Thursday, May 12, 2005

Show Me Some Respect



The state motto of Missouri is salus populi suprema lex esto -- "the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law." With that in mind, let's look at Missouri's recent changes to welfare law, shall we?

The state's new budget calls for new, lower income threshholds that will result in booting 90,000 people off of Medicaid. I'm not one to give blanket support to such programs, but I am appalled that Governor Matt Blunt's office has stated that this will encourage those 90,000 people to get jobs and improve their lives.

Thank you, Governor Blunt, for setting me straight. Little did I realize that those folks on Medicaid just lacked the desire to get better jobs and better lives.

For example, Angel Bridgewater has a $6.70-per-hour McDonald's job that makes her ineligible for state medical aid. Despite supporting three children, she now has to make less than $86 each week to qualify for Medicaid. Before the cuts, she qualified while earning about $300 a week. Now she'll finally be able to take that CFO job at the local multinational conglomerate that she's had her eye on for so very long -- and all because Governor Blunt showed her the way.

I know states want to (need to?) cut Medicaid budgets, but claiming that recipients of such aid just lack the proper motivation to get better jobs is insulting. Perhaps the "show me" state needs to show a little more understanding for its needier citizens.

[Source]

1 comment:

Chandira said...

Yeah, that's just disgusting.. Like our English guy, (can't remember his name, part of my bad memory since leaveing home)who told people they should just 'get on their bicycles and look for work'.. I think that comment alone lost the Tories that particular election.

Ick.