Help recall Bill Clayton - Saturday @ BHBagels

Do you remember Bill Clayton? He's the Rapid City Councilman who is an embarrassment to himself,  his city Ward, our fair City, and frankly the whole State.

Many citizens of Rapid City agree, and, my friends, here's a chance to do something about it:

Sign Petition to Recall Clayton at Black Hills Bagels on Saturday 

Gary Brown will be at Black Hills Bagel at 913 Mount Rushmore Rd this Saturday, May 4 from 9 to 12 to collect signatures on the petition to recall Alderman Bill Clayton. Anyone that can vote in Rapid City elections can sign the recall petition. 

You can also call the Petition Hotline to find other locations to sign the petition! CALL: (605) 388-2749.  

The petition says: 

The people of Rapid City expect their leaders to display good judgment in their interactions with the public, their constituents, and their colleagues. We believe William Clayton has repeatedly violated this expectation and fails to take responsibility for his actions. He has displayed a pattern of conduct unbecoming of an elected official, including comments made to a reporter on August 29, 2012.

Rapid City has 60 days to get 6,000 signers. If we don't succeed, we'll have to read more outrageous stories until 2014. Clayton is bad for our city -- he should go. Please consider signing the petition.

Pierre provides another "not The Onion, really" moment

As Dave Barry famously puts it, "I'm not making this up":

(Mitchell Republic, Feb 9: Medicaid expert: 'Never been a decision thrust upon the states more consequential'

[Medicaid consultant] Vernon Smith [told the Legislature (did we pay for this?) that]the decision ultimately is “political” whether to accept the federal government’s offer for expansion of Medicaid to cover adults up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level....

Not so political as moral, especially if it's your family that needs the coverage they cannot afford.

Smith said South Dakota’s Medicaid program is extremely well-administered and said the recent audit that found a zero error rate on Medicaid eligibility was “remarkable.”

“I can’t tell you how rare this is. It just doesn’t happen,” he said. “It’s something to celebrate.”

Zero? Sounds to me like it isn't something to celebrate but something to question.

Zero. Really?

Vernon Smith's organization, Health Management Associates, has had some interesting clients besides our one-party state government. These include helping the State of Texas' Texas Medicaid Managed Care procurement, which, as all appreciators of Texas's health care system knows, has resulted in the highest rate of uninsured care in among all the states.

I believe Bob Mercer missed the really interesting story here. Who is this guy? Did we, the taxpayers, pay our hard-earned money for his sage advice that screwing the poor out of the benefits of ACA is purely a political decision?

Gov Daugaard: Take the money!

There's a very active petition going on at signon.org to send a clear message to Governor Daugaard:

Governor Daugaard: Accept Federal Medicaid Funds

Over 13% of South Dakota residents don't have health insurance, including many children.

By rejecting Medicaid expansion funds from the federal government, you are hurting over 40,000 South Dakotans who would benefit from it.

Please reverse course and accept the federal Medicaid dollars and help South Dakotans in need.

I too, find it unconscionable that our Republican friends in Pierre are so keyed up on making partisan points against ACA that they are refusing to provide help to people who need it, especially when it will help, rather than hurt, our state budget. One argument they give is that they are worried about paying later. Well, with health care, every dollar invested in the poor (a) will be spent and invigorate our economy, producing state tax dollars from the federal influx back to Pierre, and (b) investing in health care for our poor (especially children) pays back in social good, helping our children grow up healthier, do better in school, and so on. Let the Feds pay now, or we pay later, is how I see it. If you agree, please sign the petition now.