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Gov. Jim Gibbons
Monday, Dec. 21, 2009 | 6:03 p.m.
CARSON CITY — Gov. Jim Gibbons attacked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care bill today, saying that it will bankrupt Nevada state government and accusing the Nevada Democrat of putting “his national political ambitions ahead of Nevada, this time on Christmas Eve.”
In a strongly worded press release, Gibbons took aim at the bill being shepherded by Reid, which cleared a key hurdle to passage this weekend.
“Senator Reid is wishing Nevadans a Merry Christmas with a smile on his face and a knife in our backs,” Gibbons said in the press release. He called it “irresponsible legislation,” “shameful,” and accused Reid of “cooking the books.”
Gibbons said the bill will cost Nevada state government $613 million in state general fund dollars because of the expansion of Medicaid and mandate that people have health insurance, which state officials expect to increase the number of people on public health insurance.
Earlier this month the state Department of Health and Human Services estimated the Senate health care bill would cost the state general fund $613 million over six years, beginning in 2014. The bill as written now would cover increased costs to states for the first three years, and cover 85 percent of costs after that. But in an effort to secure the vote of Democratic Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, Reid offered the senator’s state full 100 percent funding for the Medicaid expansion for the indefinite future.
Gibbons took issue with that deal. “Maybe he should move to Nebraska where he can do less harm to Nevada.”
Reid defended the compromise this weekend after he unveiled the bill. “That’s what legislation is all about. It’s compromise,” he told reporters.
Jon Summers, Reid’s spokesman, attacked Gibbons’ credibility and accused him of “using his official office to parrot national Republican talking points.”
“Based on how Jim Gibbons has run this state, whatever he is against is probably good for Nevada,” Summers wrote in an e-mail. “This bill lowers premiums for Nevadans by as much as $1,600 a year, provides tax credits for 24,000 Nevada businesses, extends the life of Medicare by nearly a decade, and provides access to health care for more than half a million uninsured Nevadans.”
Both Reid and Gibbons are up for reelection, and both suffer from poor poll numbers. But while Reid has a sizable campaign war chest, Gibbons has seen most of Nevada’s Republican establishment abandon him. Harry Reid’s son, Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, is running to replace Gibbons.
Reid’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Good old Jim. Sharp as an eraser. Can't we just get him an old squeeze, and send him on his way? I don't think even the Harry haters really can stand Gibby...
How many more cuts will be made to our Universities and schools because harry Reid wanted to win one for the party? This pass any bill and call it a win mentality will hurt every public employee in Nevada as the budgets are cut to pay for this. The Reid tax bill will raise premiums to everyone already paying for their own and tax the premiums of many Nevada workers so Obama can look good on the south side of Chicago.
Dump Reid 2010, it is the only solution
Gibbons and Sexual Predator John Ensign have nothing to offer but lies and perversion
Was this per chance by text?
Bailouts of the Banks, the greedy jerks thathelped put us where we are today. The reason?, so they would start to lend again to help the people. They took the money and ran.
Bailout the Auto Industry, and now the cherry in a bailout of the Health Industry. And still no work and all the fools that voted for this *&^ looking to be in trouble for a very long, long time.
Gym Gibbons cares NOT about you. Gym Gibbons cares ONLY about Gym Gibbons. If he's hollering now, it's because he thinks it will help him politically to do so.
Gibby "the blockhead" is talking just to be talking. He's a short time governor who has absolutely NO CHANGE of winning re-election next year.
His own party would love to see him simply disappear....
Jim is right!
Here is how to settle this: let's have Harry and Jim lace up the gloves and meet in the center of a 16-foot square ring. May the best liar win!
Why doesn't Gibbons shut up already, his opinion is worth as much as a bogus 3 dollar bill.
He's not exactly a paragon of virtue and honesty.
The Health Care Bill will cost the Federal Government bnot the state of Nevada.
Gibbons contributes to the usual rightwing false scare tactics.
This story is reflective of Reid's vulnerability.
At least Gibbons put his political career on the line to try to protect Nevadans from excessive tax increases. Just wait til you see what humongous tax increases Harry has in store for you.....you won't be so happy!!
Hey taxes are good if they help poor people caron
Why is Jim Gibbons worrying about the cost of health care in Nevada??
There is no health care in Nevada. He pretty much cut it to the bone.
Why worry about the General Fund, Jim Gibbons?
When you are finished decimating our beloved state there will be no General Fund.
No General Fund! But!! No New Taxes, by golly!!
now that his wife lives in a shack in the back yard...
is that little gibbons monkey sleeping with anybody???
Birdie: Same comments as yesterday? Is that like Gibbons? Talking to be Talking?
If the state is in trouble then everyone who lives here is in trouble. Let all Nevada residents help out. Would that mean taxes to help all get thru? But NO NEW TAXES Gibbons will let the state fall down before doing the right thing? Just wondering.
I guess Gibbons should have tried to stay in congress if he wanted to vote on the health car bill.
Of course, between the VA, his term in congress, and terms in the legislature and governor in Nevada, Gibbons already had government-provided health care for the rest of his life. Gibbons doesn't have to worry about the other residents of Nevada or the fact the a huge number of residents have no medical insurance for them or their children.
Huge compassion and empathy in that man.
Gibby is like a boat with out a motor. He has NOTHING going for himself. His wife is taking him to the "cleaners," and the voters will throw him in the crapper come next November....
Many in the Republican Party would be very happy if he just disappeared....Hmmmmmm....a man with out a party.... a man with out a state....
Note to Gibbons: Shut up!
Just shut up!
Don't open your stupid mouth and just shut up.
You have no platform to speak from. As the worst governor in the history of Nevada you need to shut up.
Your low I.Q. alone should have embarrassed you enough by now in life that you should have learned to just shut up.
If you need to speak send your weirdo patsy press boy, Burns, to speak for you. He's not much smarter but at least he can form a sentence.
If the Sun had an "IQ" requirement, 95% of the comments in these little boxes would be empty.
How in the world did this clown ever get elected govenor? His record stands as testimony to his incompetence and disregard for the people his is supposed to serve. I cannot wait until he is out of office.
Voters in any other state would have long ago recalled such an empty-headed mirror lover. But in Nevada, he's still joy-riding around in a limo chasin' skirts.
Gibbons!??!?! .......BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Jim Gibbons who?
Whether you like or dislike Gov. Gibbons is not the issue. The man is telling you what this new healthcare legislation is going to do to Nevada. Just because you don't like him doesn't make the message true or false.
"Gibbons said the bill will cost Nevada state government $613 million in state general fund dollars because of the expansion of Medicaid and mandate that people have health insurance, which state officials expect to increase the number of people on public health insurance."
Appears to be an accurate assumption to me. Why are all the Liberals so uptight. They don't want the truth to come out?
I guess Liberals don't want the citizens of Nevada to know the truth because Harry is the truth...
Gov. Gibbons reminds me of Mayor Goodman, they are both rebels and don't have much use for the fluff of politics (b.s.).
I would rather be told up front than lied to until the truth is discovered.
Dumb cowboy? Boy, Liberals just love to attack and name call those who have different political beliefs then their own.
Governor Gibbons stated that the Obama Health Care Bill will cost Nevada taxpayers 613 million dollars for the expansion of Medicaid.
Again, I guess Liberals just cant stand the truth...
someone get Big John Ensign from underneath a skirt and listen to his take on health care
I'm sick and tired of Republicans that are against anything and everything President Obama is trying to do. I don't believe this Health Care Reform bill is the best they can do, but it's most likely the best they could get past with all the partisan fighting. I think it's time to tell Washington that we want them to stop the "Us vs. Them" fighting and remember that "WE" elected them to office to do whats best for the American people and if they can't do that then it's time to throw them ALL out of office and elect new people that will.
Australia tried to enact Universal Health care in the mid-70's and failed. The threw out almost all their elected officials and elected new ones and passed Universal Health care. According the the World Health Organization, The UK, France, Canada, Australia, Italy and Germany all have better health care systems than the US and they spend less. What's the difference? The profit motive has been removed and they have Universal Health Care. Open to all people in the country, not just the rich. Whenever you hear Rush or any of the other idiots on talk radio, just remember they have advertisers and some of their advertisers are insurance companies. We need to make sure our elected officials don't hold the needs of their "advertisers" above the people that elected them. Just think how much better and less expensive health care would be if BILLIONS of dollars each year weren't going into the pockets of insurance CEO's and execs. It's not about politics, it's about money and elected prostitutes... , sorry, ...officials that would rather take money than serve the people that elected them.
AmericanMan is sick and tired and needs the assistance of a government health care worker.
Sorry, they all have the next few days off because it is a holiday for government workers. So the "Man" will have to wait in line at a private owned health care facility to tend to his medical needs.
According the the World Health Organization, kinda says it all...
Gibbons is a homewrecker: he ruins state worker's lives and he should go fall in a ditch.
Governor Gibbons stated that the Obama Health Care Bill will cost Nevada taxpayers 613 million dollars for the expansion of Medicaid.
Again, I guess Liberals just cant stand the truth...
I did not know I had true colors...
Ignorance (spelled with an "a") is the height of my ambitions...
Idiotology must be a new word for our Liberal friends...
Americanman; I have an uncle that has lived in Australia for about 20 years, he is a teacher. He has a medical condition that causes him substantial pain. He had been trying to get a diagnosis for over two years. About two or three months ago he went to Holland for an MRI.
With all the hide and seek going on with healthcare it is entirely possible that this could happen here.
Hey this guy Gibbons he have some issues. But he is good, and he likes Mexican people, I think. But I would rather have somone like Reid Jr in charge. I think he would watch out for me a little better
Jaun, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Harry did not bring you and your family free health insurance this year.
Not only will you not get free health insurance, now you are going to have to purchase it yourself or be fined. If you don't pay your fine, the government will get a judgment against you and file a lien on your house. Then, the government might sell your house to pay the fine.
You will need to show your health insurance card just like your auto insurance card to get a car licensed or tag renewal.. Again you get stopped by the police and don't have a health insurance card, your car may be impounded and sold to pay the storage fee...
So, when you crossed the Border from Mexico over eight years ago with nothing on your back except for a "USA All the Way" t-shirt, you will be headed back the same direction with only a t-shirt that says "I went to Vegas and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."
Sorry, but Harry did it...
Gibbons never cooked the books when he was in Congress? You republican hypocrites need to get your stories straight. Or your lies.
ecm, and by Holland I assume you mean Netherlands. They have a mandatory health insurance system almost exactly like the current Health Care bill the House and Senate are working on. I know someone here in the US that had been paying tons of money to the insurance companies for the better part of 20 years with little results. The doctors knew what was wrong, it's just that the insurance companies refused to pay for treatment. The big complaint Republicans have is that government will get between doctors and people needing treatment. I'd rather have that then the money grubbing insurance companies that deny treatment to make their stockholders a little richer getting between my doctor and me.
So how much did your uncle spend in the Netherlands and did they fix his problem?
Gibbons needs to be removed from office. He is an embarrassment to his state.