The families joining us today know these realities firsthand. When Gregory Secrest, from Martinsville, Virginia lost his job back in August, his kids lost their health care. When he broke the news to his family, his nine year-old son handed over his piggy bank with $4 in it, and told him, "Daddy, if you need it, you take it."He returns to their story when he concludes his speech:
In the end, that's really all that folks like the Secrests are looking for - the chance to work hard, and to have that hard work translate into a good life for their kids. I'm pleased to report that their story had a happy ending - it turned out that Gregory's two sons were eligible for CHIP, and they are now fully covered, much to his relief. I think Gregory put it best when he said: "Kids look at us and think 'they'll take care of us.' That is our job - to keep them safe and healthy."When Obama stumped in Martinsville last August, he promised that the city will be on his mind every morning when he wakes up. It appears it wasn't just campaign rhetoric.
Update: The Secrests were highlighted in a Georgetown University study last year about the effects of the economic downturn on children's healthcare, and last week, Greg wrote a Letter to the Editor to the Martinsville Bulletin on FAMIS, Virginia's SCHIP system.
4 comments:
I gave you a shout out on my blog...........good job with this Drew!
It is a nice thing that in the first month of his administration our President and our Congress restored the SCHIP. Good job all, and thank you Drew for letting us know about the Southside connection.
Yeah! ANOTHER expansion of the welfare state! Another family I have to support. How wonderful. Now we can have more children grow up thinking that it is normal for them to get their health insurance from the government. I haven’t read the new bill but I hope this version doesn’t expand coverage to include people who are 400% above the poverty line ($84,000 for a family of four) like the one Bush vetoed.
I guess this is change we can believe in, especially if you are the beneficiaries of the benefit. From my end, it doesn’t look so good. I am at a loss to understand how people can think this is a good thing. At some point, this governmental transfer of wealth from one person (in taxes) to confer a benefit on another (in the form of welfare) will reach a critical mass. Mr. Secrest is absolutely beaming in his picture in the Martinsville Bulletin. I have never seen someone so happy to be the recipient of welfare! I guess if it is good enough for Bank of America why not the lower classes and the under/unemployed.
I can’t say it any better than the person who said:
You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
The bottom line is, I am sorry for the Secrests and my heart goes out to them and all those similarly situated. But I didn’t bring that boy into the world and now the government is taking money from my household and my two boys because Mr. Secrest cannot (or will not) find a job.
I am quickly becoming one of the “other half…”
overburdened taxpayer,
There is a large difference between someone that does not wish to work and someone that cannot work because the jobs are drying up because of the economic missteps of the Republican follies we had to live under these last eight years. Our children should not be denied proper medical care because the GOP felt it was more important to give big rewards to the over-rich and greedy corporate barons and baronesses.
SCHIP is a way of protecting our future and ensuring our freedoms. You see the children of the poor as throw aways. You should see them as our future Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen. You should see them as our future business persons, workers, government workers and, yes, future leaders. They will be just as likely be our teachers, preachers, doctors and lawyers, as well as being our factory workers, store clerks, food service workers and repair persons.
If there is one thing that will ensure our freedoms and our liberties is healthy children that will grow up to keep this nation strong. SCHIP is good for our children and is Good for America. Instead of gripping, salute the flag and praise God in the knowledge that our nation is more secure today than it was three weeks ago.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48
It is biblical and it is the American way.
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