Health care costs open $1.7 billion hole in Texas budget

Dallas Morning News ^ | 3/9/2010 | ROBERT T. GARRETT

[dragnet2]

Austin: Lawmakers have been thinking ahead to a massive shortfall, topping $10 billion, that's probably coming when they write the next budget in 2011.

Rising health care costs have dug a hole of about $1.7 billion, the officials said.

Texas has about 350,000 more poor people on government health insurance than it did last year, and health care costs also are skyrocketing for state employees and prison inmates, several agency heads told the House Appropriations Committee.

"We're running 11 percent ... growth in the Medicaid program," said Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs, referring to the nation's main health care program for the poor. Lawmakers assumed enrollment would grow by only 3.4 percent this year, he said.

The bad news comes just six months into the two-year budget passed last year.

As for the next budget, John O'Brien, the Legislative Budget Board's director, who oversees a large staff serving 10 key lawmakers who track fiscal matters, said the shortfall will be at least $11 billion and could be as high as $15 billion.

[dragnet2]

the shortfall will be at least $11 billion and could be as high as $15 billion.

Tick tick tick.....

[dragnet2]

bttt

[bgill]

All the more reason to close the border.

[TribalPrincess2U]

I’ve also seen so many burkas the past few months I feel out
of place.

[dragnet2]

Not going to happen...The greedy employers that hire the millions of low wage illegal aliens are the same ones funding the campaigns of the political insiders and elected elite of both parties.

This is to ensure their conga-line of millions of low wage workers continues to flow.

Ya see, they don't care that their low wage illegal workers are choking off the local schools, hospitals, jails and social services of their local communities...They don't care.

Profits regardless of consequences.

[Texas resident]

Texas has 350,000 more poor illegals than last year.
We get stuck with the bill while ozero opens the border wider. Hope and change.

[dragnet2]

,I>Texas has 350,000 more poor illegals than last year. We get stuck with the bill while ozero opens the border wider. Hope and change.

Like California, you have to remember, those 350,000 all have anchor babies as fast as they possibly can....They could care less if they can afford kids or not. The burden to the tax payers is overwhelming and will eventually end in America's brutal, chaotic death.

[DCPatriot]

“Greedy Employers..., Profits regardless of consequences.”?? WTF?? Do you know what you sound like spouting that crap?

You don’t think it’s possible that more than 350K Texans may have fallen on hard times?

And do you think there are large companies out there right now that knowingly hire illegals...in THIS economic climate?

I don’t think so.

[PGalt]

We're running 11 percent ... growth in the Medicaid program," said Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs

What! Statist healthcare? Who'da thunkit? A perfect example of a FED mess forced on states/individuals.

[dragnet2]

Do you know what you sound like spouting that crap?

Yeah, the sound of truth amongst the bucket mouths with bullhorns.

[No Truce With Kings]

“All the more reason to close the border.”

Which one? The one with Mexico or the one with Washington D.C.?

[gura]

1.7 billion? Bah! Chump change!!

[tcrlaf]

Easy solution-
Stop giving free healthcare to illegal, non-US citizens.

[dragnet2]

I’ve also seen so many burkas the past few months I feel out of place.

Again, it is your own government sponsoring these country killing policies.

[nomad]

Then abolish any Texan matching contributions to Medicaid, any state welfare in Texas, give them a one time payment to move to a liberal state and let the deadbeats move there.

[Orange1998]

Let see if Mr. Goodhair can pull a rabbit out of his hat. Last year it was done with accounting entry.

[GailA]

“Code Red” - House Target List on Health Care
The National Republican Congressional Committee has published a target list on health care. In addition to continuing to contact the five Tennessee Democrat Congressmen, you can go http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/94697.aspx to contact some of these targets. Much of the talk following Obama’s announcement has focused on how to defeat this second bill through reconciliation, but that is misleading because the first step to defeating Obamacare is not by concentrating on defeating the “fixer” bill but by defeating the Senate bill in the House when it goes to the floor for an up-or-down vote on Thursday, March 18th.
Rep. Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831 Columbia office: 931-490-8699
Rep. Jim Cooper 202-225-4311 Nashville office: 615-736-5295
Rep. Bart Gordon 202-225-4231 Murfreesboro office: 615-896-1986
Rep. John S. Tanner 202-225-4714 Jackson office: 731-423-4848
Rep. Steve Cohen 202-225-3265 Memphis office: 901-544-4131

.....................................................

Defeat Obamacare call list: Courtsey of TN Eagle Forum: List now contains the new MAYBES culled from FR posts.

PLEASE CALL! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE State District

Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District
Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Gordon (202) 225-4231 TN (MAYBE)
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)
Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)
senator mark begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE
John Tanner (202) 225-4714, Union City, (731) 885-7070, Jackson Phone: (731) 423-4848, Millington (901) 873-5690 TN (MAYBE)
Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Aliquippa, 724-378-0928, Natrona Heights, 724-226-1304 (MAYBE)

On the Bubble (Major developments from the “yes” and “no” columns in the House)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2467046/posts

[dragnet2]

As for the next budget, lawmakers who track fiscal matters, said the shortfall will be at least $11 billion and could be as high as $15 billion.

Let see if Mr. Goodhair can pull a rabbit out of his hat. Last year it was done with accounting entry

[Orange1998]

Go to show ANYTHING is possible on FR. hehehe