A Chicken in Every Pot and a Child in Every E.R.

Looks like President Bush is just about ready to Veto legislation that would provide expand funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program which provides health insurance at no- or low-cost to children of families that otherwise couldn’t afford it. Of course, health insurance is pretty expensive, in part because people who do not receive the preventative care that can keep them from developing expensive-to-treat chronic diseases later in life. They don’t receive preventative care, because, well, they have no health insurance, and have to rely on the ER for care.

Given how expensive covering kids would be, how would we pay for it? Well, by raising the cigarette tax. Makes sense to me, given the huge cost incurred by smokers on the nation’s Medicare system (funded by you and me). But not to Bush.

Apparently, he’d prefer to keep millions of kids out of care, so that they grow up with brains damaged by lead poisoning, unable to secure decent jobs except – surprise! – in the armed forces*. Of course, while those kids are waiting for hours in the ER for care, why not have them enjoy a refreshing, tasty Camel?

* not in any way meant as a slight to our fighting men and women, merely a statement of fact that the armed forces is one of the US’s employment safety nets. Much like prison and drug dealing, only less violent.