Health Insurance

My tonsils are painfully swollen today. I am full of aches and pains and feverish and terribly crabby. Most of my crabbiness stems from that fact that I have no real options for taking care of this. My previous employer did not offer health insurance, so I have been on my own since February. The bright side is that my current employer does offer health insurance... in two more months. Which really doesn't help my current situation. But, it is something to look forward to all the same.

However, the plight of those without health insurance is really of no concern to our current government. More specifically, to our president, who gave a mighty slap in the face to children with no health care options this week when he vetoed a bill (for the SECOND time) that would expand government health care for children. The funding would have come from a huge increase in cigarette taxes- $0.61 on the dollar. To me, this is a win/win situation. Fund children's health care with taxes from a disgusting, life-endangering habit? Cool- not only are you taking care of kids with no other options, you are also making cigarettes more unaffordable for the masses of smokers in this country. Most will still be too stubborn to quit, but you never know- these taxes might deter a few, and still leave enough to fund the bill.

So what is it, Mr. Bush? Do you hate kids? Love smokers? Or are you a dirty pawn for the tobacco industry? Whichever it is, I doubt it will help your rapidly declining popularity!

Sigh.

Is it January 2009 yet?