Publisher’s Positions
Democrats Responsible For Shutdown And Obamacare Failures
Last week, the Knoxville News Sentinel published a story by Allie Feinberg stating there are 55,000 plus people on the SNAP program whose benefits are endangered by the government shutdown. Allie made the point that these 55,000 people live in Congressman Tim Burchett’s district. Of course, Allie failed to point out that Congressman Tim Burchett has voted to keep the government open so that SNAP recipients would receive their benefits. In fact, if Tim Burchett had HIS way, they would be getting them now. So would the folks in the military and every other agency in the government. Why is the federal government shut down? Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the two New York Democrats who are the Democratic leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, pitched a hissy fit because they didn’t get everything they wanted in the budget. So THEY and their fellow Democrats refused to pass a budget and closed down the government, something in the past they compared to a nuclear winter or an apocalyptic event.
Back in the day, before the Sentinel started publishing its editorials as news articles, it, too, preached against the catastrophic events that would ensue should the federal government shut down for even a moment. The inference seemed to be that somehow Congressman Burchett had something to do with depriving the SNAP recipients of their benefits. I don’t think Allie and the Sentinel mentioned anything about the military families who aren’t being paid but who are still working. All in the name of keeping Obamacare fat and sassy. Barack Obama lied when he told Americans they could keep their doctor, and Obamacare has increased the cost of healthcare and insurance. Remember Obama’s promise that the average family would save $2,500 per year on healthcare? Yeah, that wasn’t true either. The Department of Health & Human Services reported in May 2017 that the average health insurance premiums had doubled since 2013. Thanks, Barry.
In 2018, Obamacare plans increased by another 19% for the high-cost plans and 32% for the cheapest plans at a time when the average for inflation was 2%. Obamacare has driven up the cost of funding entitlements far beyond what was originally projected. Obamacare and its expansion of Medicaid have cost taxpayers $4.8 TRILLION and are growing. Obamacare has increased entitlement spending by about 44%. The great majority of Americans enrolled in Obamacare are enrolled in Medicaid, which has grown from 55 million to 74 million since 2013. That gives consumers little choice as they can’t choose their own physicians, hospitals or the treatment they desire.
At a time of huge and potentially crippling federal debt, something Tim Burchett warns us about and has long insisted that taxpayers get their money’s worth, the most recent forecast is that medical expenses will reach nearly 20% of our country’s GDP.
Obamacare has also reduced the number of options for American consumers. In more than 50% of counties in the US, there is only one insurer. And more than 30% of counties have only two insurers.
Barack Obama told us from the Rose Garden of the White House that Obamacare meant “everybody” in the United States would have health insurance. That, too, wasn’t true. There are 30 million uninsured people today because they can’t afford the Obamacare premiums. Thank goodness the penalties for not purchasing Obamacare were repealed by Congress.
It has made more people reliant on the government. The per-person cost of Obamacare is also far more than was anticipated. The Democrats have been trying to herd Americans into exchange plans with higher deductibles, lower actuarial value and smaller and narrower networks.
Obamacare has been a boon for improper Medicaid payments. In 2020, taxpayers forked over $86 billion in improper Medicaid payments. That was an increase of almost 21.4%. Most of that was apparently due to eligibility errors. There are legitimate estimates that there are somewhere between 2.3 million to 3.3 million people who are getting Medicaid but don’t actually qualify for it. The taxpayers have paid billions to subsidize insurance plans for others while still paying for their own.
The Sentinel doesn’t give a hoot about military families either, and is just trying to pluck at people’s heartstrings while ignoring the fact that SNAP recipients are only suffering because the Democrats are fighting to the last minute for a failed program that has never worked the way Obama promised it would. Nah, the Sentinel didn’t bother to state who shut down the government. But I can say it sure wasn’t Tim Burchett.
Leo Cooper Was A Great Man And A Great Public Servant
It is with deep sadness that The Knoxville Focus observes the passing of longtime educator and former chairman of the Knox County Commission Leo Cooper. It is fair to say that Leo Cooper was a man of the highest integrity, who cared for his fellow man and community. He was a public servant in the best sense who gave back to his community. The Focus family is very sorry to note the passing of Leo Cooper, who was a very fine man indeed.
Condolences Extended On The Passing Of Scott Cagle
The Focus is deeply sorry to say goodbye to Scott Cagle, a retired pastor and founder of the Northstar Church. Pastor Cagle was truly a man of God who earnestly tried to do good throughout his life, which was tragically not as long as it should have been. Pastor Cagle lived as he preached and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. The Focus family extends its condolences and sorrow to Mrs. Cagle and the pastor’s children and grandchildren.
