Our household is not part of Mitt Romney’s infamous 47% of voters who don’t pay taxes, and ergo are, in his words, people who are “dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it.”
No, we make a solid middle class income, and pay income taxes. We have never received any government assistance in the form of welfare or food stamps or health care or anything of that sort — the “Entitlements” of which the Mittster spoke.
Well, that is, we haven’t until recently.
Shortly after Clio was diagnosed with leukemia, we learned that she was eligible to receive assistance from MassHealth — the Massachusetts Medicaid program.
We have private insurance for our family, for which we pay over $1,100 a month (one of the many joys of being self-employed…). But MassHealth covers everything that our private insurance won’t cover for Clio, including her annual deductible and all prescription and doctor visit co-pays. It also gives us a rebate on what we pay for her portion of private insurance.
This year alone, it will probably save us close to $10,000. Which makes a huge difference, especially given that both of us are working less than usual as a result of Clio’s needs — from treatments and doctor visits, to the ever-present possibility of an unplanned hospital visit, to the fact that one of us always needs to be home with her in the mornings, since she can’t go to school.
But, here’s the thing. Do we absolutely need this Medicaid assistance? Could we get by without it?
Well, yeah, we probably could. We have savings and retirement accounts we could dip into if necessary. We have credit cards we could max out. We have parents who could give us a hand financially if we really needed it. I could work at nights and on weekends to keep our income closer to its typical levels. (In addition to the occasional night and weekend hours I already work.) We wouldn’t exactly end up out on the street.
What, I wonder, would Mitt Romney say about all this? Would he say that we’re taking a victim mentality by accepting government aid? (Our child has a life-threatening illness! It’s not fair! Poor us!) That we’re failing to take responsibility for our own lives?
Actually, if he had a chance to put it, ahem, elegantly, I suspect he’d say that instead of making taxpayers bail us out, we should get our friends, neighbors and family members (most of whom are, actually, taxpayers, but no matter…) to chip in and create some sort of fund to help us.
We’d probably be able to raise a few thousand bucks doing this. Nowhere near the amount that Medicaid will save us over the next two years (knock on wood) that Clio in treatment, but a nice little chunk. And it would be more efficient, I suppose, because it would go directly to us, not to us via a bureaucratic system.
As for the belt tightening we’d still have to do? Well, hey. It builds character. (And what everyone needs when they’ve got a kid with cancer are more opportunities to build character!)
Honestly, though, I do feel some guilt over accepting this sort of help when there are people in so much more dire straits than us. Sometimes I wonder if, given our income, we shouldn’t have qualified for this benefit in the first place.
Then other times, I take a step back and think: Is it so crazy for a government to offer a bit of financial relief to a hardworking, tax-paying family that’s already paying through the nose for health insurance, and that now faces thousands of dollars more to pay for their seriously ill child’s care — even if they’re not in serious financial jeopardy at the moment?
Is it foolish and irresponsible for our society to agree (which is, in theory anyway, what we do when we participate in a democratically elected government) that it’s a good idea to help families get through the life-shaking ordeal of a child’s illness or disability with one less source of stress and strain, so they can continue to be productive, contributing, tax-paying members of society along the way?
Maybe so. And maybe, by accepting this form of assistance, I am, in Mitt’s eyes, part of that 47%.
Or maybe not. I don’t know. But I do know this: I’m voting for the same guy the 47% supposedly are.
I don’t know too much about Massachusetts, but wasn’t Mitt the governor who helped set up their healthcare system?
Yes, yes he was. But that was Romney 1.0. Totally different operating system.
If this was on FB I would click the “like” 🙂
My husband and I had the same exact conversation (minus Mitt) when we both got laid off on the same day one summer ( same tech company going out of business). We didn’t absolutely need to collect unemployment that summer and we could have borrowed from people, but we have paid into the system our entire working lives and it was a time of emergency for us. We paid into it so that we could help others when they hit emergencies.
I don’t regret collecting that unemployment at all. Hopefully I will never have to use it again, but that is exactly why it is there. Ditto the medical insurance.
I am normally a Republican. You know that about me. I won’t be voting for Mitt. I was already unsure but this sealed it. I won’t vote for Obama either. I will either go independent or abstain or write in.
We work very hard to live off of Micah’s one salary. We pay all our bills in full. We live within our means. We have perfect credit. We don’t pay income tax as we always get it back and earned income. I feel no shame about that. We bust our butt to not make ends meet. What Mitt said was very insulting to me.
Yes, you do not deserve to be financially ruined by having a sick child. Especially when you were responsible enough to have health insurance in the first place.
Don’t abstain! If nothing else, voting independent/ writing in may help send a message that the two party system is broken.
How many times can a campaign reboot? No, really, this time it is the REAL me! Honest!
Anywho, don’t feel guilty. We had to use unemployment for a year and a half and I do not feel guilty one bit, and I didn’t have a child with a life threatening disease. I just needed to be able to pay the mortgage and feed the family. That is what these programs are there for.
Jane,
So sorry to hear about your daughter. I read your blog often, and I’m so glad that you wrote about this outrageous statement. I just hope that more people are as angry as I am about Mitt’s attitude regarding the 47%, and I hope that it inspires enough people to get out there and vote.
You guys are in my thoughts and prayers, hoping all works out for your little one.
Hi again,
Have to say I laughed out loud about needing more opportunities to build character when you’ve got a kid with cancer. Thanks for this post, it certainly highlights for me the differences in health care systems by country. (I’m in Switzerland, where health care is mandatory but at the individual’s expense). Our insurance covers all of Elliot’s cancer treatment and I cannot imagine what people who don’t have this “luxury” would do.
On a side note, make sure you take care of yourselves too.
You definitely should not feel guilty. Like Laura said, this is a system that you have paid into for years as a Massachusetts taxpayer and that is what the “system” is for…we all contribute when we are “up” so we should get the help when we are “down”. I am happy that you can get the care you need for Clio! Great article.
Mitt has taken many millions in government assistance in the form of tax breaks, each year. I don’t know your financial situation exactly but I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE you are paying a higher effective tax rate than Mitt. Do you think he loses sleep at night over the government handouts he’s received? Please, with all you have to worry about, do not think about this for one further second. I live in Canada, where, like most of the world, we look at the fact of health care actually COSTING PRIVATE CITIZENS their money and livelihood and being the number one cause of personal bankruptcy we shake our heads and weep for civilization. You pay an insane, globally speaking, an INSANE, amount of your personal income for health insurance. If you get $10k of that back, all I can say is, hallelujah, small blessings.
Well said. Just wanted to let you know that I’m thinking, praying, wishing, hoping, all around throwing warm fuzzies out into the universe for you all.
Here’s how I think of it: Taxes are a way of pooling all that money from friends and family the way you were describing you could do, but in a manner that doesn’t leave people out. If you don’t have family and friends able to help you collect such a fund should you really be offered different medical treatment? How cruel and unfair is that? Anyone living in this country is dependent on government. Just living under the protection of our military and having access to clean water and roads are benefits of what taxes provide. It seems un-American to me to deny the good we do collectively.
That’s how I feel too Kory. My family would go to the ends of the Earth to help me. I never feel like I would be even close to living on the streets. But should they? Shouldn’t my parents be enjoying the money they have saved through many hard years of work and sacrifice? Shouldn’t my friends keep their money for their own future unexpected events? And, as you said, what of the many people without the community I count on? Don’t we owe them some human compassion and help?
And Jane, the last thing you need is more stress. It isn’t healthy or helpful. Working so hard you can’t be fully there for Clio and Elsa? That benefits no one in this hard situation. You qualified; you deserve it.
I am a child life specialist, so I see this sort of thing every day. And I encourage families to try to jettison the guilt as much as possible. There are plenty of expenses of cancer that don’t get covered by assistance programs: parking, gas, meals at the hospital, extra hats to keep bald heads warm, extra babysitting, and on and on and on. Not to mention the psychological toll of everything. I think families should take any help they can get, whether it is in the form of state supplemental insurance or community members bringing meals or doing laundry. Mitt is so out of touch and has so much money that he can’t conceive of an emergency cropping up, through no fault of a one’s own, that could financially devastate a family. Or that there are people who have been born into a situation (bad schools, color of their skin, etc.) that makes success well nigh impossible. I am also convinced that we could cut a lot of costs in our health care system if we went to a single payer system, but that’s a whole other debate.
I shared this post on Facebook I liked it so much.
Jane, A version of this piece seems like it might be well suited for the editorial pages of the Boston Globe. It’s thought-provoking, topical and personal. They don’t pay big bucks, but it’s a large audience. Seems like it’s worth a shot! Hugs to you & yours…
Your child is the responsibility of all of society. We all need to take care of those in need, the young and the old. That is the point of ‘society’. The old saying here is true: it takes a village to raise a child. We cannot pretend that we are not a part of a system. People like Mitt Romney think they are removed somehow. They think they are better somehow. Does he not use roads, water and electricity? Of course he uses infrastructure and partakes in society when he needs it or it suits him. I do not begrudge my taxes as they are used to support a standard of living enviable by the majority of the world’s population. We are so fortunate to have the basics, and in this case the advancement a society can offer. Do not feel guilty; channel your energy into giving that child the best life she can have. That means time with you, not you working seven days a week to pay for something that should be a given. Good luck.
Don’t feel guilty! Sure, you could probably get by, but at the risk of further financial problems down the road. If the state subsidizes you to the tune of $10,000 now, that might be the difference between you needing assistance later or not (for example if you raid your retirement accounts). That’s what it’s for- a little help now, so you don’t need a lot of help later. Not a reason to feel guilty. Mitt’s problem is that he has no conception of what it’s like to have to think about money at all. And as someone said above, you can bet that you are paying a higher effective tax rate than he is anyway.
I agree about submitting this piece to a newspaper or magazine (paper or online).
Urgh, the 47% thing is disgusting. I’m an American who lives in Canada, and despite the flaws of this system too, it’s crazy to think that illness should bankrupt you. The first time I saw a doctor here, I went to the receptionist to pay the copay and she giggled at me. 🙂
Enjoy the assistance – that’s what it’s there for! We all pay in while we’re doing well in order to have exactly the safety net that you are receiving. Plus, the more comfortable and relaxed you are during this tough time, the more likely you (and Clio and Elsa someday!) will enjoy financial success and pay higher taxes in the future.
Jane- I love your blog and love the way you write. But as a republican I feel you are misunderstanding some things about this Presidential election. Also I am not a huge fan of Romney but I am terrified of what 4 more years of Obama will do to us. If Obama is elected again and Obama care takes full effect there will be no Medicare. Our health care system is going to be run by the government and they will decide who receives treatment and what kInd of treatment they will get. Romney isn’t against you and he doesn’t want to get rid of Medicare. This whole 47% bs has been blown out of control. 47% is the group he knows he is not going to convince to vote for him…. Same as Obama isn’t wasting time trying to convince people liked self to vote for him. If he is re-elected who knows what kInd of world our girls are going to grow up in. I am scared for Our children and future grandchildren and getting Obama out of office is all that matters politically right now. I understand your frustration over the health care, my husband had over 100,000 of medical debt after being in a coma back in 2007 and it forced us to declare bankruptcy. Our credit is still screwed up 5 years later because I got laid off and was on unemployment for 1.5yrs. And I don’t feel bad for taking that money. It’s how I survived. But there are so many people that take advantage of the system and do nothing but sit on their butts and collect a check from the government. And that money is what we are working our asses of for. Sorry to ramble… Just Please consider Romney for the sake of the future. Your family is in our prayers, stay strong mama!
Do you have statistics or numbers to back up your assertion that the system is being gamed by lazy people? I really do ask to better educate myself. It seems like such an easy thing to say that could strike the angry note someone might find is persuasive, yet, it doesn’t ring true with the people I know who need help.
I don’t want to hijack this post, but I feel you are misunderstanding the 47% thing. He really did say that almost half of the voters in this country think like victims. And no, they aren’t voting for him, and you are right, he doesn’t try to convince them he cares about their votes. But, he did insult them and paint with a broad stroke. He cannot possibly know the mind set of that many people.
“If Obama is elected again and Obama care takes full effect there will be no Medicare. Our health care system is going to be run by the government and they will decide who receives treatment and what kInd of treatment they will get. Romney isn’t against you and he doesn’t want to get rid of Medicare.”
Micheline – please check your facts. These statements are completely untrue. You can read the platforms of each candidate and there is no truth whatsoever to what you wrote here. For starters – I wish the US were getting a health care system run by the government, rather than private, for-profit enterprise. You may disagree but the idea that you are getting a government-run system under Obama could not be further from the truth. You are keeping your messed-up private insurance system that causes people like you to declare bankruptcy due to medical expenses. I guess you are happy about this, which is perfectly valid, but I would urge you to read the party platforms themselves – the actual source material – before saying things like you have written here.
Also, the only government-run medical care system you have is Medicare! So it’s confusing to read that you are afraid of a government-run health care system in the same comment where you express worry that somehow Obama is trying to get rid of Medicare, which is factually untrue. The Republican party platform talks about exchanging Medicare for private insurance “vouchers” for seniors. Again, you may decide that is a better idea than the current system, but I’d recommend getting clarity on this before entering the voting booth in a few weeks.
Hi Micheline — thanks for your comment. I always appreciate other points of view. And I appreciate the prayers and hopes for our future!
I guess what bothers me most about Romney and the GOP voices that represent the party these days is their refusal to acknowledge (or maybe believe?) that the vast majority of people *don’t* abuse the system, and that for many it has helped provide a leg up out of the unfortunate circumstances they’ve found themselves in through no fault of their own (or, admittedly, sometimes their own fault.) This is the social compact, and what we owe each other as fellow human beings.
Could the system use improvement? Could it work better and more efficiently? Is there a small percentage of people who have a victim / dependency mentality, and are abusing the system? I have no doubt.
I also have no doubt that the Bush tax cuts and wars (in combination to the financial collapse, for which deregulation by both parties and greed on the part of private corporations is responsible) have done grave harm to our nation in terms of the debt. Obama inherited this, prevented further damage via the stimulus and loans to failed banks in industries (which have repaid their debts) and brought government spending to much lower levels per capita. Admittedly, he expanded some entitlement programs, but it kept millions of families hit hardest by the recession from lapsing into poverty. (See the research and reports at http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3252)
On to healthcare reform, I don’t understand how you see it as the government taking over healthcare, or healthcare decisiosn when really it’s simply making state-run Medicaid and Medicare available to people who can’t afford private health insurance — While requiring that everyone have some form of insurance, to keep long term medical costs (including those that weigh on Medicare) and insurance prices from rising at astronomical rates. (In Massachusetts, it is working. Thanks Governor Romney!)
I’m also grateful that thanks to Obamacare, Clio (and all of us) will continue to have our private insurance even though her medical costs will be huge. They can’t kick us off. But no insurance company would agree to this without the mandate. It was part of the negotiations that led to healthcare reform.
For the sake of the future as I see it — not to mention the sake of gay rights and women’s right to safe, legal abortion and contraception — Obama will get my vote.
Thanks again for your good thoughts and prayers.
Micheline, I truly do not mean to be unkind when I say this, but if your family declared personal bankruptcy (leaving creditors on the hook) and you took 18 months of unemployment, there is no question in my mind that Romney considers you and your family part of the 47% who are “dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them.”
His words. Not mine. You have my sympathy and my compassion. You likely have the sympathy and compassion from many of the readers here.
You are going to vote for the person you believe presents the best overall vision. But I simply can not see how you think Romney and his platform are for you and Obama and his platform are against you.
If you want to know who the 47% really are, statistically, please look at this story from the Wall Street Journal:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/18/the-data-behind-romneys-47-comments/
There also was a great essay written by conservative columnist David Brooks on this same issue:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/brooks-thurston-howell-romney.html One quote: “The people who receive the disproportionate share of government spending are not big-government lovers. They are Republicans. They are senior citizens. They are white men with high school degrees. As Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution has noted, the people who have benefited from the entitlements explosion are middle-class workers, more so than the dependent poor. ”
It is not an embarrassment that the state helps people when they need help.
I have a child on the autism spectrum (his twin sister is typically developing) and both my husband and I work full time and have for many many years. I have never thought of myself as a “victim” but when when I was told that we could apply for a Deeming Waiver from the government for medicaid for my son I jumped at the chance. Like you we have private health insurance (and really good insurance to boot) and we are financially stable and are lucky to have friends and family who would help us in a pinch but the bottom line is that regardless of all that, we couldn’t possibly afford the school/therapies that are recommended for our kid without Medicaid. I don’t have an extra $50,000-100,000+ dollars laying around every year to cover what he needs. It’s not that he’s so disabled that it takes this much money, it’s that therapy is very expensive. I have no doubt that the therapist working with my son are worth every penny and I couldn’t be more thankful for them and for the fact that we can use Medicaid to help him reach his potential. I certainly don’t think I should be the only person who should be able to have this government assistance available to them…particularly those who can’t get or don’t qualify for private health insurance.
You put my own thoughts into words. On paper my family makes a great living. We live in an area with a high cost of living, though, and there are so many hidden costs that come along with Leukemia. We make too much for most assistance programs, and yet here we are living paycheck to paycheck due to the hidden costs of living with Leukemia (for YEARS). I’ve had a very hard time justifying asking for aid. And when I have gotten up the guts to ask, I’ve been turned down – by agencies as well as family.
I’m thankful for all that we have – we can make ends meet – but our world could crumble at any time. An extended stay in the hospital or even our son not being able to go to school (and thus require private child care or one of us to stop working) could ruin us quickly. Prior to the changes that Obama helped make to healthcare, I was unable to get private health insurance. I only have it through my job, and in this economy a job is never secure…mental illness is rife in my family, even though my family never stops working. We haven’t taken advantage of any systems…
Anyway, I’m rambling now, but I agree with you. 😛
A great post, Jane. In Europe we can’t believe that there are people who prefer Romney to Obama.
Don’t feel guilty. You paid taxes. You paid into the kitty. That’s what it’s there for. Perhaps you aren’t in dire straits now, but we are all better off if your credit card is clear. We are all better off if you and others like you are financially stable when your family is through this crisis.