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January 27, 2013

State needs better leadership on health issues

The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — Editor, The Transcript:

I appreciated having an opportunity to read Rep. Doug Cox’s article in the Transcript. He has my endorsement for his wanting Oklahoma to expand Medicaid here and his thought that Gov. Fallin’s refusal being perhaps for her politically good but cold-hearted for so many Oklahomans without basic health care.

However, these bad decisions about health care here started back when she refused the $54 million to develop an Oklahoma insurance exchange.

She first had accepted this money but when the rabble in the legislature geared up, she sent the money back. The same rabble helped her to make the decision to refuse the expansion program.

The consequences will be that at best only a very small segment of the possible 200,000 plus Oklahomans that would have been covered by the expansion will be covered in whatever is done by Gov. Fallin and the current legislature. Covering these people with Medicare would keep them from using the most inefficient medical care at an ER for their only care. We will still be paying for that as we do currently through our healthcare insurance premiums.

 This is not the only dumb fiscal decision made here.

At the same time that Gov. Fallin is promoting another tax cut that will reduce revenue needed for restoring various agencies, she is considering increasing money for education and for medical health treatment for the mentally troubled.

She will not attempt to make up for the lost revenue by reforming our tax credit and exemptions despite Rep. Dank having shown them to provide no worthwhile benefit to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has one of the worst records among states for giving away a larger share of taxpayer money through such credits and exemptions. Now along comes Rep. Josh Cockroft wanting to eliminate funding for Oklahoma Arts Council which would be a trifle compared to funds given away in any number of those worthless credits listed by Rep. Dank.

 This Oklahoma lunacy continues at the national level as evidenced by Rep. Lankford recently blaming gun violence on welfare moms.

Oklahoma desperately needs better leadership.

 Chadwick Cox

Norman

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