MyDD :: The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare Policy

The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare Policy

by Jonathan Singer, Tue Nov 21, 2006 at 09:10:44 PM EST

So, Mitt Romney believes he will be able to run on his healthcare achievements? Wrong. The AP is reporting that the state-run hospitals are turning away new patients due to budget cuts mandated by the none other than the Governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Romney.

State psychiatric hospitals will begin turning away new patients on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, in response to emergency budget cuts issued earlier this month by Gov. Mitt Romney.

The cuts will force the elimination of 170 Department of Mental Health staff positions, including staffers who provide care to hundreds of emotionally disturbed children and teens.

[...]

"These are the unkindest cuts imaginable, and their timing is hard to fathom," Massachusetts Hospital Association President Ron Hollander said in a written statement. "We implore the governor to restore these essential services to the people who depend on DMH."

David Matteodo, head of the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems, said the chronically and severely disabled will be denied the critical care they need.

"That is the harsh consequence of these cuts, which will be imposed on a mental health system that is already under tremendous strain," he said.

With disastrous policies like these, it's no wonder Romney didn't even attempt a run for reelection and that he is now the third most unpopular governor in the nation with a disapproval rating of 65 percent. And it is not just Democrats who find Romney's brand of cynicism and pandering to the ultra-right offensive. Sixty-one percent of the commonwealth's independent voters, who by far make up the largest voting bloc, disapprove of Romney. This number is up eleven points in just the last month. Even Romney's 75 percent approval rating among Republicans and his 66 percent approval rating among conservatives leave much to want for a candidate intending to secure the GOP presidential nomination by playing the part of the movement conservative.

Tags: Mitt Romney, Republicans, 2008 GOP Primary (all tags)

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more stupidity from romney (none / 0)

Want to increase the amount of people peeing on the streets and increase petty crime? Want to increase the homeless population?

Do what California under Reagan (in alliance with the liberals) did : close the doors and send 'em out in the streets. You'll guarantee a population that is unmanageable, and gets no help or treatment for their illness.

Sure, Boston will be turned into an open door insane asylum, but so what? by then, Mitt will have moved back to Utah or something.

by Schadelmann on Tue Nov 21, 2006 at 09:19:48 PM EST

Re: The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare (none / 0)

Are we living in a new Dickensian age?? Are we going to be throwing debtors in prison next?

by grapeshot on Tue Nov 21, 2006 at 10:43:57 PM EST

Re: The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare (none / 0)

I live in Mass I've really noticed a sudden jump in the numbers of mentally ill homeless people in Harvard Square since late summer. I thought it might just be me, because I'm enrolled in a psych course this fall, but I've asked friends and they've noticed it, too. And some of the "regulars" seem to be in worse shape.

I was guessing that the state had made some changes, but I hadn't heard what. I

Duvall Patrick's term can't start soon enough.

by NotThatMo on Tue Nov 21, 2006 at 10:57:21 PM EST

Re: The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare (none / 0)

Ah, but, they will point to this experiment and say this is what national health care will be like and why we cannot look for it.
This is a disaster for those of us who want, need and support national health and the perfect foil for the wingers to destroy any attempt to do something - anything to fix the crisis.

by vwcat on Tue Nov 21, 2006 at 11:03:08 PM EST

Romney's toast (none / 0)

For any number of reasons.

Now, what Jonathan has pointed to actually is a budget issue, and not exactly part of the structure of the new health care law. Atrocious, yes; bad public health, yes.

But ... his contribution to the health care law was the onerous personal mandate, which is going to have to be significantly scaled back, so that folks making $30,000 a year won't be forced to pay $350 a month for health insurance. It's going to be very unpopular at best. One more reason why he's toast. Mark my words.

by Charley on the MTA on Tue Nov 21, 2006 at 11:57:49 PM EST

Re: The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare (none / 0)

Mitt Romney is a cruel human being. The nation needs to know what we in MA have learned about the real Mitt. Need some opppo? Romney slashed aid to suicide prevention for gay youth. That's right, he wants gay teens to die.

http://www.weeklydig.com/news_opinions/a rticles/the_mitt_romney_assisted_suicide _initiative
http://www.weeklydig.com/news_opinions/a rticles/the_mitt_romney_assisted_suicide _initiative_part_2

"I, even I know the solution: love, music, wine and revolution" -The Magnetic Fields

by CranesAreFlying on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 12:27:33 AM EST

Re: The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare (none / 0)

I'm pretty sure his disapproval is linked to his pandering to the right. But if he's to have any shot at the GOP nomination, he needed to do that pandering. His stances on social issues from 2002 were great for getting elected in MA, but not for winning primaries in SC. I'm sure he's more than happy to trade his approval in MA -- a state he would never carry nationally anyways -- for more right-wing bona fides. Romney's road to the White House requires him to run as the McCain alternative and as the only "genuine" conservative in the race.

by LPMandrake on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 04:38:25 AM EST

Re: The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare (none / 0)

The nomination is still McCain's to lose.

The front runner has a HUGE advantage in the Republican primaries.

by wayward on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 07:00:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The Republican base will love him for this (none / 0)

now that he makes sure children are turned away from hospitals. This is exactly what conservatism is all about - turning away from the poor and the helpless, and enriching the already rich. It's based on religion alright. It is called Satanism.

The history of the left is a history of purists betraying the progressive movement so that they can feel good about their righteous selves.

by Populism2008 on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 04:55:01 AM EST

The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's (none / 0)

Since 1960, there hasn't been a Republican who thought health care involved more than peroxide and a band aide for all except them. I really think we need to eliminate health care benefits for all politicians. They make enough. Let they pay for their own.

by dkmich on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 09:50:44 AM EST

Mitt Romney's Healthcare Disaster (none / 0)

Really not all people who would claim to be conservatives are attracted to this Dickensian insanity. Under Romney, health care in Massachusetts (I live in Western Massachusetts) is turning into a giant mess. Of course, this was all given the green light by our so-called 'liberal' legislature. The reality is that most paleoconservatives and real liberals are anti-Dickensian. People here are not really getting medical treatment anymore, and doctors are fleeing the state. About ten years ago, we had, in most respects, a very good set of medical systems. I predicted, here on MyDD, that this absurd scheme would collapse utterly, since it is fiscally absurd. They just 'mandated' that care would be provided, and then neglected to fund it. But even I didn't think it could fall apart so swiftly.

The reason so many mentally ill people are on the street is because of an explosion of homelessness. If you look very carefully, you will find that there are ten times as many people who do not seem mentally ill, who are very good at hiding in all kinds of odd places. You go by an enclosed ATM, and some person is living in there.

Romney could care less. he is a 'redstate' neocon who has was born super-rich. He is really a Mormon resident of Utah who fooled a lot of socially clueless over-religious folks here. Not all of them are clueless, of course, but a disproportionately large number are. (Most people don't know that Massachusetts is like Southern Italy -- we have some over-religious folks who make the Bible Belt crowd look progressive -- any religious group can accumulate people like that if the people use it as a substitute for introspection.)

Boston used to have a giant 'Fort Hill' artist complex, and that was forced out of the city. And Harvard simply abolished it's art school altogether. Many folks here have moved to New Hampshire, which is becoming more progressive.

by blues on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 12:57:46 PM EST

Re: Mitt Romney's Healthcare Disaster (none / 0)

As I have pointed out, the entire economy of the US is poised to evaporate. So the Republicons (and the Democrats too) will be looking for some economic savior. And that sure is not going to be Mitt Romney.

by blues on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 01:04:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Query? (none / 0)

For what Romney do like that?

by vikas123 on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 11:51:34 PM EST

Query? (none / 0)

For what Romney do like that?

by vikas123 on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 11:52:20 PM EST

Query? (none / 0)

For what Romney do like that?

by nitin123 on Tue Nov 28, 2006 at 04:58:50 AM EST

Query? (none / 0)

For what Romney do like that?