As pessimistic as I am about governance in Virginia (see the previous post), I do see occasional rays of hope. The House of Delegates is exploring ways to run government more efficiently, and it’s doing some pretty good work. If there’s any hope for controlling government spending in Virginia, citizens will have to look to the House. The State Senate, by contrast, has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Virginia’s special interests and has shown no interest in anything but raising taxes to feed those interests.
A House Republican task force is developing innovative strategies for moderating increases in Medicaid spending while ensuring the quality of care for Virginia’s poor. Options include health savings accounts, disease-management programs, creating incentives for long-term care insurance, and cracking down on those who transfer their assets to their children so they can throw themselves on the public dole.
For details, read the column published by Del. Phil Hamilton, R-Newport News, in the current edition of Bacon’s Rebellion.
