CALIFORNIA: Senate panel kills Schwarzenegger health coverage bill

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/28/8 | Aurelio Rojas

[SmithL]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suffered his biggest legislative defeat Monday when a Senate committee blocked his yearlong effort to provide health care coverage to most Californians without insurance.

The $14.9 billion annual plan, hailed as the most sweeping effort by any state to provide near-universal health care, was negotiated by the Republican governor and Democratic Speaker Fabian Núñez but died in the Senate Health Committee.

Only one of the seven Democrats on the panel voted for AB 1X1 -- authored by Núñez, D-Los Angeles, and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland -- while all four Republicans voted against bill.

Opponents, citing a report released last week by the Legislative Analyst's Office that concluded the plan might be underfunded by billions of dollars, said they were concerned about adding to the state's projected $14.5 billion deficit.

[domenad]

You’re socialism is terminated.

[domenad]

DAMMIT! I meant “YOUR” socialism is terminated. An unforgiveable grammar faux pas!

[Cicero]

Yeah, Arnold, that’s all California needs, is another $15 billion piled on top of the huge debts you already built up.

How’s your special stem-cell baby-killing subsidy doing lately? Got any health benefits out of that? Or just fat payoffs to your friends?

[seoul62]

As my late Father always told me: NOTHING, NOTHING IS EVER FREE IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU PAY FOR IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!!!!!!!!!/Just Asking - seoul62.......

[goldstategop]

The costs sunk it... and the last thing California needed was a multi-billion dollar health care bureaucracy. Its good its dead.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[CounterCounterCulture]

[FoxInSocks]

Schwarzenegger and Núñez maintained the plan would raise enough revenues to pay for itself through

1. the employer and employee contributions,
2. a fee on hospitals,
3. an additional $1.75 tax on a pack of cigarettes
4. and leveraging the money to increase matching federal funds.

Call me crazy, but that sure doesn't sound like a program that "pays for itself."

[So Circumstanced]

Mandated State and Insurance Company hand in hand scheming of this sort is Romney’s big achilles heel.

[calcowgirl]

An unforgiveable grammar faux pas!

Your You're forgiven. ;-)

[goldstategop]

The last one is the joker in the deck. When has California received full federal matching funds? The matter of fact is they could have taxes and premiums raised still higher and this program would STILL have ran in the red. And that's before it would have devastated California with further job losses and higher budget deficits.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[SoConPubbie]

Arnold, Go cry to your wife, girly man!

[Right Cal Gal]

I’m getting sick of this State funding every darn think by raising the cigarette tax. You wanna fund it? How about a $1.75 tax on a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer?

(Don’t get me wrong - I think the whole health care program sucks but I’m also sick of just smokers gettin’ hit in the wallet).

[lawnguy]

Well, then someone tell me what reliably Blue California wants from Government? Arnie tried to get referendums passed early on, and they failed.

So he decides to give the people what they seem to prefer.

That hasn't worked out too well either.

I agree that Rinos are maddening, but so is the electorate.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Right Cal Gal wrote:
“ How about a $1.75 tax on a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer?”

—I guess you don’t drink much wine or beer ;)

I propose we take away all freebie benefits the state gives away to lazy people and force them to pick me some fresh ripe tomatoes. If their kids don’t want to go to school, they can pick tomotoes with their parents. :D
/S, sort of

[BlueDragon]

Doctor:

Ve know vhat chyouz meant...

...how longz haz chyouz been havzing deez vheelings
vor myz vellow Auz-drian, the "Gropenzatur"???

patient: but doc...what do you mean, "vheelings"?

Doctor: chyouz zaid chyouz vanted hiz zocializm kilt!

patient: well, yeah, uh, now that you put it that way, i guess i do, but, uh, it's just, he's become such a RINO, i mean, i voted for McClintock and all, in a primary, way back when...

Doctor: Zo now chyouz zee chyouzelvzs az big-gamez huhn-ta? Hmmm...I zeez. Dat' vill be allz...but chyouz wait rightz zer...

[furiously scribbling notes on pad of paper, & turning to shout towards door]

Nurz!!

[nurse enters, doctor summons her over, to whisper in her ear]

Diz onz iz dah-lushunzal, and prownz to de violenz. sendz for ze peoplz to takes himz avay

[kellynla]

gezzzzzzzzzzzz...you coulda knocked me over with a feather...

the ‘Rat controlled Senate legislature committee is even more conservative than the liberal RINOld!

or maybe his proposal wasn’t liberal enough?
which is it? LOL

[winner3000]

(...was negotiated by the “Republican” governor and Democratic Speaker Fabian Núñez..

There, I fixed it.

[calcowgirl]

the ‘Rat controlled Senate legislature committee is even more conservative than the liberal RINOld! or maybe his proposal wasn’t liberal enough?

Or maybe they are in a contest of which is most corrupt. Hard to tell, some days.

[kellynla]

well I know you keep up with the what the clowns in Sacramento are up to better than I;
I sure wish we could have another recall...
maybe we could get it right this time. LOL

are you dried out up there?
winds blew the damn fence down at my house...
guess I’ll call Chertoff & see if he can recommend someone to replace it. LOL