Praise for Senator’s Unselfish Principles (Feedback)

Cecile Bledsoe

Dear Editor:

The Arkansas Business editorial titled “A Lesson in Logic” is indeed interesting. It seems the editorial writer is somewhat critical of state Sen. Cecile Bledsoe because she has promised to vote against the “private option” now revised and called “Arkansas Works.”

The editorialist’s logic seems to be that because Bledsoe and her family are paid substantial sums by the state of Arkansas that that should be the reason for Bledsoe to vote for Arkansas Works because that will allow Arkansas to receive about $100 million in federal funds from a bankrupt country in debt in excess of $19 trillion.

It appears to me Bledsoe is to be congratulated for voting for principles instead of selfishly caving in because not voting for Arkansas Works might make the state look harder on budget items.

So many of the pushers of Arkansas Works seem to be obsessed with getting money from the feds. They say if we don’t take the money, it will go to other states like California or New York. Not so. If we refuse the funds, additional funds will not necessarily go to other states. In fact, states surrounding Arkansas have turned down federal money for Medicaid expansion. Are they so stupid and we so smart?

Come on. Let’s show a little independence and show we can adjust our budget and use some ideas to reduce medical costs. Yes, I have some of those ideas.

Let’s not continue to live on the federal government’s teat and leave it up to the other guy to do what is right.

Jerry B. Jackson
Heber Springs