Showing again how he lives in an alternative universe.
David McLemore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Sounds like Gov. Rick is starting to feel the pressure. Good.
Jim Hsu via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Co-er-cion. Wow....Pretty big word for One Trick Rick to learn. I mean, how did he manage to remember the third syllable?
Lin Abbey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
David, my thoughts exactly. This is all great news.
Allen Michie via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Do sick people enter the picture at some point?
Mozelle Osborne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Another prick of a man!
Sergio Jaramillo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
no Allen, they do not unless these people are the ones getting sick.
Randy Case via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What an embarrassment.
Marsha Lebkowsky via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thanks for spreading the new about how out of touch he is!
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's trying to be the biggest wuss in the USA by denying how many uninsured Texans there are, denying how ridiculous is the de-funding of Planned Parenthood, and denying that Texas is anything but a third rate state in 2013. Going backwards means going nowhere.
Mark Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How horrible that conservatives might try to extend healthcare to poor sick people. Perry is a douche...
Mark Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Who are all the friggin' idiots that think Perry elitism is ok?? I bet he and all his rich friends have great healthcare....paid for by us!!!
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This imbecile needs to sit down and shut the f*ck up. He's an embarrassment to Texans and Americans, in general. Pompous ass.
Scott Chase via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Give it up, Rick!! Texas deserves to get its money back.
Casey Bennett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So you people really want our State to be in the shape that California and the others are in for accepting Federal Handouts, only to have them held back when Texas doesn't 'fall in line"??? You're a bunch of spineless pigs waiting for more slop.
Casey Bennett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What I find disgusting is the amount of people that can sit here, call names, berate someone, but yet,,,they don't have the guts or spine to challenge the system or make a true change. If you want more Medicaid and free handouts move to some other State. Illinois, California, and plenty of others are handing it out. I like it when I read that my State has money in the Bank, is running in the black, and the future looks bright. That means that SOMEBODY,,,,SOMEWHERE,,,is doing the right thing. You freaking liberal whiners are plain disgusting.
Neil Moyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Peckerhead!
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Casey
Your condemnation of California shows just how little you actually know about CA. Have you ever been out of your city limits? OR do you get your information from Fox "News".
The Governor of Texas has little to nothing to do with it's prosperity. Take any Texas Government classes?
I guess Casey forgot about the huge deficit Texas ran the last 3 years.
Donna Mitchell MacKinney via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Casey, please note that Texas receives more in federal dollars in proportion to taxes paid than either California or Illinois. Maybe those free handouts are why we have money in the bank? Unfortunately it does little to help the poor and disabled who still can't afford health care. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0923084.html
Margaret Metcalf via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I stand with Perry on this issue.
Terry Bradley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rick Perry & the people who vote for him are the ones who are turning Texas into a 3rd world country. Unless you are one of the 1%.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Terry, you clearly do not know what a third world nation is. Perhaps you need to visit Detroit and California. Clearly the majority does not agree with you and that majority is not the 1%.
Texas is experiencing an expanding economy. WE have come out of the recession before the rest of the nation. People are moving here for work, Jobs are being created here and Companies are coming here as well.
Terry, that is not the picture of a third world county. That is the picture of success of the 1st order!
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I see Stanley is still trying to shove the same bovine excrement of how great California is. The state that has businesses leaving in droves. The state that had to pay people with IOUs. Cities going bankrupt. School districts unable to pay bonds. Yeah a real picture of success!
Pamela Johnson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
CA also has very happy, healthy people. I am in my 5th year of "temporary disability" because I have consistently no access to health care, even thoughI have been employed in Texas. Keeping people disabled costs the sytem much, much more than fixing them so they can be taxpayers again. Screw this jerk!
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pamela, I have no idea what your '5 year temporary disability' is, but my son was put in a wheelchair (which he has since fought his way out of, shocking the same therapists that worked on Rep. Giffords), is 90% deaf, and is undergoing chemotherapy. And he has NOT taken disability (other than the short-term while hospitalized) because he can STILL work- as can MOST of those on disability. His contempt for the 'slackers' living on producers like him knows no bounds.
Texas is thriving because of the PRODUCERS - and the producing culture here.
Third world country, Matthew? Seriously??? I spend TIME in a third world country (Uganda, to be precise). You have NO clue.
Bill Welch via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Out of the work force for 5 years myself, and have been trying to become employed, BUT the economy is bad, jobs are scarce and the basic rule of thumb seems to be if you haven't worked due to a disability for a while, then they will not take a chance with you Mike. I know. This even includes applying at minimum wage jobs at places like the Dollar Tree. I have been willing to accept anything, BUT nothing available, and I have college and a 3.85 GPA behind me! Does that lable me a slacker? I have recently started a small business of my own, but regulations are going to eat up the profits and force me to close it down soon as well it appears! Does that make me a slacker?
Belinda Tupper via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If we had the same health care benefits our lawmakers have, we'd all be healthier. Perry is a putrid example of what happens when we let politicians stay in office too long.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hey Mike, lighten up. I did not call Texas a Third World Country. I pointed out that it is a thriving producing state. I point out to Terry that if he wants to see failure to go to other destinations that would be fitting for his designation of third world.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bill, by your own definition, you are not a slacker because YOU are actively trying to to be PRODUCTIVE!