The Disaster That is Mitt Romney's Healthcare Policy
by Jonathan Singer, Tue Nov 21, 2006 at 04:10:44 PM EST
So, Mitt Romney believes he will be able to run on his healthcare achievements? Wrong. The AP is reporting that the state-run hospitals are turning away new patients due to budget cuts mandated by the none other than the Governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Romney.
State psychiatric hospitals will begin turning away new patients on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, in response to emergency budget cuts issued earlier this month by Gov. Mitt Romney.The cuts will force the elimination of 170 Department of Mental Health staff positions, including staffers who provide care to hundreds of emotionally disturbed children and teens.
[...]
"These are the unkindest cuts imaginable, and their timing is hard to fathom," Massachusetts Hospital Association President Ron Hollander said in a written statement. "We implore the governor to restore these essential services to the people who depend on DMH."
David Matteodo, head of the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems, said the chronically and severely disabled will be denied the critical care they need.
"That is the harsh consequence of these cuts, which will be imposed on a mental health system that is already under tremendous strain," he said.
With disastrous policies like these, it's no wonder Romney didn't even attempt a run for reelection and that he is now the third most unpopular governor in the nation with a disapproval rating of 65 percent. And it is not just Democrats who find Romney's brand of cynicism and pandering to the ultra-right offensive. Sixty-one percent of the commonwealth's independent voters, who by far make up the largest voting bloc, disapprove of Romney. This number is up eleven points in just the last month. Even Romney's 75 percent approval rating among Republicans and his 66 percent approval rating among conservatives leave much to want for a candidate intending to secure the GOP presidential nomination by playing the part of the movement conservative.
Tags: 2008 GOP Primary, Mitt Romney, Republicans (all tags)









27 Comments