Senator Norment believes in political compromise. Sounds good in theory but how  has it actually worked out ? The Senator has served now for over 2 decades and from 1999-2008 Virginia’s budget doubled. Principles matter, and politicians have compromised us into a debt corner, both at the State and Federal level. Why does compromise always end in bigger government, higher taxes and more spending ? Republican progressives use this word within a context that doesn’t address why the other side never compromises.
Reluctantly Senator Norment agrees that Medicaid co-pays and cost sharing must be addressed if meaningful reform is to be achieved. Utilization is at the heart of the programs runaway costs, along with fraud that audits have uncovered in a number of other States. Eligibility requirements must be toughened along with sanctions that permanently remove a recipients eligibility when they are caught committing fraud. Cheat your fellow citizens, you’re on your own. Doctors and hospitals always treated the indigent, it was  bad  legislation legally forcing them to do so. Repeal the legislation.
He does not support Referendum reform, taking instead the apparent position that citizens are not as smart as the folks in  Richmond . Puzzling given the number of laws coming out of the G.A that could be cited as examples for why we need Referendum reform now more than ever. He  could not explain for example why it is that the 15 States  with term limits all of which were passed by Citizen Referendums, and why not 1 single state requiring that term limits be passed by the legislatures, not even 1 has done so. The evidence is overwhelming that Virginia needs Referendum reform, the sooner the better.
In Virginia ,  217% college tuition inflation over 20 years, outpacing Medical inflation, energy and CPI by wide margins, all the Senator could offer in defense of his support for more money to Higher Education was to partially blame the cuts during George Allen’s tenure as a root cause ? Subsidizing anything lends to just the opposite effect. Whether it be a commodity like sugar, who’s price would plummet absent the generous subsidies , or Lasik eye surgery ( dropping from $15,000 to $350-$400 an eye ) government funding, in all forms only distorts market forces that would lead to dramatic declines in college costs. Lasik eye surgery was never covered by Health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid–look what happened. Yes, market based reforms would indeed close quite a few schools, but there are no shortcuts to fixing this without market based reforms. A very good $5 Pizza would be a lousy $25 Pizza in a government based Pizza industry. Higher Education billed as the ticket to a prosperous nation and it’s citizenry is now the 3rd most powerful lobby and both political parties feed the beast—or else.
” I am a prolific fund raiser” the Senator stated as if it were a badge of honor . Voters need only ask why any legislator receives such generosity from anyone ?. What do those donors get in return for writing those checks ? Ask why a Wall St. Investment bank is willing to pay millions for a former Congressman ? Is it his/her Investment acumen they are buying ? If so we sure could have used them putting that skill set to work during their tenure in Congress when the National debt soared. No, we all know it is about access, and Dr. Laura Ingraham when she was in Richmond in June made it crystal clear when she coined the phrase ” donor class”. Career politicians serve those that serve them.
So long as citizens continue to elect politicians like Senator Norment things will continue towards the inevitable end, a nation and state mired in debt and continued economic decline.
Bob Shannon  King William
About Tom White
Tom is a US Navy Veteran, owns an Insurance Agency and is currently an IT Manager for a Virginia Distributor. He has been published in American Thinker, currently writes for the Richmond Examiner as well as Virginia Right! Blog. Tom lives in Hanover County, Va and is involved in politics at every level and is a Recovering Republican who has finally had enough of the War on Conservatives in progress with the Leadership of the GOP on a National Level.
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says:
We need a Republican Party that stands up for free markets, individualism, and Constitutional Government, or we don’t need them at all.
“Doctors and hospitals always treated the indigent, it was bad legislation legally forcing them to do so. Repeal the legislation.”
If doctors and hospitals always treated the indigent, then what difference does the legislation make? If they were already doing something, why did the GA pass legislation to make them do what they were already doing? Save this kind of crap for the base. Just who is it who thinks somebody else is stupid?
Bob, you are terrified that someone might get a cheeseburger and cup of coffee on your nickel.
Why didn’t you ask Safari Sen. Norment how many hours he lectures at W&M for that $60,000 a year?
Why didn’t you ask Safari Sen. Norment about the near $11 Billion increase in the current budget?
Being a prophetic fundraiser is a badge of honor in either party. You see, the way the game is played you need a Ton of money to throw lies and distortions at each other in the news media at election time.
How many veterans have been hired as assistants by the members of the Virginia GA?
What rules did the Tea Party agree to for him to appear? Besides muzzling me?
On another note. Today, I believe I saw a Mitt Romney who cannot wait to get back on the campaign trail for President. Did you?
Three things a Romney White House would do? Wipe out the middle-class, end the Tea Party, start as many more wars as possible.
http://Www.FastTerry.com
For the record the only agreement the KWTP had with Senator Norment was the same one we have for any/all elected officials or candidates. They may not take more than 4-5 minutes for their Bio and background so as much time as possible is allotted for Q & A. I doubt anyone would say he got kid glove treatment.
As for ” muzzling you” that is a joke. Anyone in the room saw your interrupting others without any regard that everyone has a right to ask a question. Normal courtesy requires no one person be permitted to dominate the discussion. You forget that at times.
Any number of questions didn’t get asked because of the limited time 50 minutes. We literally could keep someone there all night but that isn’t realistic.
To the issue of repealing legislation forcing medical providers to treat anyone walking in , it goes to the issue of what it adds to the cost, primarily in the area of liability insurance. When anything is perceived as “free” it gets wasted. My point was when someone was legitimately sick they got treatment. We didn’t have people dying in the streets as some would suggest. I won’t deny that money always allows for one person getting better treatment than someone without comparable resources. That is no different in the nations that have your vaunted universal health care either. The rich and others will always have that advantage regardless.
I believe most reading my post would say I addressed the issue of career politicians on “easy street”. Norments “safari” you mention but I seem to recall ( and I am supportive of a outright ban on all gifts/trips/tickets etc ) former Governor and now U.S. Senator Kaine taking a expensive Carribean vacation a few years ago that was reported after the fact when the McDonnell fiasco was unfolding. Both parties politicians do this stuff, and have done it for longer than we care to recall. The question is ” when is it ever a good idea for elected officials to take any kind of gratuity” under any circumstances.
I think on that point you and I would agree.
Bob Shannon
Just for the record, I submitted a list of questions in advance to Norment’s office? I called the Senators office and asked if it would be okay if I submitted a list of questions in advance and was told yes it would be, and I was told which email address to use. I did not get any answers to those questions in the meeting, and I have received no reply, or any answers to any of my questions by email since. I can forward that e mail to you if you would like.
In regards to your reply about repealing legislation on treating the indigent. Why weren’t you working just as hard to end the $85 Billion a month in QE going to Wall St.? Quit picking on the poor and middle-class Bob.
Speaking of Sen. Kaine, one wonders if he would have gotten the same ass kissing show as Norment did?
Whenever a Republican gets caught with their hand in the tax payer cookie jar, their allies rally to their defense by saying some Democrat used to do it also? This is all any Republican seems to think is required to make whatever dirty deed they got caught at righteous????
And another thing Bob, do you or any of your family, or any of your relatives, profit in anyway from the healthcare industry? Jobs? Why not let’s start finding out who stands to lose financially from Obamacare?
Just remember Bob, in Canada a quality college education cost 25% of what it cost in the United States. In Canada quality health care is available and affordable. And, of the 33 civilized/industrialized countries in the world, the only one that does not have universal healthcare is the United States. And that includes Switzerland.
Why aren’t Canadian doctors immigrating to the United States in droves Bob? I think it’s actually the other way around, there are more American doctors immigrating to Canada?
What is the tea party solution to having those things available in the United States?