Rep. Lynn Jenkins confused on meaning of “subsidy;” ridicules single mother

September 3, 1:45 PMLiberal ExaminerJenny Kakasuleff

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Wesley Powell, right, of Glendale, Ariz., and Brian O'Brien, of Phoenix, listen during a health care town hall meeting held by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

At a recent town hall meeting, a 27 year-old single mother stated that she works full-time, but does not have health insurance because her employer does not offer it, and she is unable to afford an individual policy on her own. The young woman goes on to ask Rep. Lynn Jenkins why she is opposed to a public option for those who want an affordable choice.

Initially, Rep. Jenkins references the socialized, government-run, Medicaid and SCHIP programs as viable alternatives for the young woman and her child. When Jenkins is informed that the young woman is ineligible for these programs, she takes the opportunity to lay out her plans for reforming health care whereby the government would “give you the money to go buy [insurance] in a reformed marketplace where it is affordable.”

The young woman continues: “I work; I pay my bills; I’m not a burden on the state; I pay my taxes; so why can’t I get an affordable option?”

Jenkins' rebuttal consists of patronizing and talking-down to her: “A government-run program (laugh) is going to subsidize not only yours, but everybody’s (laugh) in this room.

Hilarious, isn't it? This congresswoman - whose health care benefits are subsidized by a pool of government employees, which is further subsidized by taxpayers (her employer) - is laughing in the face of a woman who had the gall to ask why she is unable to purchase the same plan for her family.

Indeed, the plan proposed by democrats will subsidize the cost of health insurance for low and moderate income earners much the same way as Jenkins’ plan above – it will provide subsidies to purchase one of the private plans or the public option – which means more choice, not less.

Some audience members, baffled by the audacity of the young woman to ask her representative why she is not doing anything to usher in affordable options for health care exclaimed, “It’s not our job to pay for your health care!”

After retaining order amongst the un-Christian-like remarks of the crowd, Jenkins elaborated on the health care proposal she supports: “I think people should be given the opportunity to take care of themselves with an advanceable tax credit to go be a grown up and buy the insurance.”

If this is the plan that Jenkins is for, perhaps it is incumbent upon her to explain how subsidizing health care premiums for the poor is going to bring down costs without accompanying reforms. Similar to the way republicans have been engaging in fiercely hypocritical double-speak – saying on one hand that Medicare is awesome, but on the other that government-run health care is “evil” – Jenkins criticizes subsidies, and in the same breath announces her plan to reform health care is to give subsidies.

The republicans have no better alternative, as an analysis of the Patients’ Choice Act – the GOP proposal - reveals, which is likely why rather than focusing on what they are for, they focus instead on what they are against.

If the 2008 Election taught our GOP friends anything; they should have carried away the lesson that a majority of Americans are tired of obstructionist politicians who are short on ideas and high on fear-inducing rhetoric.

Copyright ©2009 Jenny Kakasuleff