my editorial on the uninsured/impoverished printed today

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/11/12/opinion/doc4cdd7d6c27712638310396.txt

As the campaigns end and the hard work begins, we — as constituents — need to focus on the major needs of Texans. There are two categories that are inter-related ... the uninsured and those below the poverty level. This has reached a crisis level in Texas and needs to be a top priority.

Residents without insurance has risen to the point that Texas leads the nation in uninsured adults AND children under 18.

In 2008, there were 1.4 million children under the age of 18 with NO health insurance (21 percent of that age group). Eighty-nine and a half percent of these children come from families where one family member works full-time. The number of Texas children covered by Medicaid is 2.6 million, or 37.4 percent.

In 2008, over six million Texans between the ages of 18-64 years were uninsured (26 percent of the population). Another three million Texans were on Medicaid during the same period of time.

These numbers place Texas in first place for uninsured adults AND children.

In 2009, 4.26 million Texans lived below the poverty level of $22,000/year for a family of four. We rate sixth in the nation for citizens who live below the poverty level. “People who were teetering on the edge tended to fall over into poverty. That was largely affected by our dramatic increase in the unemployment rate,” said Frances Deviney, a senior fellow at the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin. The Texas poverty rate likely would have been “quite a bit higher if not for the great infusion of money” that came through the federal government in extended unemployment benefits, she said.

For more information,please review the data at http://www.familiesusa.org/

These are the results of years of tax cuts and outsourcing of real jobs. While Texas’ unemployment rate has been lower than the nation’s, we are unbelievably high in lack of pay and benefits for our workers. This should be one of the top priorities for our elected officials ... seeing to it that Texans have the opportunity to raise a family and live the great American dream. Texans and the nation depend on actions that speak louder than words.

:applause:

if you saw my other post