No Child Left Behind

For Real this Time...........


On Wednsday, The Senate approved legislation to provide health insurance to 11 million low-income children. This bill will also spend federal money to cover children and preganat women who are legal immigrants, a first for this country.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program currently covers 7 million low-income children for $25 billion. It's aimed at families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but still can't afford private insurance.

Now here's the interesting part...

This expansion will be paid for by raising the cigarette tax from the current 39 cents to $1.

Im a smoker. At first glance this kinda sucks. But think about it a little more...

Everytime we buy a pack of cigarettes we are providing health insurance to the youth of America. It's turning a negitive into a positive. If we just simply continue to smoke we are doing our part, being patriotic.

And we'll have a hell of a comeback when the non-smokers bitch about how we are killing ourselves and polluting the air, as they eat McDonald's and drive off in their hummers.

Still not convinced?

Maybe you completely disagree with me on this one and are scared of the "evil socialism" ruining the capitalism that works so well.....????

If so, you could rebel by quitting smoking. If you dont smoke you dont pay the tax. And you could even live a little longer!!!!!

See! It's a win/win!

But seriously, I don't mind the tax if it's going to go to this cause. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. And when it comes to the kids, every single child should be covered fully. Period. Let the kids know that we got their back!

Similiar legislation was vetoed twice by President Bush and Republican support is still not strong for the bill today.
The bill passing 66-32 largely along party lines. Although The State Childrens Health Program receives wide bipartisan support since it's creation in 1997 under a Republican-led Senate.

The 2007 version of the bill had vast bipartisan support but was still vetoed. Republicans say they feel betrayed by the Democrats because the bill was a different version of what they had compromised on in 2007.

But the only real difference is that this version also covers legal immigrants where the 2007 version did not. Currently legal immigrants have to wait 5 years for coverage. Yes, even the children.

I hope I'm wrong here. I hope Repubicans didn't back out of this one because of the whole immigrant thing.
The bill does say LEGAL immigrants. Tell me that in this day of age that you did not turn your back on the bipartisan effort of improving our heathcare system in this country because it will cover the children of immigrants who are legal citizens of this country. They are Americans!

As it stands now the bill is expected to pass and be signed by President Obama in the very near future. Although experts say that once the plan is implemented, 5 million children will still remain uninsured.

But Hopefully not for long!

With similair bills on the way to cover all children and hopefully all Americans, This is just the beginning!

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there,"

Barack Obama