Tag Archives: Rick Perry

What’s $2 billion among friends?

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Easy come, easy go, am I right? If Texas leaders turn down the federal health law’s Medicaid expansion, they will reject a $2 billion annual revenue stream for the state’s hospitals, according to Dan Mendelson, CEO and founder of Avalere … Continue reading →

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Still waiting for Perry to call the special election

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Patti Hart reviews the bidding. On Tuesday, Jan. 8, your elected representative and senator will convene under the state Capitol’s distinctive pink granite dome in Austin for the first day of the 83rd session of the Texas Legislature. That is, … Continue reading →

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I’m glad someone is optimistic about the possibility of Medicaid expansion in Texas

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Because I sure can’t say that I’m optimistic about it happening. State Senator Rodney Ellis, Democrat of Houston, said fiscal conservatives have an incentive to reach an agreement “because the alternative is going to cost us much more economically and … Continue reading →

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When will we have that special election in SD06?

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Sylvia Garcia would like to know. Senate District 6 candidate Sylvia Garcia, today called on Governor Rick Perry to set an election date to fill the senate district seat as soon as possible. “This is a simple taxation without representation … Continue reading →

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It’s drug testing all the way down

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like the urinalysis industry in this state is going to get a big stimulus package next year, at least if the Republicans get their way. As top state leaders push to drug-test some Texans seeking jobless benefits and financial … Continue reading →

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How’s that GOP Latino outreach going?

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There are issues. On Election Day, it became clearer than ever how important Hispanics, as the fastest growing portion of the U.S. population, are to national political success. Republican Mitt Romney earned only 27 percent of Latinos’ support in his … Continue reading →

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On peeing in a cup

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another solution in search of a problem from the Republican leadership. Out of the more than 250 bills filed Monday, the first possible day to file legislation for the 83rd session, one measure — concerning drug testing for welfare applicants … Continue reading →

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Will health insurance exchanges be on the Lege’s agenda?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The deadline was today for states to decide what they want to do about implementing health insurance exchanges. At least eight Republican governors vowed not to implement the health-care law until after the November election. “I will make that decision … Continue reading →

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Perryman for expanding Medicaid

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Economist Ray Perryman makes the straightforward economic case for expanding Medicaid in Texas. According to our analysis, every $1 spent by the State of Texas to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act returns $1.29 in dynamic State government … Continue reading →

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No, they can’t

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You just need to ask yourself one simple question about this. Planned Parenthood will remain part of the Women’s Health Program for now, state officials said Wednesday, putting off the organization’s ouster as critics questioned whether enough health-care providers would … Continue reading →

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Draft Julian?

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants to see Julian Castro run for Governor in 2014? His fellow Bexar County Democrats, at least. Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina launched a social media movement last week to draft Castro for the 2014 Texas governor’s … Continue reading →

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The Women’s Health Program fight needs to be won at the ballot box

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This was a strange week in the courts for Planned Parenthood and the Women’s Health Program. On Thursday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to rehear Planned Parenthood’s case against the state over the WHO, meaning that its awful … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Ann Johnson

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I noted on Monday that the Chron listed Ann Johnson as one of its endorsed candidates. Yesterday they wrote the endorsement editorial to go along with that. The tea party turnout of 2010 gave Republican candidate Sarah Davis the narrow … Continue reading →

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Yet another reason to expand Medicaid

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Grits: A friend forwarded me a handout being circulated at the Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council detailing a pair of studies of “Kendra’s Law” out of New York, which provides court-ordered outpatient mental health treatment to a small subset … Continue reading →

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Counties may try to expand Medicaid on their own

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Washington Post reports on the efforts of county and hospital district officials in some of Texas’ largest counties to bypass Rick Perry’s refusal to expand Medicaid for Texas and seek approval to do it themselves for their own jurisdictions. … Continue reading →

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We’re not number one!

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Harris County, for not having the highest rate of uninsured residents in the country any more. An estimated 29.9 percent of Harris County residents lacked health insurance in 2010, according to the new U.S. Census Bureau data, a smaller … Continue reading →

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This is what a government takeover of health care looks like

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s happening right here in Texas. Texas officials express confidence that thousands of low-income women will be able to find new providers should Planned Parenthood be excluded from the state’s Women’s Health Program, but Xelena Gonzalez does not think woman … Continue reading →

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Draft Cecile?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nonsequiteuse looks ahead. I hereby kick-off (or join, because maybe others have beat me to it since I’ve been in a deep wormhole this summer) THE DRAFT CECILE RICHARDS TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF TEXAS MOVEMENT. She’s going to be … Continue reading →

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Perry gives another middle finger to public education

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a twofer, actually. Here’s one. Gov. Rick Perry named Michael Williams the new commissioner of the Texas Education Agency Monday. A fixture of Texas Republican politics — and a former general counsel to the Republican Party of Texas — … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry is running for Governor again in 2014

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

He is until he specifically says he isn’t, anyway. I don’t see any reason to call what we’re seeing otherwise. Gov. Rick Perry has quietly replenished his depleted campaign war chest since he abandoned his presidential bid in January, fueling … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit strikes again

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Dammit. A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Texas did not act unconstitutionally when it moved to expel Planned Parenthood from a health and contraceptive care program for low-income women. The ruling overturned a preliminary injunction, issued in April by … Continue reading →

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“Collateral damage”

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

How’s that war on women going? In the year since deep cuts to family planning funding took effect, the impact has become apparent. An Observer review of state records has found that 146 clinics have lost state funds, clumped mainly … Continue reading →

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Opposing the privatized psych hospital

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Some pushback on a bad idea. A coalition of influential Texas organizations is pushing back against the proposed privatization of a state psychiatric hospital by Geo Care, a subsidiary of a prison operations group that has a troubled history in … Continue reading →

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Oh, God, make it stop

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Hell, no. [Kinky] Friedman, the singer-satirist and unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2006, says Perry is vulnerable to a challenge if he runs for re-election in two years. And Kinky knows just the challenger to beat him — Kinky Friedman. … Continue reading →

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Some coverage for Sadler

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. The Tea Party has toppled another mainstream Republican, this time in Texas. Lost in much of the coverage of the primary contest between Houston attorney Ted Cruz and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst was the November general election, … Continue reading →

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Guess who likes the Obamacare ruling now?

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas, that’s who. But not for any positive reason, of course. The high court decision limited the power of Congress to force states to take certain actions by threatening to withhold federal money – in the Affordable … Continue reading →

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What will The Dew do next?

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

So Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst isn’t going anywhere next January. I’m going to put aside the questions of what happened for now and ask instead what happens in 2014? As we know, there are three people running for what they … Continue reading →

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The working poor are pretty much screwed in Texas

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

These are the people that Rick Perry doesn’t care about. Jose Gallegos’ company eliminated employee health insurance to save money, so when his gut started hurting and his skin took on a yellow tinge, he resisted seeing a doctor. When … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry must love federal intervention

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

He sure does his dangedest to invite it. Perry, a Republican, has vowed not to expand Medicaid and not to create an insurance exchange. Consumer advocates in Texas say the Perry administration has also been dragging its feet when it comes to … Continue reading →

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Waiting for Rick (and Greg, and David)

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey breaks out his crystal ball and looks ahead to the 2014 election. Remember this: In his long history in state politics — closing in on three decades — [Rick] Perry has run for everything he said he was … Continue reading →

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Perry versus the insurance companies

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Quien es mas macho? Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he rejects the “Obamacare power grab” and will block measures expanding health insurance to millions in his state. The country’s second-biggest health insurer is betting he won’t succeed. The same day … Continue reading →

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Medicaid expansion: Not as expensive as the state claimed it would be

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember last year when the state Health and Human Services Commission claimed that Medicaid expansion would cost the state of Texas $27 billion over ten years, causing every Republican in the state to have a fainting spell and a hissy … Continue reading →

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Our high maintenance Governor

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Ka-ching! Texans have been billed $2.2 million in out-of-state travel expenses for Gov. Rick Perry’s security detail since his November 2010 re-election, including his failed presidential bid and other trips ranging from vacations to state business and political gatherings, according … Continue reading →

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Rey Guerra: Latinos in Houston 2012

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. White, Black, Asian, or other, if you live in Houston, you’ve more than likely adopted aspects of Latino culture into your … Continue reading →

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