COLUMBIA, Mo. (Nov. 14, 2007) - Attorney General Jay Nixon today launched a statewide health care listening tour by participating in a roundtable discussion in Columbia with several regular Missourians who continue to suffer the consequences of Gov. Matt Blunt's disastrous 2005 health care cuts.
The tour's purpose is for the Attorney General to hear about Missouri's health care crisis directly from the people affected most - the real Missourians who had their health coverage slashed by Blunt in 2005 or who have seen their premiums skyrocket as a result of those cuts.
"When Matt Blunt slashed health coverage from hundreds of thousands of Missourians, he created a health care crisis in our state," Attorney General Jay Nixon said. "Those massive cuts continue to hurt real people from every corner of our state, like the folks I met with today in Columbia. The Governor's cuts targeted children, people with disabilities and working families just trying to make ends meet. This tour will allow me to hear directly from the regular Missourians who are paying the consequences for Matt Blunt's wrong priorities."
The first stop on the listening tour took place today at a private home in Columbia, where the Attorney General engaged in a roundtable discussion with regular Missourians who continue to lack access to the quality services they need because of Blunt's cuts. Additional health care listening tour events will be scheduled in cities and counties across the state in the coming weeks and months.
"For many years, I was able to overcome by disability and go to work every day and make an honest living," said Bob Pund of Columbia, who is confined to a wheelchair and hosted the roundtable discussion at his apartment. "Then Matt Blunt came into office and took my health care right from under me, forcing me to leave my job. It's about time Missouri had a Governor who helps people have access better health care instead of a Governor who just leaves people out in the cold."
Alice and Jeff Van Dyke , of Columbia, also shared their story at the roundtable. Both were productive workers for years, but Blunt's cuts have cost them their livelihood.
"When Matt Blunt ran for office, he made a lot of promises about health care," Alice Van Dyke said. "Then the first thing he did was take it away from thousands of working folks like me. Maybe Governor Blunt should walk a day in our shoes. It's now impossible for me and my husband to make ends meet and get the health care we need. I'm supporting Jay because we need a governor who will help us get the health care we need, not one who stands in the way."
To read more stories from regular Missourians who have been affected directly by Blunt's disastrous health care cuts, visit: http://www.jaynixon.com/issues/healthcare/comments?id=0002
Background information: When Gov. Matt Blunt took office in 2005, his first major order of business was to slash the health care and benefits of more than 400,000 Missourians - including children, the elderly and Missourians with disabilities. As a result, more than 750,000 Missourians have absolutely no coverage today, including more than 127,000 children . Because so many Missourians suddenly were without coverage, emergency room visits went up, and premiums skyrocketed for those fortunate enough still to have coverage. Despite sending Missouri's health care system into crisis, Gov. Blunt still decided over the past three years to turn away more than $1 billion in federal funds that would have provided health care to thousands of Missourians. Other states are moving forward and expanding health coverage, but because of Matt Blunt and his devastating cuts, Missouri is moving backward. |
