Red state governors a cruel, heartless lot

Job One for any governor is to provide for the health and welfare of his constituents, regardless of their economic status. To GOP governors in 24 states that refuse the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion which would insure 5,500,000 low income people, Job One is returning Republicans to the White House by demonizing the Affordable Care Act. That m...eans they turn down free Medicaid expansion for three years and pay only 10% of its cost thereafter. Illinois signed up for Medicaid expansion to the relief of hundreds of thousands of poor Illinoisans. Current Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner opposed Illinois expansion but his opposition is now moot and merely crass political posturing to his conservative, anti Obama base. Indiana Governor Mike Pence was another strong opponent until his 2016 presidential aspirations made him recalibrate his opposition. Pence is negotiating with the Obama administration for a waiver on the ACA Medicaid requirements based on Pence expanding health coverage for low income folks through an Indiana health program. While not as strong as ACA relief, If granted, hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers will enjoy the benefits of the ACA while Pence can claim he's doing it outside of the hated ACA.

The other 23 GOP governors still haven't got the conscience or political need to bring their millions of poor into benefits of a universal health insurance first promoted by former Republican Teddy Roosevelt in 1912. They still adhere to the mainstream Republican health care plan for the poor: DON'T GET SICK; BUT IF YOU DO GET SICK, DIE AND DIE QUICKLY. That is no exaggeration. A recent study by the Annual of Internal Medicine estimates about 6,000 annually will needlessly die through the heartless and cruel governance of the men sworn into office to insure that doesn't happen.