With surplus, what about PeachCare?
There is no question why Sonny Perdue was reelected as governor of our “great state” of Georgia. While most state budgets showed up short last year, Georgia’s budget was the anomaly. The state had a $600 million-plus surplus in the annual budget. Georgians were happy that there was extra money that could go to much-needed programs.
However, the guvnuh cannot seem to find $121 million for PeachCare, the state-funded health care program for economically disadvantaged children. If their parents make below a certain income, then children are eligible for the program; PeachCare helps more than 40,000 children in the state, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007.) This does not include children of illegal immigrants (who are legal citizens of the U.S. if they were born in any U.S. state or territory.) Only 40,000 children in a state of almost 10 million residents!
While the majority republican General Assembly voted to allow criminalization of illegal immigration on the ballot for 2006, they are committing one of the most criminal acts that could ever occur on American soil. They are telling poor families that they have to pay out-of-pocket to see a doctor or go to a hospital.
So what is the problem? Most of these families do not go to the doctor for a checkup or a simple cold if they do not have insurance. Either the parents cannot get off work (for reasons, for which there is not enough room to document and elaborate in this commentary), or they simply cannot afford it. So when the child falls deathly ill (or gets the flu in this flu season), the only option is to go to a public hospital (which cannot turn away anyone for any reason). Private hospitals would turn them away for not being able to pay.
Costs for one hospital do not need to be explained here, for expenses are out-of-sight for one emergency visit for only 3 hours (if an ambulance was used it could be at least $5,000. Nearly half of a low-wage workers annual salary.) Of course the burden falls on us taxpayers. I would gladly pay for a child whose uninsured if I had the money. Nevertheless, the state of Georgia has the money to pay for these children. Meanwhile, the state republicans had planned to spend $100,000 to $200,000 for a party on Friday, March 9, simply because the state legislature is out on recess. It is time Sonny got his priorities straight.
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Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Mar 16 2007. Filed under Opinion.
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