Citizens Voice Worry Over Medicare Legislators Take Questions At Town Hall Meeting

FOR THE RECORD: March 7, 2000: Headline incorrect: Idaho is considering cutbacks in Medicaid programs. A headline in Sunday’s Handle section misidentified the program to be cut.

Residents seeking support for Medicaid and increased teacher pay sparked an emotional debate Saturday with area state lawmakers.

The town hall meeting, sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce, had no agenda, and it quickly turned into an issue free-for-all.

More than 100 people packed into Todd Hall on the North Idaho College campus, filling every seat.

Attending were Sens. Gordon Crow, R-Hayden; Jack Riggs, R-Coeur d’Alene; and Clyde Boatright, R-Rathdrum. Also present were Reps. Wayne Meyer, R-Rathdrum; Jeff Alltus, R-Hayden; Mary Lou Shepherd, D-Wallace; and Jim Clark, R-Hayden.

The panel fielded questions about everything from improving Highway 95 to proposed increases for hunting and fishing licenses.

But much of the debate came from people concerned about proposed cutbacks in Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides medical care for the poor, elderly and disabled.

Ernie Judd asked the lawmakers why they haven’t increased state spending on programs for the developmentally disabled since 1993.

“If education is 70 percent of the budget, it’s unfair to other areas of the state,” Judd said.

Crow responded: “The unfairness is as equal as we can make it.”

Boatright said some people have been abusing Medicaid since its inception. That’s why lawmakers are calling for an audit of the system.

“I don’t think you will see Medicaid cuts to the people who need it most,” Boatright said.

Crow said he supports the audit and wants Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s administration to refer to Medicaid reforms proposed three years ago.

“We don’t need to cut (Medicaid) and see who’s bleeding. We need to see who’s cheating and take care of that,” Crow said.

Alltus said he has had problems getting information out of state health officials.

“I may be stupid, but I didn’t hear about this until people like you told us,” he said, referring to problems with Medicaid.

Alltus also told the people to trust the hard-working lawmakers on the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee.

“If they say there needs to be a cut where there’s a lot of waste, I trust them. They will not cut necessary services.” Riggs criticized the Department of Health and Welfare as too big to handle the complicated federal rules that come with Medicaid programs.

“There is so much administrative bureaucracy, it’s hard to really figure out what is going on,” Riggs said. “They need to be closer in touch with the people who are affected.”

A teacher said she wanted to know what the lawmakers plan to do to keep good teachers in Idaho.

Clark said when the appropriations committee breaks down the state budget, some 70 percent goes to education.

“So what’s your point?” Jim Harris yelled from the back of the crowd.

“I’m just saying it’s 70 percent. You take it any way you want. Possibly, it could be out of balance,” Clark said.

Meyer added that a 5 percent shift from other departments to education would leave a 5 percent hole someplace else. “Where is it going to come from?”

Harris yelled back: “You’d rather see kids go uneducated than raise taxes.”