Re: Arleigh Kidd’s June 22 letter, “Healthcare for all children needed�:
Kidd blames the Republicans in Sacramento for failing to include a “feel-good� plan to provide unlimited healthcare to all children in this year’s budget. He does not care whether these resident children are here legally or illegally. He also does not say how the plan should be paid for.
Who does Kidd think should be taxed for this generous benefit? Also, since he signed the letter as the local executive director of the California Teachers Association, what is in this for the CTA?
Healthy Families already provides a subsidy to parents for children’s HMO health coverage. The program covers parents who make up to $44,000 a year for a family of four. The program allows them to purchase insurance for about $7 a month for each child, a great deal considering that this coverage will cost anyone else about $184 a month. California taxpayers are putting up $380 million a year for this benefit.
A year from now, someone else will propose we add dental coverage to the plan because this too will benefit the children. How about vision coverage because “the little children� need to see and this will save more money? Next it will be a food subsidy so that they can afford good, healthy food. Then it will be transportation. This will be followed by subsidized, decent housing, since kids in low-income housing will tend to be sicker than others. On the surface, these are all great ideas. But who will pay for all of this? Will the CTA pay for it?
Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, says, “This debate is about rewarding lawbreaking and encouraging illegal immigration.�
Why should we support Kidd’s plan?
— Jerre Reimers, Simi Valley
Leave a comment