This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I salute Rep. Paul Ray's statements concerning the constant drumbeat for expansion of Medicaid in Utah. As a CPA and personal financial specialist, I remind us all of Money Truth No. 1: "There will never be enough."
Legislators know this best as they work to allocate limited resources to do the most good. Utah is known as one of the most fiscally sound states in the nation. Why? Because we elect folks like Ray to make these tough decisions. This election produced a conservative U.S. president, House and Senate. Thirty-three governors and 68 of 98 state legislative chambers are now conservative.
Accordingly, I don't think that our elected officials are alone in the belief that government is not the fiscal answer to every social problem: The hard reality is you cannot impoverish the state's taxpayers and expect that there will be "enough."
Look at many states that expanded Medicaid: The predicted impact to their budgets for their share of Medicaid costs was wildly understated. They must now live with this escalating cost by sending the bill to their taxpayers or sacrifice other needed programs. I appreciate legislators like Ray who are on the front lines making these tough decisions.
Jerry E. Randall
Washington