Speakout

Friday, February 7, 2014

Put us first

I was watching TV and they were talking about feeding the needy in other countries. Well, how about the ones here in the United States? A bunch of us don't have jobs and some are living in the streets. Shouldn't we take care of ones at home before we do it in other countries?

Trying to make a living

Medicaid should be expanded. I read Michael Jensen's article and it really needs to be expanded. The people at the poverty level and the elderly really need help. I, myself, am working. I make $11,000 a year. The cut-off for any help for Medicaid for insurance is $4,500 a year. I tried to sign up for the Affordable Care Act, and that's $525 a month. That leaves me with hardly anything to pay rent, buy groceries and utilities, put gas in my car to go back and forth to work and pay car insurance. How am I supposed to live? I would be better off quitting my job and going on Medicaid and getting full benefits versus trying to work and trying to make a living. I try but we need help. There are a few of us that are willing to work, not lazy ones that don't care that are using the system. There are a few good people out there, and I am one of them. So please raise the benefits to $12,000 instead of $4,500 so the people that are trying can get their foot in the door and get some help and try to make a living.

Income eligibility depends on family size and income. In Missouri, eligibility is determined by income to poverty level. A family of one is at the poverty level making up to $10,991 annually, a family of two at up to $14,051, and a family of three making up to $17,163. For bigger households, add approximately $3,400 per person. Poverty levels change annually and have to be multiplied by set percents of poverty level for Medicaid eligibility in Missouri in order to determine the maximum income allowed for Medicaid benefits. Infants, and children ages 1 to 19 in families are eligible for Medicaid at up to 300 percent of the poverty level. Working parents are eligible at 42 percent of the national poverty level, non-working parents are eligible at 22 percent of the poverty level, and pregnant women at 185 percent of the poverty level

Heading north

Mike Jensen, y'all said y'all did not want free healthcare because it would run the debt into the ground and it would raise our taxes. Our taxes are no more higher than they are in Canada. It's just what y'all want. The reason they don't want it is because they will be told how much they're gonna get paid and not be able to buy that Mercedes Benz or take an extra trip to Hawaii. This school tax is ridiculous and if y'all raise it up, I'm gonna have to move. I might move to Canada. It might be high taxes but at least you have free health insurance and I'm voting no for it.