Democratic Party candidate for governor in VA, Terry McAuliffe, supports Medicaid expansion

Democratic Party candidate for Virginia’s executive mansion, Terry McAuliffe, made it clear on Wednesday that he favors widening Medicaid’s net in Virginia under the authority of the federal Affordable Care Act.

McAuliffe stated, “We need to have the Medicaid expansion here in Virginia.” “First and foremost…400,000 to 500,000 Virginians would get access to quality health care next year. It’s important socially. Morally it’s the right thing to do. But also from a business sense it’s an important thing to do.”

According to McAuliffe, opening our arms to federal money meant to subsidize the expansion of Medicaid in Virginia would allow Virginia to “reap billions in economic benefits.”

So to be clear, Virginia would not only be doing the right thing by expanding Medicaid, it would also be saving money. It sounds like a no-brainer, right?

For conservatives in Virginia like Republican candidate for governor, Ken Cuccinelli, the federal government is untrustworthy and cannot be counted on to cover the cost of expanding Medicaid at 100 percent for the first three years and then 90 percent in the years following.

Perhaps Cuccinelli has a point, so offer an alternative, show Virginians that the Cuccinelli’s of the political sphere are more than naysayers who get a rise out of upending progressive attempts to alleviate social burdens.

But Cuccinelli, and his small-minded and callous “lovers of liberty”, have nothing more to offer Virginia than fear, prejudice, old ways of thinking, and a society run by big business instead of a healthy mix of government and private industry operating for the betterment of society.

Medicaid is not some evil government program established to extend the reach and power of the federal government. Believe it or not, Medicaid was created to help Americans who meet the qualifications for coverage.  As our society has become more complex, however, the demands upon government has grown in parallel fashion.

This is what conservatives like Cuccinelli fear, not so much Medicaid itself but the seemingly inexhaustible demand by Americans for greater and greater government services.

And sure, I drink the kool-aid: I believe in individual responsibility and initiative. But what the Cuccinelli’s of Virginia and America don’t get (or don’t want to get) is that not all demands on government lead towards a “slippery slope” of even more government. Environmental protection, civil justice, moral responsibility, all of these concepts government can and should, in some cases, get involved with.

A big thumbs-up then for McAuliffe for so strongly supporting a supremely sensible policy. Having a heart with a business sense shouldn’t be a crime.