To no one's surprise, Alaska's asshole governor says no to state-run health insurance exchange.

[Blue_In_AK]

This POS Sean Parnell (SP v. 2.0) makes me almost miss Sarah.

http://www.adn.com/2012/07/17/2545556/parnell-says-no-to-state-run-health.html

JUNEAU -- Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell on Tuesday rejected the idea of a state-run health insurance exchange under the federal health care law, saying "federally mandated programs should be paid for by federal dollars."

An exchange is a marketplace for coverage options. Under the federal health care law, the government can step in and establish exchanges in states where none exist.

Parnell last year angered some Democratic state lawmakers by refusing to apply for federal funds to help set up an exchange. In February 2011, he said the state would pursue lawful, market-based solutions of its own, including looking at the potential for an exchange without the "shiny but poisonous apple" of federal dollars and mandates "that create federal dependency and control."

On Tuesday, Parnell's decision was announced shortly after the state health department released a consultant's report on exchange design options and costs. The report, by Public Consulting Group, modeled the cost of an exchange at $6.7 million, and recommended consideration of such things as a consumer administrative fee and advertising revenue to help cover the cost. The analysis was based on a potential exchange enrollment of 77,000.

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This guy's been making one bone-headed decision after another lately. He may not get the press that Scott Walker, Rick Scott, et al., garner, but he ranks right up there with them. By way of background, he's a former Conoco-Phillips lobbyist, also a lawyer for Exxon in the EXXON VALDEZ lawsuit. He was Sarah's lieutenant governor and came into power when she quit, got re-elected through some ballot bait anti-abortion crap in 2010, and we're stuck with him until 2014 at least (possibly 2018 if people are dumb enough to vote for him again). Everything he does is in opposition to what most Alaskans want, but he's ALEC, Chamber of Commerce, Club for Growth, big-business, plus a tue believer religious zealot, so he ignores the common people. I detest him.

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Oh, did I mention he's been pushing for a $2 billion a year tax giveaway to the big oil companies and is actively working to destroy our bipartisan majority in Alaska's senate who blocked this giveaway during the past two sessions? God forbid that Democratic and Republican lawmakers might work together on something...we can't have any of that, especially when they favor the people over Big Oil. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh, he makes me so mad.

[Selatius]

1. Being friends with powerful people + plenty of corporate propaganda at voters = Gov. Sean Parnell

Hell, the same could be said for Scott Walker or even George W. Bush. They're all bankrolled into office in order to carry out the corporatist agenda.

[NNN0LHI]

2. Still get your Permanent Fund check so all is not lost

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Yes, we do,

which is all the more reason why Alaska can afford to set up an insurance exchange. Parnell is busy suing the "feds" every time he turns around over just about everything and yet when he has the opportunity to do something with state money for the state, he refuses. He's just an ass.

And please don't hate us for our permanent fund. It's not exactly cheap to live up here, and according to our state constitution, the residents of the state DO own the resource, no matter what C-P, BP and Exxon think.

[NNN0LHI]

4. I do not hate anyone

And when I say I do not hate anyone I mean no one.

Don't ever have to worry about that happening to me.

I am not even jealous of your Permanent Fund. I am happy you have it.



Don

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Thanks.

We do catch a lot of grief from people in the Lower 48 who don't understand how the Permanent Fund was set up or why.