Beshear pledges free health care to all blacks (Lexington, Louisville: health insurance, home)

[Oldhag1]

Beshear says state will put resources into making sure all black residents have health insurance

What the........?

Kentucky is home to one of the most impoverished, medically underserved regions in the nation and that region is not in Jefferson County, Fayette County, Northern Kentucky, Hardin County, Christian County or the western tip, which combined is where 85+% of all Kentucky’s black population live. No, instead that region is Eastern Kentucky, where it would be nice if he’d pledge to provide resources to get any kind of access to medical care.

How does he justify pledging such a significant portion of the state resources to only be eligible for 8.5% of the state’s population? This can not even be legal.

[prairiestate]

So, you vote for Trump, you vote for Republican legislators, who all oppose universal healthcare. Yet you admit the residents of Kentucky are woefully lacking in healthcare, and are now pissed that African American residents might receive universal healthcare. Just...wow. Think about this, and see if you can process all the things that are wrong.

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

So, you vote for Trump, you vote for Republican legislators, who all oppose universal healthcare. Yet you admit the residents of Kentucky are woefully lacking in healthcare, and are now pissed that African American residents might receive universal healthcare. Just...wow. Think about this, and see if you can process all the things that are wrong.

First of all, I did not vote for Trump, and this is not about Trump or the US as a whole, only Kentucky, so just take that off the table. Second, I am black. Third, did you blow right past the part where there are places in Kentucky that accessing medical care is not possible, whether you have the money to pay for it or not, because it simply does not exist in a one to two hour driving distance? There is no public transportation and many who live in those truly impoverished areas do not have the non-medical resources (i.e. gas money, a reliable vehicle, or someone available with a valid driver’s license) to just get to a doctor or clinic for routine care, let alone extra testing or specialists. In other words, there are parts of this state where for the average resident the volunteer fire department is their medical care. Even the wealthiest people in the area have to hope Larry Joe’s yearly first aid/CPR class is good enough to help them survive the ambulance trip to Pikeville, Ashland, Lexington, or Knoxville in an emergency.

So yes, I am pissed that the governor of this state wants to use our limited resources to provide universal care for select residents, based on something as arbitrary as the color of their skin, when there are residents who have access to NO care at all. Priorities, my friend, priorities and when it comes to taxpayer resources I do not base on my priorities on who looks most like me but rather on who is in the most desperate need.

[censusdata]

I support some type of public insurance for all who can not get insurance through work or their parents. And there are health problems among Blacks that stem from denial of health care in past due to blatant discrimination. However, the wording of Beshear's statement makes it sound like all Black people are on govt assistant and won't have insurance without govt giving it to them. Most Black people are middle class and have health insurance through work just like everyone else. I hope he issues a statement clarifying what he meant.

[Electrician4you]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

So, you vote for Trump, you vote for Republican legislators, who all oppose universal healthcare. Yet you admit the residents of Kentucky are woefully lacking in healthcare, and are now pissed that African American residents might receive universal healthcare. Just...wow. Think about this, and see if you can process all the things that are wrong.

Can you process that you can’t attempt to stop racism and discrimination and discriminatory practices by starting off by being discriminatory in reverse. What about the Asians, Indians, whites, Hispanics, that live in Kentucky? You don’t start the elimination of racism and discrimination by alienation and discrimination of the other races/ethnicities that live in that state.

[marino760]

I don't see how favoring one race over another by giving a specific race free healthcare and not everyone else can be Constitutional. Let him try to do this and we'll see how quickly he gets shot down.

[Fleura123]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

First of all, I did not vote for Trump, and this is not about Trump or the US as a whole, only Kentucky, so just take that off the table. Second, I am black. Third, did you blow right past the part where there are places in Kentucky that accessing medical care is not possible, whether you have the money to pay for it or not, because it simply does not exist in a one to two hour driving distance? There is no public transportation and many who live in those truly impoverished areas do not have the non-medical resources (i.e. gas money, a reliable vehicle, or someone available with a valid driver’s license) to just get to a doctor or clinic for routine care, let alone extra testing or specialists. In other words, there are parts of this state where for the average resident the volunteer fire department is their medical care. Even the wealthiest people in the area have to hope Larry Joe’s yearly first aid/CPR class is good enough to help them survive the ambulance trip to Pikeville, Ashland, Lexington, or Knoxville in an emergency.

So yes, I am pissed that the governor of this state wants to use our limited resources to provide universal care for select residents, based on something as arbitrary as the color of their skin, when there are residents who have access to NO care at all. Priorities, my friend, priorities and when it comes to taxpayer resources I do not base on my priorities on who looks most like me but rather on who is in the most desperate need.

Absolutely. I've read many articles about the living conditions in places like Breathitt county. I feel sorry for these people. They deserve help and compassion.

The governor's plan is racism at its worst. It is likely going to backfire. Let's just ask this: if his goals were to divide Blacks and non-Blacks, and to create hostility against Blacks, what else would he do ? I mean, his plan is an excellent way to achieve these goals.

[marino760]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

First of all, I did not vote for Trump, and this is not about Trump or the US as a whole, only Kentucky, so just take that off the table. Second, I am black. Third, did you blow right past the part where there are places in Kentucky that accessing medical care is not possible, whether you have the money to pay for it or not, because it simply does not exist in a one to two hour driving distance? There is no public transportation and many who live in those truly impoverished areas do not have the non-medical resources (i.e. gas money, a reliable vehicle, or someone available with a valid driver’s license) to just get to a doctor or clinic for routine care, let alone extra testing or specialists. In other words, there are parts of this state where for the average resident the volunteer fire department is their medical care. Even the wealthiest people in the area have to hope Larry Joe’s yearly first aid/CPR class is good enough to help them survive the ambulance trip to Pikeville, Ashland, Lexington, or Knoxville in an emergency.

So yes, I am pissed that the governor of this state wants to use our limited resources to provide universal care for select residents, based on something as arbitrary as the color of their skin, when there are residents who have access to NO care at all. Priorities, my friend, priorities and when it comes to taxpayer resources I do not base on my priorities on who looks most like me but rather on who is in the most desperate need.

I can't give you any more positive reps because I'm not allowed, but thank you for one of the most thoughtfully well written posts I've read in a long time.

[rstevens62]

Im white. but imo, the black people DO deserve to have free healthcare, (although I do admit its going to be tough to ensure they can all take advantage of it, when they live in some of the more rural counties).


Blacks have been treated unfairly for decades and a good deal of that systematic racism still persists today even, we see that in our modern drug laws...these are laws rooted in pure racism, that are still being enforced today! Even the laws against Opium, were due to concerns over what minorities could do to white women and white jobs, Please give an example of one other law that is still around, that is rooted in such extreme racism!


Govt has admitted these laws were born of racism, but even during Obamas term, NOTHING was done to abolish them, heck, some of the toughest drug laws in history were created under Obama (prescription opioid laws), so the notion that democrats are any better on this is nonsense.

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by rstevens62

Im white. but imo, the black people DO deserve to have free healthcare, (although I do admit its going to be tough to ensure they can all take advantage of it, when they live in some of the more rural counties).


Blacks have been treated unfairly for decades and a good deal of that systematic racism still persists today even, we see that in our modern drug laws...these are laws rooted in pure racism, that are still being enforced today! Even the laws against Opium, were due to concerns over what minorities could do to white women and white jobs, Please give an example of one other law that is still around, that is rooted in such extreme racism!


Govt has admitted these laws were born of racism, but even during Obamas term, NOTHING was done to abolish them, heck, some of the toughest drug laws in history were created under Obama (prescription opioid laws), so the notion that democrats are any better on this is nonsense.

We don’t “deserve” it any more than any other citizen. Providing a highly desired commodity based strictly on race is discrimination. It wasn’t right in 1820, it wasn’t right in 1920, and it still isn’t right in 2020. Switching the races given the goodies and those denied them does not magically made it okay.

And, ahem.... most of Kentucky’s African-Americans live in Jefferson (Louisville) - 52.5%, Fayette (Lexington) - 16.7%, along with Warren (Bowling Green) and Kenton County (Cincinnati suburbs) - roughly 8% and 6% respectfully.

Hardin (home of Fort Knox) and Christian (home of Fort Campbell) Counties combined make up 13.2% of Kentucky’s black population but the overwhelming number of those individuals are military or military dependents, who already have available, affordable access to medical care.

Frankfurt is next in line but now we are talking less than 2% or so. In other words, just over 96% of Kentucky’s blacks (myself included) live in the places in Kentucky with the best access to medical care - as in the places where the people in the rest of the state have to travel to get it anything beyond routine doctor appointments.