Red state, blue state. . .the children

Pro Life?

Clearly the Texas legislature functions as a strongly "pro-life" elective body. . .up to a point. 

The legislators' decisions during this session indicate that they are determined to take rather drastic measures to protect the unborn.  However, once a child arrives in a low-income family, all bets are off! 

The following story was reported by Christy Hoppe on the actions of our elected representatives appeared in The Dallas Morning News last Thursday, March 10. 

The notion that non-profit organizations and churches can pick up the slack in the budget is simply ill-informed.  Further, the costs associated with cuts in funding for the needed care typically are passed along by medical professionals to those with private insurance.  The fact is, helping poor children helps us all. 

But, you read the report and let me know your reactions.

Bill on pre-abortion sonograms comes as Texas legislators plan to slash contraceptive, OB-GYN care for poor


AUSTIN — The Legislature’s push to limit abortions by compelling women to see a sonogram of fetal development comes as the state is cutting back on medical services to low-income pregnant women.

Republican lawmakers are poised to slash $850 million from pregnancy care and family planning in the next two-year budget — a 29 percent cut from current spending.

That would shut down avenues for poor women to find contraception and choke off payments to OB-GYN doctors who might care for those who become pregnant, advocates say.

“There is a responsibility that comes with this desire to tell women what to do with their pregnancy. Clearly, we’re not meeting it,” said Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, who has sponsored a bill to extend women’s health services.

Abortion opponents say that although the budget crunch is real, the sonogram requirement isn’t connected to it.

“We can’t solve our problems by eliminating people,” said Kyleen Wright, president of Texans for Life and a strong supporter of the sonogram requirement that both the House and Senate have approved.

The solution, she said, is for private pregnancy crisis centers, adoption services, religious groups and communities to step up their help for poor women.

“We will pick up the pace. We will meet the need,” Wright said.

Fifty-five percent of Texas births are to women on Medicaid.

Payments to doctors

Most of the proposed budget cuts would come through reducing payments to doctors, who are reimbursed for the care they provide pregnant women on Medicaid. It means physicians will either turn away poor patients or lose money treating them.

Tom Banning, chief executive of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, outlined a grim reality: Medicaid reimburses doctors 70 percent for the cost of services. Most physicians make up the losses in their charges to privately insured patients, but the proposed cuts make that equation harder.

The state has cut reimbursements 2 percent this year and is proposing 10 percent cuts for next year. In addition, Congress is considering a Medicare reimbursement cut of 31 percent.

“It’s got the doctors completely spooked,” Banning said, and many plan to stop seeing patients who require federal help. That will drive more patients to emergency rooms, where their conditions are often worse and
more expensive to treat.

In Athens in East Texas, a group of family doctors began offering prenatal screening for Medicaid patients three years ago. When they started, 120 newborns a year from the area were ending up in the neonatal intensive care unit of Dallas County’s Parkland Memorial Hospital, Banning said.

Last year, it was down to two infants. But if doctors’ payments are cut, “you’ll see a tidal wave hit the emergency room of women who haven’t gotten any prenatal care,” Banning said.

To read entire report click here.

Alamo-like plea for Texas public schools

Here's a report on a most creative plea by a Texas school superintendent to the Texas Legislature.  The report appeared in The Washington Post.  Thing aren't looking so good for Texas school children who attend our public schools.  Hmmm.  Now, there's a question:  Wonder how many of our legislators send or sent their children to public schools? 


Texas district schools chief issues plea in Alamo-like letter

By Valerie Strauss

This is an open letter issued by John Kuhn, superintendent of the Perrin-Whitt Consolidated Independent School District. Addressed to Texas legislators, this plea for help is modeled on the famous letter that William Barret Travis sent from the Alamo right before it fell in 1836 (the text of which follows Kuhn's). Kuhn refers to plans by Texas Gov. Rick Perry to cut billions of dollars from public school funding.

From: John Kuhn, Superintendent, Perrin-Whitt CISD

To: Senator Estes, Representative Hardcastle, Representative Keffer, and Representative King during these grave times:

Gentlemen,

I am besieged, by a hundred or more of the Legislators under Rick Perry. I have sustained a continual Bombardment of increased high-stakes testing and accountability-related bureaucracy and a cannonade of gross underfunding for 10 years at least and have lost several good men and women. The ruling party has demanded another round of pay cuts and furloughs, while the school house be put to the sword and our children's lunch money be taken in order to keep taxes low for big business. I am answering the demand with a (figurative) cannon shot, and the Texas flag still waves proudly from our flag pole. I shall never surrender the fight for the children of Perrin.

Then, I call on you my legislators in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch. The enemy of public schools is declaring that spending on a shiny new high-stakes testing system is "non-negotiable"; that, in essence, we must save the test but not the teachers. The enemy of public schools is saying that Texas lawmakers won't raise 1 penny in taxes in order to save our schools.

If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and fight for the kids in these classrooms like an educator who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his community. Make education a priority!

With all due respect and urgency,
John Kuhn
Superintendent
Perrin-Whitt CISD

Here's the text of the 1836 letter:

Commandancy of the Alamo------
Bejar Fby. 24th 1836

To the People of Texas & all Americans in the world------

Fellow citizens & compatriots

I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna -----I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man ----- The enemy has demanded a Surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken ----- I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the wall ----- I shall never Surrender or retreat

Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & every thing dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch ----- The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country ----- Victory or Death

William Barret Travis
Lt. Col. Comdt

P. S. The lord is on our side- When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn--- We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels & got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves---

Travis

Reported  February 11, 2011; 11:13 AM ET

Denying health care to the poor in Texas

Now we're told that leadership in the Texas legislature, in the next session beginning in January, may consider ending Medicaid coverage for poor children, women, the disabled and seniors.

Read the story here.

Just when you thought Texas couldn't get much colder or non-responsive to poor people, our leaders come through to strike an even harsher blow to the weak, the sick and the impoverished.

Don't it make ya proud?

Children and poverty--a growth issue

Our friends over at Voice of Hope in West Dallas published the following essay by Mark Shriver, "Our Future Dims as Childhood Poverty Jumps."  The message is beyond disturbing to say the least. 

 I applaud the fine work being done by our partners at Voice of Hope.

We're all in this fight together.

USA Today reported this week that the national poverty crisis now affects 1 out of 5 children in the United States, up from 1 out of 6 just four years ago. This astonishing figure is a sober reminder that the recession isn't just stretching our safety net, but it's also threatening the success of the next generation of Americans.

Indeed, childhood poverty in the United States ignites a devastating chain of consequences that leads to equally devastating places:

• Four-year-old kids living in poverty are 18 months behind their peers. These gaps in early childhood persist throughout a child's youth, with clear and established links to the high school dropout rate, teenage pregnancy and unemployment.

• Only a little over 15 percent of fourth graders from poor homes are reading at levels considered proficient by the U.S. Department of Education. According to a recent study from the Casey Foundation, the clearest sign a child will drop out of high school is subpar reading scores in elementary school. Almost half of all high school dropouts are on government assistance and a high school dropout is eight times more likely to be incarcerated.

• Half of kids living in rural areas -- where poverty is at extraordinary levels -- are obese or overweight, compared to one third nationally. The obesity crisis puts kids at risk for "adult" diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, stunting their productivity and straining an already exhausted health care system.

We can have a debate about the best and most effective ways of eliminating poverty but there's no better place to start than the by protecting the next generation. Doing so means reversing the effects of poverty through smart interventions and innovative programs.

There are many highly effective steps we can take to blunt poverty's permanent effects on young kids. Here are three:

• Invest in public-private partnerships that are proven to make a real difference in a toddler's development. The Early Learning Challenge Fund would provide billions of dollars in grants to innovative early education programs and save billions over the long term through a better educated and more productive America.

• After-school programs can give kids reading below grade level the extra boost they need to catch up with their peers. There are three bills in Congress that would increase after-school programs for kids struggling to read. These programs work--Save the Children's after-school program almost doubled the number of kids reading at grade level at some schools in the most remote, low-income parts of the nation

• We can combat the twin childhood hunger and obesity crises by increasing access to healthier school lunches. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 would provide healthier meals to hundreds of thousands more kids than the current school lunch program does.

In the midst of this economic downturn, we may not be able to end poverty for all kids. Still, that's no reason why businesses, families, non-profits, and, yes, government can't work together so that kids being raised by struggling parents get a fair chance in life.

CDM's AmeriCorps team and children

Central Dallas Ministries unleashed a 350-member AmeriCorps team into the neighborhoods of Dallas earlier this month. Our summer members are working with children every day, providing safety, learning, social skills and lots of fun.

Take a look at the recent news report on our efforts with our AmeriCorps team.