Jan Brewer Medicaid Cuts Have Arizona Governor Under Fire

By Nick Wing
The Huffington Post  
Posted: 12-15-10 10:22 AM


Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) commented recently on the cuts to her state's Health Care Cost Containment System, which have imperiled the lives of some patients in need of an organ transplant. Brewer said that people branding the cuts as a real-life incarnation of "death panels" should be asking the federal government to send more money -- a perhaps surprising position from someone who continues to oppose the federal health care reform legislation passed earlier this year.

Brewer has declined to hold a special session to reinstate the funds, a refusal that leaves some patients' lives hanging in the balance.

Britain's Channel 4 reports on a recent encounter with Gov. Brewer regarding the matter:

"How many people have to die before you are prepared to reverse your decision on the transplant operations?" seemed like the obvious question.
She said she thought that was unfair and started to explain how dire the state's financial situation is. If people are so worried about the transplant patients then they should ask the federal government in Washington to send us more money, she said. But she would not explain to me, or to any Democrats in the state capitol, what she has done with the nearly $200 million she was already given in 'stimulus funds' to spend on anything she liked.

A report from the Arizona Republic last week provides some insight in to what Brewer has spent most of that stimulus money on.


WATCH VIDEO: "Death by Budget Cuts" UK Channel 4



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