Terry Roland must be using Common Core Math

Here we go again.  Governor Haslam’s Insure TN has been resurrected. Don’t blame me for the resurrection imagery; it is what Terry Roland himself used in his editorial in the Commercial Appeal on Palm Sunday.  It is touted as the conservative health insurance plan.

Tennesseans have been told that 1) it’s not ObamaCare even though it is funded through ObamaCare; 2) it’s not expanding Medicaid although it is funded with federal Medicaid dollars; 3) it is not going to cost TN taxpayers anything because it is all funded through federal crack money.  Last I checked, Tennesseans pay federal income tax too.   I don’t see anything conservative about expanding a government program that we can't afford either at the state or federal level.

Insure TN is a bailout for the hospitals.  When the federal crack money runs outs, the Tennessee hospitals will fund the rest of it.  Out of the goodness of their hearts, right?  Well, not exactly.  Because of ObamaCare, hospitals are getting less money so they have come up with a scheme to unlock federal money to save them.  I get it.  ObamaCare is a disaster.  Hospitals and doctors are getting shafted because government healthcare doesn’t work.  Tennesseans are getting shafted with losing their insurance which they were promised they could keep and for those of us who still have insurance, we are paying much more for less coverage.

This is where Terry Roland’s Common Core Math comes in.  As usual, politicians create a crisis in order to talk taxpayers into going along with their schemes.  What are the two top crises that we hear when politicians are trying to sell a tax increase to pay for their pet projects?  Police/Fire and Schools.  Well, now you can add the hospitals to the list.  Let me be clear.  I am not against hospitals.  I am not against doctors.  I think they are getting the shaft just like the rest of us Americans with ObamaCare.  The question is, is what do we do about it?  Terry Roland is selling Insure TN in Memphis as the only way to keep property taxes in Shelby County from going up.  He said on his FaceBook page on Sunday that

"if they stop the dish payments that comes to Memphis from the Fed, it will be devastating because Regional one will lose 77 million dollars a year and the only way to pay for it would be to go up on property taxes and I can't let that happen. Another property Tax increase would kill Shelby County”  

According to Dr. Reginald Coopwood, CEO of Regional One in March 2014.

“(Tennessee's "disproportionate share" (DSH) federal payments for hospitals that serve a large number of Medicaid and low-income uninsured patients are still up in the air. The Regional Medical Center has received about $12 million a year.)”

Notice the discrepancy?  Roland says the Med will lose $77 million a year and Dr. Coopwood says $12 million.  That is not just a couple of dollars off.

Tell us the truth Terry Roland.  The hospitals are desperate for a bailout. Using The Med is much more effective as an emotional tug than bailing out Baptist and Methodist.  My question is, “Who is going to bailout the taxpayers?”

Terry Roland posted this quote by Clint Eastwood on his FaceBook page in February.  I agree with Eastwood.  What about Insure TN is less government and fiscally responsible?

Ambushed by Shelby County Republicans

Update:  It appears that Commissioner Heidi Shafer is also supporting this plan.  Both she and Terry Roland spoke at the Shelby County Republican Women's Club this week.  A report from an attendee said that both Roland and Shafer were speaking in support of this scheme.  At the Commission meeting, Shafer played the role of good cop with us by talking with us and giving us the impression that she agreed with us.  She had recused herself from voting on the resolution because she works in the healthcare industry. 

What has the state party promised or threatened our elected leaders here in Shelby County?  Why is this so important to Haslam? 

There were four of us who witnessed the ambush on Monday by Republican Shelby County Commissioners.  Just two weeks ago, those of us who understand economics and the disaster that ObamaCare is, prevailed over the ruling class Republicans who wanted to pass a resolution supporting Governor Haslam's scheme to expand Medicaid in TN.  We called and emailed and instructed our representatives ~did you know that the Tennessee Constitution codifies our right to instruct our representatives?~ that we do not want to expand Medicaid in TN.  We know what ObamaCare is doing and will do to healthcare in our great country if not stopped.  As my youngest daughter used to say, "We don't want it!"  The people spoke and the resolution was pulled.  Well, low and behold, it reared it's ugly head once again on Monday.  It was not on the agenda.  It was an add-on sponsored by Terry Roland ~Republican~ and Van Jones ~Democrat.~ 

This is the email that I sent to Commissioners Roland, Reaves, Billingsley and Chism.  Commissioner Shafer recused herself because of her working in the healthcare industry and I didn't bother sending it to Steve Basar because he has already shown that he is not a conservative. 

Commissioner Roland,

I am disappointed with what I witnessed during the county commission meeting Monday. 

 

First, let me address the shenanigans that took place in the meeting.  It was a very cowardly act to ambush the citizens of Shelby County ~Republicans specifically~ in this manner.  You were not happy with the input you received by phone, email and from Republicans and other citizens who attended and spoke before the last Commission meeting where you tried to get support for the governor's scheme, so you decided to ambush us Monday by doing a last minute add-on to the agenda.  This is what we have come to expect from the Democrats and a tactic you have claimed in the past to despise.  Do you have such a short memory that you don't remember the last couple of months?  What was the recent lawsuit by the Democrats plus Steve Basar about?  Wasn't it about who could add-on an item to the commission agenda and whether a simple majority or super-majority was needed to overrule the chairman to add an item to the agenda?  What was the dire emergency that made it imperative that this resolution needed to be passed yesterday?

 

You spoke that you didn't like the ACA, but your back was against the wall because if we don't expand Medicaid in TN under this scheme, then you would be forced to raise property taxes in Shelby County.  We can't let the Med go under, after all.  We have heard this threat for years/decades.  We know what will happen if we expand Medicaid here in TN.  Do you not remember the TennCare debacle? It almost bankrupted the state.  It took a Democrat to come in and fix that fiasco.  Is that what you want?  Pave the way for a Democrat governor?

Two citizens, who happened to be present at Monday's meeting, spoke against this referendum.  They brought up some important points:

• What are we going to do when the federal monies dry up and the citizens of TN are stuck with having to pay the shortfall?
• Many of the states that went ahead and expanded Medicaid have still had hospital closings.
• Several states have handled this problem in ways that was beneficial to the medical providers and the patients and their solutions need to be examined to see if they would work in TN.
• You said that the smaller hospitals serving the surrounding counties are struggling because of the ACA and that the Memphis Regional Hospital (the MED) would have to take those patients.  However, the stated reason that the hospital in Fayette County is closing was because the people in the area were not using it. (only one new patient a day) and it was not cost effective to keep it open.

You did not show them the courtesy to slow down long enough to address those concerns but went directly to the vote.

By expanding Medicaid ~like Haslam wants to~ we are just kicking the can down the road.

I agree with Thomas Payne.

 

"I prefer peace.  But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace

It is time for courage from you, our elected officials.  It is time for leaders to articulate conservatism and limited government.  You purport to espouse limited government.  Your actions speak louder than your words.

For more details on the Commission meeting, click here. 

To instruct our representatives ~as the TN State Constitution says we have the right to~ here is the link to their email addresses or call them at 222-1000.

Outside Independence Hall when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 ended, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin,
"Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"
With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded,
"A republic, if you can keep it." 

It is up to us to keep our republic.  Voting is just the beginning of our civic responsibility.  Help save our republic.  It starts at the local level because power is in the district. 

Commissioner Terry Roland will be the speaker at the Dutch Treat Luncheon on Saturday, January 17th at noon at Jason's Deli.  Jason's Deli is located at 3473 Poplar ~corner of Highland and Poplar~.  Come early if you want to order a meal.  This will be a great time to ask him why he pulled this stunt.