Have you ever heard of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)? It’s a low-cost health insurance program that offers healthcare to children in low-income families. The program covers around 6.6 million children every year, and more than half a million adults (more info).  SCHIP was passed in ’97 while Clinton was in office, with hopes to grant a federal government healthcare plan for those who were making too much to qualify for Medicare, and not enough for a private insurance company.

More recently there was a bill in question, that would allow an increase in the funding granted to this program by more than half in order to reach out to more people who need the help. Currently, the government has allotted around $5 billion dollars for this program a year. This allowance only covers about 70% of the costs, so an increase would help greatly.

Yesterday, the bill in question was vetoed by the one and only, President George “Dubya” Bush. The next question to ask is why would you veto a bill that could help so many people? I have searched and searched, and there seems to be no good reason (surprise, surprise). The feeling is to get people into private insurance plans that they can not afford, oppose to giving them an alternative for federally funded insurance policies.  Apparently, we don’t have enough money for something as ostentatious as affordable healthcare.

This wouldn’t be so alarming, if Bush didn’t recently send a request to Congress for a $189 BILLION grant for war funding!!!  WAR FUNDING!!! Here’s an idea: “Take care of home!”  I have to walk past at least five homeless people everyday to get to work. On my way home, I have to keep my guards up from the people huddled in corners talking to themselves, and somewhere, there is a little girl, who’s family can’t afford to get that eerie cough checked out because they can’t afford to take her to the doctor, and they don’t have time to wait around General Hospital for someone to see them. Yet, we have these billions of dollars to ship out for a very costly and unnecessary war!!

My younger sister lives in New Orleans, home of Katrina, and attends Xavier University of Louisiana. Yesterday, she stepped on a nail, sticking up from a piece of wood on the sidewalk. And it wasn’t just any nail, it was a Katrina nail (so only Heaven knows what residue is still on it) because some neighborhoods have yet to see the funding for rebuilding their communities like the French Quarter and the Saint’s football stadium has. Her foot is swollen, and she has no healthcare. She could be helped under the SCHIP if the state granted her a waiver, but now there is a greater chance that she won’t be accepted in the program because they are not getting the increase in funding that they need. Now she must rely on the nursing staff at her the University in which she attends, and she could loose her foot waiting for results, all the while, the money that she so desperately needs to get her foot examined by a professional is flying over her head, in the direction of Iraq. Changes need to be made!