Morning shorts
Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson * Gov mum on hiring convicted felon * Blago mum on charges against Poshard * Panel to look at plagiarism claims against Poshard; more here * Cook Co. to cut off drugs for non-residents * Legislation increases penalties for sex offenders * Tenants stuck in hard place when landlord loses property
* Editorial: Quick reply needed on disaster status * Chicago to unveil new Olympic logo’ more here * DuPage State’s Attorney hires backed by board
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- Johnny USA - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 8:53 am:
So the County is just going to cut off people’s life saving medication just because they don’t live in the right place, huh?
That’s pretty cold.
Are they then going to send flowers to the funeral?
This is why you should not trust the government with your health care. You just never know when they are going to run out of money for YOU.
- Aaron - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 9:03 am:
I have an interview up with Bill Foster who is running for congress in the 14th district. You find it here: http://www.faithfullyliberal.com/?p=722
- jwscott72 - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 9:04 am:
The Sun Times story about Cook County cutting off drugs made no sense. Why is the County delivering drugs in the first place? Can someone explain this to me?
- Independent - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 9:12 am:
Jwscott: I knew Cook provided prescription drugs to non-residents, but front door delivery surprised me, too. What the …..
Cook has every right to cut off prescription drugs to non-residents whose counties do not reimburse Cook. I wonder how many other common sense cost reductions like these are waiting to be discovered.
- Lula May - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 9:14 am:
On expanded gambling, what were the Republicans thinking ?
Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said he’s never supported expanded gambling and doesn’t trust Gov. Rod Blagojevich to spend capital money on projects in Republican-represented districts.
“I find it hard to understand why anyone would want to believe the governor when he has no credibility and then to believe this thing would be called in the House when everybody believes it is dead on arrival,” said Bomke, who voted against the gaming bill.
What’s to stop Blagojevich from redirecting all these funds to his health-care ? I would assume that would be illegal but the law is no obstacle for this governor.
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 9:17 am:
Cook County (Stroger) is providing care to out-of-county residents because it is a huge patronage bureaucracy and more patients means more patronage jobs for connected Dems.
Stroger is also renowned for not billing anybody for patient care or drugs, including those with insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. Anecdotes abound of responsible patients begging Stroger admissions clerks to take their insurance information and being told “we don’t do that.”
That’s not irrational for the (patronage) clerks.
Billing is work and with a constant stream of
state, federal and county dollars coming in from us, the taxpayers, why bother billing anybody.
Stroger officials say things are a-changin, but they’ve said that before. They’re also asking for more federal and state money and there are rumors of a property tax increase this year.
Unfortunately, what this means is, the other counties don’t bother to develop their own
public health systems, forcing the so-called indigent (many are not, in fact, many have considerable assets and are trying to save money by going to Stroger) to come to Chicago for care at Stroger. If the board of commissioners sticks to the plan (they aren’t the most courageous group) perhaps the collar counties will start working on developing (and funding) public health systems of their own. And the many affluent hospitals in the collars may start providing the free or low cost care which they are required to provide to maintain their nonprofit status.
- Wumpus - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 9:34 am:
So illegals can get drugs, but people who live slightly outside of crook county cannot? Okay.
Regarding the tenant v foreclosure, what if the fact that they did not pay their rent contributed to the foreclosure?
- Shelbyville - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 9:48 am:
Poshard is going to have to resign. He is sticking around too long and will end up losing his pension (my opinon, only.)
If you have ever been around him any amount of time, there is just something not right there.
- jwscott72 - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 10:45 am:
Thanks! I just realized that they meant the HOSPITAL. Funny how one little word clears up things.
- cermak_rd - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 11:32 am:
Wumpus,
The difference would be that the illegal alien who is a resident of Cook County is paying Cook County taxes of some sort. A person living in DuPage is paying DuPage taxes, not Cook taxes.
I am a resident of Cook County and I believe it to be a dishonest theft of services for non-Cook residents to receive non-emergency medical care at County (er, umm, Stroger Hospital) or any of its clinics. Why should my Cook County taxes be used to subsidize the health care of people who reside in other counties that apparently haven’t bothered to provide care for their indigent (or, as Cassandra noted cheapskate) populations?
I’m a fan of County Hospital, I believe it does good work. I believe in our Cook County community providing health services to County residents because we are all part of the community. But that community stops at the borders.
- Johnny USA - Wednesday, Sep 19, 07 @ 2:58 pm:
Cermak -
Suppose I live in Cook County, and receive my insulin via CCH. I am forced to vacate my apartment, and have to stay with my aunt in Dupage County because I have nowhere else to go in Cook.
What should I do now? Curl up and die?
People in Cook County who didn’t win life’s lottery face choices like this every single day.
Compassion should know no borders, mate.