[thechat] Why would a conservative vote for a Republican president?

Erika Meyer erika at seastorm.com
Tue Sep 2 13:02:22 CDT 2003


I can't answer the question in the subject line, but it appears to me 
that the general Bush strategy is to make the US more like a third 
world country.

Good for the rich (Bush, et al) bad for the poor (me, et al).

To offset the economic hemorrhaging, environmental regulations are 
dropping like flies in a mist of DDT.  That's what I think is going 
on.  There is hope that this will save money and help the economy 
recover (who cares about our health).

I don't know about the rest of the US, but in Oregon, the economy is 
truly in a crisis.  The cost cutting measures in social services are 
going to cost a lot more in the long run... mostly they talk about 
cutting the help to the elderly, the severely mentally ill, and stuff 
like that, but even in my case, I can see where cuts to some services 
may end up costing the state a lot more...

I get a $30 worth of food stamps every month.  But I find myself 
going hungry for most of the latter half of each month.  With a 
child, this is of particular concern.

However, I have decent health insurance (Kaiser).  My employer pays 
$300 a month, and I pay $160 for myself and my daughter.  My co-pay 
is usually $10, and we get good care.  My dental insurance is much 
more affordable -- $40/month and $6 co-pay.

Up until March, the state had a program to help low-income people 
with our health insurance premiums.   Now they have cancelled that 
program, but the food stamp program does not apparently consider 
health insurance to be a necessity, and so only considers rent and 
utilities (nothing else, no clothing, no transportation...) as hits 
to one's gross income.

Because of the problem keeping food in the cupboard, I am considering 
cancelling my Kaiser insurance and going on the Oregon Health Plan... 
in which case the state will go from paying NOTHING for us, to paying 
the FULL cost of our insurance, should we be eligible...  thus 
costing the state far more than if they'd given a bit of help with 
premiums or with food.

If we're not eligible for OHP (or if the co-pay is too big), then 
we'll go uninsured, use the emergency room as needed, and the 
hospitals will have to eat the cost... unless they turn us away, 
which may be the next thing that happens.

You can all tell me I should not be entitled to food assistance, or 
health benefits, but the simple fact is that people have to eat, and 
sometimes they need health care.  (I pay for my housing first, worry 
about the rest after.)  Ignoring basic needs is not going to save 
costs, unless you are truly okay with having the poor die on the 
street or on the steps of hospitals...

In our progress toward becoming a third world country,
that may very well be in the cards...

So this month is a month of research for me: health insurance, or food?
An an American, I can feel proud to say, I have the freedom to choose.

Erika

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