It’s a little early for the weekend wrapup, but there’s a few more items of interest I wanted to share with you before the Memorial Day weekend. (By the way, I will be broadcasting live from the Fort Peck Theatre on Monday morning in honor of the site dedication of the NE Montana Veterans Memorial.)
A new poll says 70% of federal government workers don’t trust….wait for it, wait for it….the government. Plus, the not so “free stuff” of Medicaid, and yes- some of you will end up paying back those Obamacare subsidies. That and more is included below.
David Skinner in The Flathead Beacon: Medicaid’s Free Stuff
Under the Obamacare expansion, the state burden would be “only” 10 percent. But this is just an illusion. It’s convenient, but profoundly wrong, to pretend that federal funding is better or less burdensome than direct taxation at the state and local level.
Trouble is, “federal funding” doesn’t fall from the sky. It has to be skinned off someone’s hide somewhere – and the shameful fact is, we are skinning our grandchildren, and have done so for so long, we’re already $17 trillion in the hole.
Medicaid expansion will not provide “free” health care for anyone, never has, and never will.
Don’t Be Surprised…
Heritage Foundation: Yes, Some People Will Have to Pay Back Their Obamacare Subsidies
Obamacare offers subsidies to help pay for health insurance – if you are buying insurance through the federal exchange and your income qualifies. But now the word is out that at least 1 million people are probably getting the wrong subsidy amounts.
The Washington Post has inside sources providing all sorts of juicy details on this problem – but it didn’t take an investigative reporter to predict this was going to happen.
Heritage expert Alyene Senger warned that Obamacare’s subsidies are tied to income – and if your income changes at any point during the year, your subsidy is supposed to change, too.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder says there are no plans for the FBI to investigate the allegations that dozens or more veterans died while on secret VA waiting lists. Separately; however, there are calls to have the FBI review whether or not prisoners in Montana are being treated adequately. This, despite a state review that gave a facility near Shelby a near-perfect review.
As The Great Falls Tribune reports:
A state panel has asked a letter be drafted to the FBI asking the agency to investigate Montana’s privately run prison in Shelby, with one committee member saying a facility in Idaho run by the same company is undergoing such a probe.
Sen. Terry Murphy, R-Cardwell, requested at an April 28 meeting of the state Legislature’s Law and Justice Interim Committee that the FBI be asked to look at the Shelby prison, saying the Idaho situation is similar to Montana.
He accused the prison of “cutting corners on expenses with substandard food” and said the facility does not provide the medical and dental services that its contract with the state calls for. A draft of the letter will be brought back to the committee during its August meeting for discussion.
BusinessInsider.com: It Looks Like The Tea Party Is Going To Completely Whiff Tonight
The grassroots group Club for Growth made Idaho’s Second District a focal point, and as a result, it has been dubbed “ground zero” for the grassroots vs. establishment fight. Club for Growth spent more than $US700,000 in that race for ads blasting U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson and supporting his intra-party challenger, local attorney Bryan Smith.
One top Republican strategist told Business Insider the money grassroots groups spent in Georgia and Kentucky could have been put to far better use in other states.
“It stands to reason that the millions of dollars spent waging this primary challenge could have been better utilized elsewhere if the goal is building a conservative Senate majority,” the strategist said. “Imagine the difference if millions had been spent say, supporting Tom Cotton in Arkansas, or Cory Gardner in Colorado, or Steve Daines in Montana.”
Washington Examiner- Shock poll: 70% of federal workers don’t trust government
A remarkable new poll of federal workers, contractors and retirees has revealed massive distrust of the government by its own employees, one reason for low morale and retirements.
The poll from Washington’s Federal News Radio.com found that just three percent have “near complete trust” in their government, and 92 percent believe Uncle Sam has to rebuild relationships with workers.
Some 1,900 federal employees, members of the private sector and retirees were polled. Of those still working for the federal government, said the poll, “70 percent rate their trust in the government at or below 5 on a scale of 1-to-10 with 1 being ‘don’t trust at all’ and 10 being ‘complete trust.’“