At last night’s meeting of the Buncombe County Commissioners I went through the routine of turning my face red and flipping my pen. It’s something I do when people are lying to me. The gist of the conversation was that the shutdown was harming the needy in Buncombe County. I would not argue that the needy must be assisted, but I differed with those having the conversation about who was needy.
Chair David Gantt noted that the number of TANF recipients in the county decreased from about 8000 in 1996 to 341 today, and that welfare recipients are no longer rewarded for having children. Still, half of the county was billed as needy. 24% of county residents receive food stamps. More received WIC. Children eat universal free breakfast in public schools and may qualify for “free or reduced” lunches. Although there is some overlap, about 10% of the population receives Medicaid, and Buncombe’s elderly population is eligible for aging in place services. Needs of more residents are met through veterans’ benefits, subsidized daycare, family planning, and other programs.
The commissioners named no names, but blamed the partisans who were playing games in Washington for causing so many needy people to suffer. Holly Jones was clear. It is the shutdown that created these perilous circumstances, and thus it is safe to infer Abomicare will meet America’s healthcare needs, and those pesky little debt problems aren’t even worth a sneeze. Commissioner Mike Fryar did say he was not about to raise taxes on those who were not receiving federal subsidies, and Jones argued the county’s needs were so great, only the federal government could intervene.
