Monday, July 2, 2012
Incoming House Democratic leader calls Rick Scott's failure to enact ACA a "colossal abdication of responsibility""
Posted by Mitch Perry on Mon, Jul 2, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Considering his rejection of billions of dollars of high-speed rail money from the Obama administration a year and a half ago, nobody is surprised that Scott is once again thumbing his nose at the feds, even though he said he would work to implement the law if it was ruled constitutional just a couple of weeks ago.
Today House Democratic Leader-designate Perry Thurston oF Plantation called on the governor, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the state's legislative leaders to get over their philosophical concerns and get with implementing the Affordable Care Act.
Saying that it is “fiscally and morally irresponsible" to refuse billions of dollars to provide health coverage to more low-income Floridians, Thurston said it was time for Scott to lead, and not obstruct.
“I believe it is a colossal abdication of Governor Scott’s responsibility to prematurely reject provisions of the Affordable Care Act that would provide access to basic health care for Florida’s most-needy citizens. In addition, I urge Governor Scott to be mindful of his harmful rhetoric. His recent repugnant and divisive remarks on the topic truly displays a lack of compassion, a lack of leadership and strikes me as a sickening political stunt at the expense of our state’s most vulnerable residents.“Lost in Governor Scott’s insensitive statements in the wake of the ruling on the Affordable Care Act is an apparent failure to recognize that all Florida residents and businesses have an inherent stake in making sure there are good health outcomes for Floridians. The status quo only continues a costly reliance on hospital emergency rooms for treatment to the poor, which wastes resources and drives up costs for other consumers and businesses.
“Governor Scott’s defiance renders him incapable of recognizing that health insurance exchanges authorized under the Affordable Care Act embrace free market principles and promote personal responsibility by allowing consumers to comparison shop in purchasing health coverage.
Thurston isn't the first and won't be the last Florida lawmaker to express such displeasure at the governor.
But in terms of having any influence in making the governor change his mind? In the words of Dana Carvey as George H.W. Bush circa 1991, "Not gonna happen."
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