In an editorial in the Las Vegas Sun a sorry spectacle is revealed. The Sun asserts that the Nevada government authorities, to save money, has decided not to publicize some state programs including healthcare.
The Sun charges, rightly, that this kind of strategy is morally wrong, inhumane, because it results in individuals who qualify for those programs to suffer. The Sun further charges it is fiscally irresponsible because failure to provide the help through preventive intervention it costs taxpayers “far more money” down the road.
By keeping such programs hush hush Nevada prevents people who need the services from even knowing they exist. Doesn’t sound like government for the people or by the people does it? The children’s health care program Nevada Check Up, Medicaid and early intervention for medically stricken toddlers are affected.
Linda Lera-Randle El, an advocate for Southern Nevada’s homeless told the Sun “We’ve got tens of thousands of people across the state who need help. Tell us where the money is. What, are we on an egg hunt?”
You can be sure that a number of those “tens of thousands” live right here in Pahrump and Nye County. Of all the dumb things Governor Gibbons has done this is the most loathsome. It is his Nevada administration. How can he stand to look himself in the eye in his mirror. Indeed, how can the citizens of Nevada who elected that jerk and permits this to go on look themselves in the eye?
Nevada Check Up has 24,000 enrollees, but Nevada’s Health and Human Services Department Director, Mike Willden, estimated that 55,000 children are eligible for the Check Up program. By keeping the Check Up program quiet Nevada deprives those children of medical care because those families don’t even know the Check Up program exists. They don’t publicize the programs. Poor people and seniors, who need those programs, generally don’t have Internet access to find out about the available help. They’re on their own. Nevada, as a government policy apparently, want to keep it that way in order to avoid spending any money.
Nevada already has earned a negative reputation as a state with a weak social services safety net, the Sun says. “Purposely maintaining a low profile for programs that are potential lifesavers is disgraceful and only bolsters that reputation,” writes the Sun.
Elections have consequences. You elect incompetent people you get incompetent government. That lesson was learned, or should have been, through examples like New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. Remember Bush and his “You’re doing a hell of a job Brownie” during FEMA’s response?
Never underestimate the ignorance of the average voter. That is the way we get the likes of George Bush, Dick Cheney and Jim Gibbons.
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Please get your facts straight. This decision was made by Mike Willden and Mike Willden only way back when Governor Quinn was in office. This is nothing new for Willden. He is about as corrupt as they come and cares nothing about the most vulnerble of Nevada’s citizens. He can’t ever seem to find the moral fortitude to do the right thing but always seems to find the resources to take care of his crony friends; case in point, he appointed a high school drop out to be the Administrator of the Division of Child and Family Services because she’s married to his good buddy Perry Comeaux. She gets paid over $100K per year, supervises a staff of highly educated professionals (the vast majority of whom have Master’s Degrees and post graduate education) and by her very presence in the position, she is increasing the risk of child deaths and maltreatment. This at a time when the state faces a multi million dollar class action lawsuit over all the child deaths in the child welfare system. Mike Willden is corrupt. He has demonstrated his failure to conduct principaled management time and time again. Let’s start shining your light on him and his history working for Nevada’s taxpayers and how his membership in the good ole’ boy system has caused those of us who pay his salary unnecessary expense.