The Brief: Top Texas News for March 28, 2012
The Big Conversation:
Attorney General Greg Abbott delighted in an unexpectedly bruising day for the Obama administration at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
On the second day of oral arguments over federal health care reform, the Supreme Court turned its focus to the portion of the Affordable Care Act that would require Americans to buy health insurance.
Though many legal experts expected Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court's swing vote, to side with the law's supporters, his questioning appeared to indicate otherwise.
“Can you create commerce in order to regulate it?” Kennedy asked at one point, adding, “You are ...
Comments (37)
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
right, the guy speaking for Texas, the state with the most uninsured citizens & the highest teen pregnancy rates, jabbering about the Constitution as if Social Security & Medicare had never been declared constitutional. what an ass!
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh, Oklahoma is worse. If you can't pay your medical bills they throw you in jail. Awful!
Jack Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If health care reform is overturned after the dust settles and we can all get back to our lives without it, tens of millions of us will remember the thrill of having no insurance, the insecurity of not being able to get a better job because you'll be denied insurance because of pre-existing condition, and finally, the joy of having a 22 year-old kid whose employment offers no health insurance. Progress!
Carolyn Moon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Frivolous Lawsuit Abbott
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Its still not going to cover the single mom, like myself, and the elderly enough to pay the bills while we try to stay alive too.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This is good news! Buy your own insurance, I do. Which means I cannot afford yours too.
Scott Chase via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What a hypocrite. He has insurance and had a big personal injury lawsuit settlement.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If this is passed, I will have to pay a fine instead of my meds which keep me from having stroke or heart attack. I think it's awful. My ten year old daughter still needs her mom. She's not grown yet.
Gretchen Weicker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He referred to health care as a "noble goal." Last year (2011), the infant mortality rate in the United States was an estimated 6.06 deaths per 1,000 live births, just ahead of Croatia, but lagging behind all of industrialized Europe and Asia. This makes health care an urgent imperative, rather than a worthy, floating wisp of a wish implemented by somebody somewhere, but not in the Lone Star State.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I can't afford health insurance. I am on minimum wages until I am done with school and I have a child to support on my own and my employer doesn't offer insurance until I am full time then it costs so much I would have to get another job to cover that. Who takes care of my daughters needs? There's softball, school activities, church, etc too.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We pay enough taxes to help those who are willing to work and take care of themselves. I don't mean pay for those who are illegal or drug addicts etc who tend to cheat the system put in place to help.
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ginger, I'd bet money you are on Medicaid at the present time?
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Joe, I'd bet money you are on Medicare.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Its being dropped next month because I will make you much. Had to go on when I almost had a stroke and was still looking for work. If you make over$350 a month, you are dropped. Next month I will clear a lil over $450. I still have to find a way to pay for my meds and pay the bills. One medication is $175 and the others are around $50 each with genetics. Oklahoma is also sitting on about $3000 taken from my exes taxes for back child support. They won't release it for 6 months. If I had that, it would help tremendously because then the bills taking care of my daughter would still get paid. I am thankful I have family that can help sometimes but why do we work so hard to get low wages and no insurance coverage. Jobs here with those benefits are scarce and they hire you just under full time so they don't have to pay it etc. Everything is backwards. I am about to go to school through my job which will be great for me when I am done but in the meantime its catch 22, I can keep working and be productive and stop all meds because I can't afford them or quit work so I can stay healthy and keep from having stroke or heart attack. I want to work. I love to work. Its not fair that those who don't because they are just lazy or addicted to drugs get the help before a hard working single mom does. Awful!
Devin Axtman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/IndividualMandate.pdf
Devin Axtman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
A whopping 2% would be affected by a mandate
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
poor joe, he doesn't realize how high his costs are now with the uninsured being treated in ERs on the taxpayer dime!
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
and ginger, don't you realize how many working people are not offered health insurance at their jobs and their wages are too low to afford a crappy policy w/Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas?
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And you rich folks need not be judgemental. I had money once upon a time too when my ex and I owned our own business. We could afford to pay for health needs then. Cash even. When we divorced the business fell apart too. I was forced back into the workplace. Not so easy to go from $3000 a week to $0 and work my way back AND my daughters needs are ALWAYS met. I don't lie and cheat the system yet I get denied food stamps and Medicaid until I nearly have a stroke because my blood pressure is so bad. Then they give mt help with Medicaid but penalize me for getting a better job. Makes no sense.Why not cover until I get insurance through work after school because then I will be full time and I can make it a lot easier. It should be to help not a crutch but to help get the person to a better place so when they are good the next can use it as their needs are. DONT GIVE IT TO THE LAZIES OR THE DRUGGIES. GIVE IT TO THE DISABLED OR THOSE LIKE ME TRYING TO COME BACK FROM FINANCIAL RUIN AND INTO A REWARDING NURSING CAREER THAT MAKES ME A PRIDUCTIVE PERSON IN SOCIETY.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I know all about that too. I can't afford to buy what my employer does have to offer because it takes half my pay to pay for it.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Judgemental...I do understand the employer insurance thing. I worked for Walgreens and they didn't pay for your insurance, you did. And the insurance barely covered what my needs were and I still have health bills unpaid yet a good portion of my check paid for my Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
By the way I lived and grew up in Texas so I know all about that. My mom struggles more now that dad passed. I know all about how the older folks are screwed over too. An elderly couple who needs full time care in a facility is forced to divorce to be covered? Its just all wacked out and needs major reform. I think it's sad we are placed into poverty just to stay alive.
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree Bob but it has to be affordable. I can't afford that either.
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
logically, anyone who votes for a republican is voting against their own health care
Ginger Lynn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I also know another single mom who had surgery and couldn't pay what the insurance wouldn't cover, $5000, and she makes minimum wage and works hard for it. She just went to court...if she doesn't pay it, she goes to jail.
Holly Zimmerman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ginger, I feel for you but you still haven't learned to scale back. By that I mean " There's softball, school activities, church, etc too. " What are you teaching your daughter? Don't worry honey, your outside activity needs are more important than my health? As for church activities, if your church does not have scholarships available they need to. I went to camp several times on scholarships. I also learned to pick and choose my activities, that we couldn't afford everything I wanted to do. And quit harping on "illegals and drug addicts". That argument is so old and tired there are wrinkles on it.
George W. Reamy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I guess their argument for those without care is that they are at "liberty" to suffer.
Duane Florschuetz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
For Abbott, sounds like winning is more important providing health care for those who can't afford it or qualify for it, and like they really care about their individual liberty being infringed upon. They want health care.
Tom Sweazea via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Greg...it ain't over until the fat lady sings in June. ....and you might not like the song you self righteous bastard.
David Lee Koontz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Duane... you obviously represent a minority voice, as a reuters poll less than three months ago still found 53% of the country did not approve of/support Obamacare. My individual freedom is more important than the collective welfare... that is America. Like it or not, that's the POINT. In America, we can CHOOSE what we spend our money on. If you can't make a healthcare system without forcing people to buy it when they don't want to, then it's WRONG and you need to try again. Abbott cares more about individual liberty than you do, obviously.
chaunce gardener
Greg Abbott, please make the State of Texas stop forcing me to purchase car insurance against my will. I want to own my car without government interference. My freedom is being trampled by the socialist Texas government.
Mimi Purnell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I wish the Court could be trusted to wipe that smile off Abbott's face!
Mimi Purnell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wish the Court could be counted on to wipe that smile off Abbott's face!
gypsy314 ne
Good Job Abbott. Now take care of the voter ID to stop the illegal aliens and the democrats from stuffing the box good example Sheila Lee district.
Anyone BUT the fraud Obama and democrats!
JC DemocratofTejas
roll on greg.
JC DemocratofTejas
Karen Spivey-Cummings will decide if you too are on Medicaide. Karen, dear lost soul, does anyone choose to be on Medicaide? I guess they drive their cadillacs to the wellfare office ... right? Karma Karen...Karma
JC DemocratofTejas
Ginger: "It's all about me." Lazies and druggies. Get a grip will you. You can't go around blaming other people for your lack of means.