The expanded version of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) mandated by the federal government, is steaming full-speed ahead toward Private Pocketbook Port, with a side trip planned for Tobacco Land, and back out to the Sea of Lost Freedoms.

Signed into law on Wednesday, February 4, the expansion of SCHIP will add at least $32.8 billion more to the total cost of the program through 2013. But President Obama says not to worry, that it’s fully paid for, purportedly funded by an increase in tobacco taxes — a 62-cent increase on one pack of cigarettes, and considerably more on other tobacco products.

There's only one problem: To pay for the expanded program there will have to be 22.4 million NEW smokers to raise the necessary tax revenues according Indiana Republican Congressman Steve Buyer. “It makes no sense” he added.

Buyer claims that the SCHIP reauthorization bill “will only generate more government spending and will further increase the deficit, something the nation can not afford to do,” in these times of economic insecurity.

The details of the bill show that 4.1 million uninsured children will now be added to the already 7 million receiving government health coverage. In addition to that, 2.4 million children who already have access to private health insurance and have family incomes of up to $63,000 for a family of four — median income for U.S. families is $46,000 — will be accepted into the program. 

More details of the bill include $100 million in grant money for state and local governments and government-run schools in order to enroll even more children, whose parents may not have heard about the welfare-style program. States will be required to offer dental benefits, and some states, if they wish, can offer dental insurance to those who can afford health insurance, but who don’t have dental coverage.

The 5-year waiting term imposed on immigrants is lifted so that pregnant female and child immigrants are now eligible to receive government-sponsored and imposed healthcare benefits immediately, as long as they can furnish Social Security numbers.

The program certainly furnishes middle-income families the incentive to jump from private insurers to being government covered, thinking they can reduce their health insurance premiums. Many will have no problem, morally, with having other taxpayers pay for their personal expenditures — it’s what they’ve come to expect from government, handouts, all around — eagerly going on the public dole.

Rep. Pete Sessions, (R-Texas) asked the $64,000 question: “Why would you take someone who has private health insurance and move them to a government-run program?”

The expanded program is government piracy — taking from taxpayers and redistributing the money via services to other citizens. Government politicians and bureaucrats are luring people away from the private sector and handily placing them on the public dole one step at a time. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that out of the 900,000 new children and adults to be added, 50 percent of them will be pulled out of private healthcare coverage. The expansion of SCHIP is clearly, as Rep. Buyer said, a “step toward single-payer, government run health care.” President Obama concurs: "The way I see it, providing coverage to 11 million children through CHIP is a down payment on my commitment to cover every single American."

But with this socialized medicine will come a price. We know from other countries, particularly Great Britain and Canada, that the quality of healthcare services plummet, along with a reduction in the number of physicians available, long waiting lists for treatment, inequality of access to services, and bureaucratic red tape, and finally the loss of determining one’s health decisions.

Senator Tom Coburn said this about SCHIP:

It is all about free-market principles versus government mandates. Giving taxpayers the freedom to choose and buy their own health care would unleash powerful market forces that have been subdued by third-party bureaucracies for the last 60 years. In every area of our economy, market forces have transformed rare, costly products and services like cars and computers into common products and services.

But the heavy hand of government isn’t going to make that choice possible as they continue to chip away at the private sector until it’s totally eliminated and absolutely everything has been nationalized.

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Pat Henry said:

Means, Motive, Opportunity Can anyone any longer doubt that these folks INTEND to bring down the American economy. No one that ignorant of economic facts could be elected to these offices. Let us not say it is time for retreat from the parties that comprise the "two wings of the same bird of prey." Let us rather say it is time to move forward into a true Constitutional alternative. It's getting close to Now or never. We must not go back. We must transcend and gain the victory. The time for local non-politicians to start their campaigns for Congress is NOW.

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February 05, 2009
Votes: +6

Peter Steele said:

RE: Smoking and my family I quit cold turkey smoking in December 2002 as it was affecting my diabetes and health. I almost got mother to quit but she died from a broken heart from the loss of my father who got colorectal cancer from smoking and stress. Cigarettes are not good for your health nor is alcohol good for your health either. I don't cough anymore but health problems exist from a vicious character assassination attempt on me in December, 1977 which hurt the family's Christmas as LBJ destroyed the family's Christmas in 1963 and Carter did the same in 1977 with the villian being Thomas J. Watson, Jr. of IBM and CFR. I told a Uknrainian woman the truth that the NYT would not dare tell it since it had Walter Duranty who spread his lies for Joseph Stalin in 1933 - that Stalin murdered her people and FDR was his pal - Chernobyl I told her about and our sending Bibles to the Ukrainian and Soviet Baptists. We were smarter than Jimmy Carter whom I call Goober Lips and smarter than Hey, Hey How Many Kids Did You Kill Today LBJ! Dad knew what he was doing but government did not as a George Washington in the US Navy. Let's go Mr. Thompson and Mr. Jack McManus - let's tell the American people they've been lied to as our weapon is the truth for Captain John Morrison Birch. BGen Peter F. Steele, USMC [Ret]

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February 05, 2009
Votes: +3

Cadence said:

	... The sad thing is that the greatest threat in the world to the security and economic well being of the United States is the US Congress. So much for searing to defend the Constitution.
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February 06, 2009
Votes: +1

Cadence said:

	... Sorry for the miss-spell. searing should be swearing
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February 06, 2009
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A-aron said:

	... Alright! Now I can take my kids of my private ins. and get goverment coverage. that gives me more disposable income I can waste... I mean spend. Then I can do my part to recover the economy. spend spend spend! Seriously, this is rediculous. Maybe I should publish my bank account info and let anybody who needs the money take it! What wondeful change we are getting!
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February 06, 2009
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Thomas F. Heringer said:

	Rick Warren I was wondering why Rick Warren would be invited to give the benediction at the inauguration? Now I know and I know why it is important to expose him for the traitor he is. Rick Warren is a member of the CFR and for us that should mean we put him on our radar.
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February 06, 2009 | url
Votes: +2

Dave B said:

	S-Chip or V-Chip? One more step to implanting chips in all americans as part of the banking elite's new world order (As stated so accurately by Aaron Russo). Get people used to the term (SCHIP), so when they unveil V-Chip in 5 years, it won't sound so threatening. Revelations: Mark of the Beast.
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February 09, 2009
Votes: +1

Patti said:

	... URGENT! Stimulus Bill: There is a section that would provide the computer base required to implement a NATIONAL I.D. CARD. It seems to be located under $177 billion for healthcare spending, "$20 billion to implement new healthcare technologies, such as electronic medical records". see Yahoo News, House stimulus bill widens healthcare http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20...premiums_1
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February 09, 2009
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rheiney said:

Need a liver - no waiting - uh if you're Senator Drunken Slob With all that's been said, the most fun aspect of the government's health program is the National Medical Database. Imagine a career Senator who's spent decades drinking expensive scotch on the taxpayer dime. One day, the Senator Drunken Slob needs a liver. While the rest of America gets on a waiting list to receive a liver if they need one, Senator Drunken logs in to his National Medical Database and finds a convenient donor. The donor, who just happened to have a fatal car accident ... is tearfully thanked by Senator Drunken Slob.

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February 10, 2009
Votes: +1