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June 17, 2008

Children First

Justin Katz

One hates to see children harmed, but we must face the consequences of our policies:

Among the 2,800 already removed from RIte Care, just under half are illegal immigrants. But the other half have the right to be here. And all of them are children.

Some, in fact, are very sick children. Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, the HMO that cares for about 60 percent of RIte Care enrollees, including 50,000 children, has tallied the number of its patients who were affected by the RIte Care change. Among those dropped from RIte Care are 54 children with asthma, 50 with attention deficit disorder and eight with diabetes. One is in the midst of treatment for bone cancer and has already lost a leg. One needs a ventilator to breathe and is currently living at the state-run Tavares Center. Several have cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, depression or sickle cell anemia.

The plain reality, however, is that Rhode Island's current tax-and-spend regime is not sustainable. Many more people — and probably these very children — will be hurt in the long run if changes are not made. Perhaps spending cuts should be made more deeply elsewhere, and those who support various public-sector benefits and such line items as legislative grants can't hide behind a broad firewall of "necessary spending" to let sick children be the face of our government's excessive habits.

There are various points to be made about the article, but for now, suffice it to say that, under the current circumstances, this isn't exactly discouraging news:

Susanne Campbell, administrative director of the St. Joseph Center for Health and Human Services, said that her clinic, in Providence, recently received requests to send medical records to other states, suggesting that immigrants are leaving for Massachusetts and elsewhere.
Comments

I may very well be willing to write a check to help a child that came here recently from the Dominican Republic to nurse on the tit of the taxpayer.

But if I do, it will be voluntary and not at "the point of a gun" via Taxes.

To all the hand wringers, break out your check books and start writing checks. Go get second jobs to pay for all these things. But don't you dare put up a welcome sign and expect me to involuntary pay for it all.

Posted by: George Elbow at June 17, 2008 7:30 AM

Nah nah nah nah goodbye.

Posted by: Greg at June 17, 2008 7:39 AM

Susanne Campbell at St Joe's let the cat out of the bag . Enforcement of our laws ,budget cuts and Exec. Orders work !!! THEY'RE LEAVING !!!!!!!

Posted by: leprechaun at June 17, 2008 9:40 PM

Get the F*** out of the state leeches.
January's supplemental should have the following priority: Get the state OUT of the babysitting business.

Posted by: Mike at June 18, 2008 2:56 PM

Immigrants are leaving? Why would immigrants leave their jobs, their homes, their friends to go to another state? I get it!! Because they are illegal alien immigrants! Gee, how come that wasn't mentioned in your post, Justin?

Good, get the hell out of our state and go find another meal ticket elsewhere. My father raised six kids on his ONE pay and never insisted the state provide assistance to help him out. My father PROVIDED for us kids so since when does a father think that getting RIte Care is providing for his kids? Never, ever.

There are too many left wing nutjob liberals that insist on keeping people dependent and needy on the system.

Posted by: Roland at June 24, 2008 1:33 AM