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OF EDITORIALS
May 6, 2004
An unhealthy budget
With reports on the war in Iraq, the imminence of
the same-sex marriage in Massachusetts and the struggling economy
so dominant in the news, other issues of great importance get
less attention. One issue that politicians and community leaders
must not permit to slip beneath the radar is adequate funding
for medical care.
An estimated 600,000 residents of Massachusetts now have no medical
insurance. It has always been the practice in this state to provide
medical care for everyone whether or not they have the ability
to pay. The primary way of accomplishing this is through safety
net hospitals such as Boston Medical Center and The Cambridge
Hospital.
The cost of medical care is expensive, so there is a great temptation
when the state is faced with a budget crisis to hack away at those
costs which provide medical care for the poor. Gov. Romney did
just that. He cut $90 million from Medicaid and proposed measures
that would under fund the free care pool by $385 million.
Fortunately, the House of Representatives in the state refused
to balance the budget on the backs of the poor. The budget from
Ways and Means reversed the $90 million in Medicaid cuts and added
$125 million in funding for the free care pool. That still leaves
a shortfall of $260 million; however, it is hoped that further
changes in the senate will close the gap.
The Senate’s version of the budget is due in mid May. It
is hoped that the Senate will approve measures to ease the financial
burden of the safety net hospitals that provide care for everyone.
Gov. Romney and his administration have shown little concern for
those unable to afford the growing cost of medical insurance.
These issues are complex and not easily understood by the electorate.
It is up to community leaders to become involved.
A misguided proposal
Times have changed. Public demonstrations and sit-ins will rarely
be successful today in gaining economic advantages for African
Americans. In fact, such tactics can be decidedly non-productive.
The business opportunities available to racial minorities today
require talent and consummate business skills. That is why it
seemed incongruous to have Sadiki Kambon out front on a campaign
for the use of black and Latino businesses in the upcoming Democratic
Convention. He has never demonstrated any special business expertise.
But then the issue became clear when it was discovered that he
has submitted a $181,000 proposal for funding by the host committee
of the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He proposes, “…
to fill the information void that exists in Boston’s communities
of color.” It is unclear how that will help minority businesses,
assuming that such a void exists.
It is abundantly clear that the expensive recruitment of volunteers
will not help the DNC which is already awash with volunteers.
When the proposal was rejected, Kambon threatened to create bad
publicity for the convention, according to sources. If that is
true, it is tantamount to extortion. Shortly after Kambon’s
proposal was rejected, the minority members of the city council
(Chuck Turner, Charles Yancey and Felix Arroyo) conducted a hearing
in the city council on minority involvement in the convention.
It was embarrassing to many to see the minority community councilors
use their office to aid Kambon’s misguided demand.
No economic progress for minorities will be possible with
incompetent leadership.
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