Politically savvy tack

I’ve read the last several articles pertaining to the number of people involuntarily kicked off the Arkansas Medicaid “Arkansas Works” program. In the defense of Governor Hutchinson, if you’re going to give the top 1 percent of Arkansans a tax break, you’ve got to trim the fat somewhere.

That said, no one (even John Brummett) could have known what was in the governor’s heart or mind when he chose this route on Arkansas Medicaid. He may be correct in surmising that the Republican Legislature might have wanted even more draconian means to take away health-care insurance from poor people.

Whatever the case may be, if the intent was indeed to trim the rolls and make getting insurance through the program a nightmare, he could not have picked a better conduit to do it through than the Arkansas Department of Human Services, likely the most inept, inefficient, and horribly run agency in the state. The Arkansas Department of Transportation could do a better job. We’re talking about a department that could mess up boiled water. You can’t get a live person to walk you through the process, and a computer website that closes at 9 p.m.? You’ve got to be kidding.

So congrats to Asa, in his final term, for a politically savvy tactic. As to all you sick, poor people? Suck it up, walk to work, borrow a computer, and wait till the next enrollment period.

ANTHONY LLOYD

Hot Springs