Rio Grande Guardian: "Border region leads nation in percentage without health insurance "

Blaming Perry and Republicans is the easy way out. (0.00 / 0)

  The other 3 counties in the top 6 were in New Mexico (2) and Arizona (1).  Do we blame Bill Richardson and a NM legislature dominated by Democrats or the Governor of AZ from 2003-2009, Janet Napolitano?  

As noted 31% of Hispanics are without health insurance nationwide.  The three counties in TX have over 80% Hispanic population.  Other numbers from the 2008 ACS survey are that non-citizens are uninsured at a 44.7% rate and foreign born citizens at a 33.5% rate. Those are all national numbers not just Texas.

 

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by: sdhook @ Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 21:28:50 PM CDT

Actually Napolitano (0.00 / 0)

said this during a hearing late last year:

[...]
Increased federal investment in federal-state partnerships, particularly in health care and infrastructure (including highway, transit, water, and border projects) is an efficient and effective way for Congress to stimulate the economy and create jobs while easing the dire fiscal conditions of the states.

Congress has done this before to great effect, and I urge you to act again, while taking into consideration some more permanent changes.
[emphasis added.]
[...]

I believe Rick Perry turned down help from the federal government. He doesn't like "them." So, I applaud Napolitano for seeking a solution to the uninsured issue, while Rick Perry would rather appeal to his conservative, Republican Party base who really don't like minorities.

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by: Elsbeth @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 00:16:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm glad that Janet figured out the problem . . . (0.00 / 0)

to the uninsured issue "late last year" after she had been in office for six years as the door was hitting her backside on the way out.  A skeptical person might suggest that she was in support of a stimulus that the President elect was promoting who at the time was selecting his cabinet and said governor was about to be jobless. I don't believe this but just an illustration of how the blame game can take you off the original question.. Which was?  . . .   why does the border region lead the nation in uninsured?  If your answer is Perry then we need no further discussion.

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by: sdhook @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 21:33:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Do you think (0.00 / 0)

it's ok that there are so many uninsured minorities from the border regions? I do think this is an issue that Perry chooses to ignore. And in that case, he is the answer. As colin points out a few comments below and I would like to quote him:

new mexico and arizona are NOT texas.

we are the 10th largest economy IN THE WORLD.

we have the money, we lack the motivation.

Perry has plenty of help from his Republican-controlled Senate and House. They just don't care about poor people.

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by: Elsbeth @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 23:00:34 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes (0.00 / 0)

When Perry passes legislation to gut the Children's Health Insurance Program, wastes time seeking a Medicaid waiver that even the Bush administration thought was a bad idea, and otherwise does nothing more than attack anyone trying to provide health insurance to Texans -- then I think it's safe to say that he plays a role in the high rates of uninsured Texans, both along the border and across the state.

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 09:25:14 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

you can't be serious (0.00 / 0)

new mexico and arizona are NOT texas.

we are the 10th largest economy IN THE WORLD.

we have the money, we lack the motivation.

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by: colin @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 11:25:07 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

That was 2008 (0.00 / 0)

The percentage of those without health insurance must be so much worse, now. This Sept. 16th, 2009 Press Release tries to make the unemployment reality in Texas all better.

When the people living in the border regions have higher unemployment rates than the nation and also have some of the highest uninsured rates in the country ~ well, I'm not so sure we should be braggin' about how well off we are with, "Texas Unemployment Rate Remains Well Below National Rate."

Go to Page 2 of that very upbeat Press Release (put out by the TWC headed up by Rick Perry's ultra conservative appointee, Tom Pauken) to see the chart that shows Brownsville-Harlingen with a 10.5 unemployment rate and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has a whopping 11.4 unemployment rate.

And looking at the unemployment rates across the entire state (Odessa has gone from 3.7 in August '08 to 9.3 in August '09.)...I still can't believe that Rick Perry is telling people to come on down here to get a job ~ when his fellow Texans are struggling to survive in every sector of the state. And if he is so oblivious to white, middle class people struggling, it would be a huge stretch for him to be the least bit concerned about poor minorities without health insurance, I think.  

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by: Elsbeth @ Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 23:26:18 PM CDT