Governor's TennCare cuts political, Bonnyman says

[Freddie Stubbs]

By ANITA WADHWANI
Staff Writer

Bredesen denies charge that he wants to dispense with barrier to re-election

TennCare's proposed cuts go further than necessary in order to cushion the governor from TennCare problems' surfacing again during his re-election, a lawyer for TennCare enrollees said in federal court here yesterday.

The charge was immediately denounced as ''scurrilous'' and unfounded by an attorney for the state.

The accusation came during closing arguments before U.S. District Judge William J. Haynes Jr., in a hearing that began last week and ended yesterday. The hearing has examined Gov. Phil Bredesen's plans to cut costs in TennCare by eliminating health-care coverage for 323,000 people — a plan opposed by attorneys for TennCare enrollees.

more: http://www.tennessean.com/government/tenncare/archives/05/03/67983848.shtml?Element_ID=67983848

[tnlefty]

1. Thanks for posting this.

I can't comment on it too much as I am livid. Sundquist mismanaged this state for 8 yrs., and Bredesen has tried very hard to clean up the mess. I wish that this program could be saved, but I've heard one too many BUSH** voter whining and complaining that they or a relative or a relative's family is on the chopping block of the 323,000. Yet this state supported Dimson's** warmongering, voted for 4 more yrs. of his bullshit, and I have very little sympathy for them. Perhaps getting slapped upside the head will have an impact on them.

[SharonAnn]

3. I'm with you on this. Tennesseans voted for Sundquist.

They even re-elected him after running the finances into the ground. Tennesseans don't want to pay more taxes. Tennesseans want more services.

It happens that 2/3 of the TennCare recipients I know who'll lose coverage are not only GOP, they're rabic, right-wing, Christian dominating, tax-cutting, war-mongering GOP.

[Egalia]

4. Bredesen's killing off his base

I didn't see any rabid right wingers at Friday's TennCare protest in downtown Nashville. There were 500 pissed off sick, elderly, disabled and their sympathizers. And there was a major Black Church presence.

I saw a hell of a lot of good people who are going to be in a desperate situation if our Democratic governor can't come up with something aimed at saving lives rather than saving money.

from a story up at my blog:

"According to Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a national nonprofit consumer advocacy group, 'What Bredesen is proposing is by far the largest state cutback in public health coverage in the history of the country. Many people will die. They will die silently and quietly outside of public view, but they will die.'

Pollack said there are ways to avoid the drastic cuts advocated by Bredesen."

Bredesen is not only alienating his base, he is killing off his base, yeah some right wingers family members may go too, including the mentally ill son of my right wing aunt. That doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

Now that Black Churches are moving against Bredesen, he may think again, otherwise he needs to be challenged in the primary. Personally, I'm sick and tired of Dems who talk moral values and practice immoral values.

Tennessee Guerilla Women
http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/04/black-churches-rise-up-against-tn.html

[tnlefty]

5. I don't understand why Bredesen doesn't defend himself better

The GOP has despised TNCare and wanted to be done with it for a while. The first term of Bush** brought cuts and last year brought more cuts in federal funding. I was talking with a friend earlier who is absolutely convinced that Bush** and FrankenFrist are trying to damge Bredesen permanently with TNCare. Not just to replace him as governor in '06, but to end any further ambitions he might have in the future.

A more progressive tax structure in this state would help with funding, but the 'no taxes for anything' crowd would have a field day with that. I wish that I could come up with the perfect solution for this, but I don't have it.

[Lars39]

2. It seems that a new TCHIP may be formed.

http://thepeoplenews.com/index.html