Haley Barbour to turn down close to $75 million in federal Medicaid funds

I guess I am growing numb to these type of decisions by Governor Barbour. While I may be outraged, I am not surprised at all. Haley Barbour has decided to go ahead with the plan to slash Medicaid by $14 million in his efforts to trim the state budget. Because of the way the federal funds are matched to state funds, Mississippi's most vulnerable citizens will stand to lose close to an additional $75 million in matching federal Medicaid dollars.

Clarion Ledger:

More than 20 percent of Mississippi's population is on Medicaid - a state and federally funded program that provides medical care to those who can't afford it.Barbour spokesman Dan Turner said the governor does not support a House plan to transfer $14 million from the health care trust fund.

Covering the $14 million in state funds would prevent a nearly $90 million loss when federal matching dollars are considered, Mitchell said.

Twenty percent of this state relies on Medicaid for health care. That is close to a half million Mississippians. That twenty percent includes a lot of good Mississippians who have families that depend on this program. I cannot imagine a situation where any leader of Mississippi would want to turn down $75 million in federal money for our poorest Mississippians to have access to health care for a paltry $14 million out of a $500 million round of budget cuts.

Meanwhile:

For the first time in 19 months, the state is expected to meet - and, in fact, may slightly exceed - revenue projections.
Revenues as of Tuesday for March were about a quarter of 1 percent above estimates, largely because of a strong showing in corporate income tax receipts.

By restoring the $82 million to education, while making the additional cuts to Medicaid, the Governor is trying to pit the two pillars of Democratic policy against each other. Mississippi progressives are given a false dichotomy of choosing between education or health care for the poor. After all anything that benefits the underprivileged in Mississippi such as Medicaid, or the opportunity for a good education are prime targets for the Governor's hatchet. Never mind that there are emergency and rainy day funds that could be tapped for the time being. As usual, Haley will get his pound of flesh from the poor.

Childers Shows His Independence And Principle

Congressman Childers shows independence,

votes against House budget deal

From a Press Release:

Today, Congressman Travis Childers (D-MS) followed through on a campaign pledge to cut down on excessive spending in Washington D.C. Childers, who is only in his 3rd week in the House of Representatives, voted against a budget conference report that raises the federal government's debt ceiling to over $10 trillion dollars.

The Congressman noted, "I came to Washington to help solve the every day problems many families face across North Mississippi. I voted against this proposed budget, because it is a direct representation of continued excessive spending in Congress and it sends our country to an unprecedented level of national debt. It is simply unacceptable to me when families across Mississippi are struggling to put gas in their cars and groceries on their table."