There Will Be Blood

[sonias]

Texas Tribune 11/29/10
Pitts Readies Constituents for Coming Budget Cuts
Here’s how Jim Pitts interprets the Election Day results: “We’re making huge cuts,” the Waxahachie Republican who chairs the House Appropriations Committee told a hometown Tea Party group last week.

The legislative session starts in January, but Pitts and other finance types have been at work for months. Now they’re finding out whether voters really want the cuts they seemed to be demanding when they went to the polls.

Pitts told the crowd that the state is studying Medicaid and other forms of government-run health care with the idea of getting out of it. A man in the audience mentioned a friend on the program and asked whether lawmakers would “throw him out on the street.”

“If we did exactly what we’re doing today, we wouldn’t be throwing him out on the street,” Pitts answered. “But if we have any savings on getting out of Medicaid, we will have to throw some people out in the street. I’m not telling you that your friend would be, but the eligibility to receive state benefits will go down.

Story on Tribune is titled "There Will Be Blood" on home page.

:scared:

[sonias]

1. Gird Your Loins, Cuts, Cuts, and More Cuts are Coming!

Burnt Orange Report 11/29/10
Gird Your Loins, Cuts, Cuts, and More Cuts are Coming!
In some of the most candid public remarks to date Republican Representative Jim Pitts of Waxahachie indicated that if any savings is to come from Texas opting out of the federal Medicaid program that "we will have to throw some people out in the street."

(snip)
Well most of us knew what was coming, but to hear it so blatantly and unapologetically said in a less than heartfelt manner by Republican Pitts should give much reason for Texans to sweat these days. Moreover, Pitts said clearly your friend will not be thrown off if we keep things the way they are right now, but he would if we change things to the GOP way. Inciteful!

If a program such as Medicaid, which the federal government reimburses the state of Texas upwards of 60% of the total cost, is on the cutting block one can only imagine what other programs are next. Although Rick Perry and other Republicans continue to say that the state can handle the needs of those on Medicaid "by ourselves" he is unequivocally and deceptively lying. How can the state of Texas replace 60% of reimbursed funds from the federal government when the state already faces a $25 billion dollar shortfall? The answer is they can't, and they have no intention to even try. Since the 1980's it has been the mission of Republicans to end programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and others and they fully intend to use an internally perceived "election mandate" to do exactly that. The new GOP extreme machine fully intends to throw as many people into the streets as possible with a slash and burn approach to governing that has no mercy.

[w8liftinglady]

2. This is my rep...he's one of the moderates here

[sonias]

4. And he's being brutally honest - he knows his party

Something Perry and the rest of the lying repukes won't do - be honest.

They will be kicking people to the curb. They have no more compassion than the national repukes who wouldn't extend unemployment benefits. They are so far removed from the day to day lives of average people they don't care.

It's going to a horrible session next year. Absolutely the worst ever. First they'll carve up the districts in their redistricting greed ritual.

Then they'll feast on the pain of the powerless. It will be a mad frenzy for them, and they will enjoy every minute of it. :(

[NoPasaran]

3. The voters of Texas voted for it

They either voted directly, by actually casting their ballots for the GOP, or they voted indirectly by sitting on their asses at home. Fuck 'em, they want to suffer, I hope they get all the suffering they can stand and them some.

[sonias]

5. Well we're all going to get it

Not just those that voted tea party republican or even the non-voters. We're all going to suffer.

I get your anger and maybe this is what it takes - for us to hit rock bottom and be faced with death closer to home, for people to wake up. :shrug:

[kjackson227]

6. Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone! You know, sonias...

I feel the very same way as NoPasaran. The efforts of gotv seems to consistently fall on deaf ears of Democratic voters here in Texas. So, the only way to get us to take notice is to hit us in our pocketbooks. But, in order to receive assistance here in Texas, you almost have to be an indigent, anyway. Everyone who gets kicked off of Medicaid will end up in the county emergency rooms. The idiot Texas Republicans don't understand that taxpayers will pay one way or another.

[sonias]

7. "...taxpayers will pay one way or another"

Ah there's the kicker. When the Lege cuts more funding for schools and cuts back on Medicaid services - the people that pay are the local taxpayers. Cities have to try to cover more indigent care and higher emergency room costs for their local hospitals. And school districts are left scrambling and have no choice but to raise property taxes. So people blame their city councils, their county commissioners, their school district boards ... everyone but the real culprit the Texas State Legislature and the higher elected officials like Perry and Dewhurst.

That's why they never pay for their crimes. People just don't understand that the Texas Legislature is ground zero. Everything you pay or pay more for starts with public policy at the Lege.

And repukes count on the low information voter in Texas who will believe every bit of misinformation they spew.
"It's your urban cities who make the cost of living so high in Texas. Blame them, not us republicans who are trying to keep taxes low... "

They have learned very cleverly how to pass the buck and make it stick somewhere else. :mad:

:hi: kjackson! Hope you had a nice holiday too. You have to appreciate what you have. :hug: