The latest “it’s for the children” absurdity being peddled by our obtuse governor is a plan to extend health care coverage to middle-class families who “can’t afford it.” Hey Eliot–our family is middle-class and we can’t afford it–but somehow we do.

From Wednesday’s Press & Sun-Bulletin:

Gov. Eliot Spitzer said Thursday his 2008-09 budget plan next week will include $37 million to expand subsidized health care for about 70,000 more children because the federal government has failed to cover them.

The expansion would mean that a family of four making up to $82,000 a year would be eligible to enroll their children to receive discounted premiums on a sliding scale. A family with an $82,000-a-year income would pay about $1,400 a year in premiums for their children’s health coverage, said state Health Commissioner Richard Daines.

Gov. Spitzer wants to grab my tax money and give it to my neighbors. I like my neighbors, but where I come from this is called stealing. It is immoral and unjust for New York to stick the gun of state to my head and force me to pay for health care for my neighbors. They need to pay their own health care just as I do. (Note to all New Yorkers: Health insurance and health care is NOT a right.) My neighbors need to prioritize their spending and decide what’s important and TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for themselves. We don’t need nanny Eliot telling us what we do and do not need!

New York already spends a mind-blowing $45 BILLION on Medicaid! That’s $2,316 for every man, woman and child in this state to fund health care for Medicaid recipients. And now Spizter wants to spend more??? Where is the public outcry? Why do New Yorkers let this insanity continue?

Here’s what New York needs to do:

• Immediately repeal “Timothy’s Law” that forces insurance companies to pay for mental health coverage and costs the average family an extra $1,464 per year in premiums.
• Cap Medicaid spending at $1,000 per person in the state (as a good place to start), which is still more than what California and Texas pay.
• Immediately cap all school, property and state income taxes for the next five years.
• Dump any pathetic pork spending like this plan to extend health coverage “for the children”–which is nothing more than a veiled attempt to buy votes.

New York needs immediate corrective action to prevent it from slipping below the waterline. Sooner or later taxpayers will start leaving this state in huge numbers (it’s already large numbers) because the tax burden is too great and the state will collapse under the load of freeloaders and welfare recipients. I love this state. Please stop this socialist, nanny state madness!

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