The full moon cast shadows while hundreds upon hundreds of fireflies lit up the tangle of brush next to the creek.
My late evening walk Wednesday night took me down Cliff Cave Road, towards the park. I walked that area before, so, I planned my route for that memorable image.
Such natural glory come free – except that it’s not.
To live within walking distance of this wonder requires a residence in Oakville. To walk without fear after 11:00 p.m. requires a very safe neighborhood. To undertake a two and a half mile walk among the hills and valleys requires strong legs and pretty good health.
According to the latest from the county assessor, Oakville keeps getting ritzier (preventing additional riffraff like me from joining the community). In other words, a way better than median income. Yes, crime exists down here but random street violence remains incomprehensible. And, well, per report after report on American’s habits, the majority of even my neighbors could not routinely walk (without rest breaks) over two miles.
What is free to me remains unobtainable to many if not most.
That’s why Wednesday’s court ruling by Judge Jon Beetem – Republican of Cole County – bothers me. Missouri voters enacted Medicaid Expansion by placing it in the state’s Constitution. The goal simple, to offer working class folks needed, decent health care. Yet, Beetem disregarded that technicality.
Having considered the interaction between Amendment 2, Missouri’s appropriations law, and substantive Medicaid law which the Cody court declined to do, the Court concludes that Amendment 21 indirectly requires the appropriation of revenues not created by this initiative and it therefore unconstitutional under Article III, section 51 of the Missouri Constitution. Accordingly, the Court declines to order implementation of Medicaid Expansion as requested in Count I [of the pro-expansion lawsuit].
Having found that the initiative adopted by the people violates the Article III, section 51 of the Missouri Constitution and therefore is unconstitutional, the Court denies County II as moot.
Final Judgment, Doyle, et al v. Tidball, et al
Your grandchild asks you to buy them an ice cream cone. You reject the request because the child failed to specify where you would get the money for the cone.
The five page ruling omits two items I think extremely pertinent:
- The same state bureaucracy which attacked the expansion in court reviewed and approved the language of the initiative. If there was a problem, why did the Secretary of State and the Attorney General not raise it prior to the collection of signatures?
- Medicaid Expansion will provide health care to people with serious medical conditions: each day without care may hasten death or lessen quality of life. Ought that be a consideration for the court?
So, weather permitting, again tonight I will walk about enjoying the moonlight and the fireflies. Meanwhile, most won’t have that free luxury. And, at least 275,000 of our Missouri neighbors will go to sleep with out full access to health care.
Glenn Koenen