Concrete or People?
“When someone asks, ‘How could you go pour concrete (to build roads) instead of taking care of the disabled?’ the truth of the matter is, it brings money,” he said, adding that legislators look at studies that show such projects turn over four to six times in sales and income tax generated.”
That question was asked by a Kansas citizen and answered by a Kansas legislator. I had a mix of emotions when I first read it. Then I realized I had failed. I have spent the last fourteen years attempting to educate that very same legislator not only on the importance of Medicaid funding for individuals but also on the huge economic impact that same funding has on the State of Kansas and the communities within it. I failed, that legislator did not understand that adequate funding supporting people with Medicaid dollars does in fact create jobs every community in the state.
In a 2004 study by Families USA, Medicaid investment by states generates a three fold return in state economic benefits. In Kansas that study indicated that for every State dollar spent a return of $3.15 would be realized. That same study states that for every million dollars spent on Medicaid comes the creation of 33.06 jobs. This study indicates to me that Kansas has already lost thousands of jobs has a result of the 10% Medicaid cuts.
Concrete or people? Does it really come to that? Or as Kansans can we create a solid infrastructure by investing in both highways and people. They both make sense to me. I think we simply just need to do the right thing and not only invest in concrete but people as well. Both create jobs and infrastructure.
I am Simply Shari and I can vote for that.
PS….Some Kansans have a heart. A person after reading about a man who is paralyzed from the neck down donated the $1300 needed for his ventilator equipment. Medicaid cuts were not able to fund it.
