Alaska Governor Sean Parnell rejects federal money to expand medicaid, and by doing so denies health care to ten of thousands of Alaskans, because he claims the government might not keep its promise. No, seriously!

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

Alaska will align with states declining federal money to expand Medicaid when it becomes available next year, possibly costing the state hundreds of millions in federal funding and denying health-care coverage to tens of thousands of low-income Alaskans. 

The move by Parnell puts Alaska in the company of a shrinking number of states rejecting an expansion of Medicaid, the federal health care program for the poor. In the last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, both Republicans, have announced support for expanding Medicaid in their states. 

While some legislators called the action "a mistake," they said it was unlikely to be challenged. 

Parnell told reporters Thursday that he met with U.S. of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to voice concerns about the expansion and he said Alaska would not accept the money when it becomes available. 

"I told the secretary that I was very concerned about expanding Medicaid --where the federal government could renege on its promise to fund the lion's share of any Medicaid expansion," Parnell said.

Wait, what? Why would Parnell be concerned that the Federal government, you know the government that essentially has supported the state of Alaska since it first attained statehood, would renege on its promise to provide the funds?  

Parnell said he's concerned that the federal government is careening from crisis to crisis and may not live up to its obligations. Calling the federal government "broken and broke," Parnell said battles over the fiscal cliff, sequestration and budgets cast doubt on its ability to meet its commitments.

Oh, I get it. So since the Republican party is doing everything in their power to disrupt the ability of the government to function, this Republican governor can then reject this money, and keep tens of thousands of Alaskans from receiving health care benefits, while blaming it on the Feds.

Fucking piece of shit!

I would like to remind everybody that Parnell's predecessor did muhc the same kind of thing by rejecting money from the 2009 stimulus bill.

Ultimately of course her veto was overridden.