Trying to get the Oklahoma Legislature to care about sick, in-need people is about as easy as convincing it the looming, $800 million budget shortfall can’t be fixed with another tax cut.
So let’s talk about the only thing that does matter: Sick people are bad for business.
That’s the only argument that will work.
Forget the Oklahoma Standard. The only way to make people listen is to talk about money.
That’s why ACLU Oklahoma’s executive director Ryan Kiesel called on the state to finally accept federal funds to expand Medicaid.
We know; the federal government is coming for your guns and giving away all your jobs and something, something tyranny! President Barack Obama is some kind of bogeyman that will suck your blood and replace it with different blood that pays a higher tax rate and makes you like Common Core.
But the federal government also offers to help Oklahoma pay for much-needed health care for our most vulnerable populations.
Budget shortfalls forced state agencies to cut budgets, impacting important addiction and mental health services.
Kiesel said expanding Medicaid could restore some of that money.
More importantly, actually helping people will save us all money in the long term by keeping them out of jails and hospitals.
Prisoners can’t work at most jobs. Sick people can’t work.
If our legislators are serious about fixing the budget, we need more people working and paying taxes. Spend a little now and save a lot in the future.
Complain about the feds all you want — then let’s get our money and help our people.
