Russell Pearce: We don’t need your stinking $7 billion in health care money!

by David Safier

I'm not an economist, and I don't play one on this blog. But Russell Pearce is no economist either.

Logic tells this non-economist that $7 billion flowing into Arizona means a whole lot of jobs, which also means a whole lot of money buying goods and services. People and businesses benefit.

To put it another way, taking $7 billion out of Arizona means a whole lot of lost jobs, which also means a whole lot less money buying goods and services. People and businesses suffer.

Pearce doesn't see it that way. He says we need to cut the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) way back, even if it takes us out of compliance with the Feds and means they won't put their $7 billion contribution into the program.

Here is Pearce's irrefutable logic — and by irrefutable, I mean, you can't refute something that makes absolutely no sense.

"If we're saving (state) money, the fact we lose some federal money means nothing," he said. "If you can't afford Dillard's, even though they're having a great sale, you can't afford Dillard's."

I guess, if government money doesn't create jobs (that's a Republican truism which every government employed legislator and legislative aide should think about carefully when they pick up their salaries at the end of the month), the $7 billion doesn't create any jobs. It doesn't keep doctors and nurses and other medical support people and pharmacies and medical supply people working. The jobs it doesn't create don't put money in the pockets of all those people and businesses which are spent on food and clothing and supplies which keeps others working and other businesses up and running

Russell Pearce, the President of the Senate, is the most powerful politician in Arizona. Brewer isn't even close.