With the fiscal hardships facing state governments today, the NYTimes is reporting on the imperilment of health coverage for the poor.

"Many state officials are pleading for federal help as they face an array of painful trade-offs, often pitting the needs of impoverished elderly people for prescription drugs and long-term care against those of low-income families seeking basic health coverage."

Where are the precepts of "compassionate conservatism" when they are finally called upon? Here we are living in a renewed time of angst where new and emboldened threats have put financial strain on every piece of government from local through federal levels. Yet, at the same time we are pushing through massive federal tax cuts when it seems the state governments couldn't be in any more dire need for this money. Its a classic chicken and the egg problem where Bushies would tell you that you need to stimulate the ecomony through tax cuts in order resurrect state budgets and thus, their programs. The failure in this logic are the interim effects on people and their livelihood. It can be used again and again how September 11th changed everything, but when will this administration stop ducking the added weight this has placed on states, their budgets and their priorities?

And to that end, what percentage of the current economic uncertainty is driven through the fiscal crisises felt by every single state in the union? If all politics is local, then why isn't this angle be explored? I bet moderate republicans are palpably worried about how this might play out in the next election. I know George Voinovich must be.

Mr. Voinovich, why don't you stop being French and Join President Bush's Fight To Cut Taxes and Fix The Economy?

By Gary at 11:51 PM in World | Comments (0)