Thursday, July 22, 2004

Sad But True

Let me share a true story with ya.

My mother works as an RN at a local hospital. She has told me many stories of her tough experiences, but this one may shed some light on the issue of what happens to our tax money (i.e., income stolen by the gov't.)

A couple of days ago, she spoke of a boy who came here from Mexico, illegally, and got a job doing construction work. He has no family in the states, and speaks not one word of English. After being in the U.S. for over two years, he suffered a head injury on the job. Emergency transports brought him to the hospital. The government got involved, and decided to send him back home--but only after paying every penny of his medical expenses, including his treatment at an expensive rehabilitation facility, which specializes in head trauma victims.

Now for a second story.

The hospital received another patient with a head injury. This time, it was a little girl from Virginia, and her accident caused brain damage. The doctors who cared for her assured her insurance provider (medicaid) that the services of a rehabilitation center were needed direly. But her provider refused funding of such therapy, so she now has to forgo this needed, beneficial care.

Just to sum up: The first case involves an illegal immigrant, who received complete taxpayer-funded care for his injuries. The second involves a girl born in the U.S., who cannot receive the same quality of care. Is something wrong with this picture?

Don't get me wrong. I'm against our government confiscating money from taxpayers and then using it to pay for anyone's medical expenses--American citizen or not. This is what I like to call legalized theft. But regardless of your take on that issue, I believe we can all agree that taking care of someone who shouldn't even be here--while refusing to care properly for our own--is reprehensible. Thus you have your wonderful, just government at work, folks. Isn't that grand?

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