Letter: Utah takes federal money, as long as it's not for the poor

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Utah Republican Legislature is having a rough time deciding how to expand Medicaid to help the poorest Utahns get health insurance. Gov. Gary Herbert wants to accept federal funds to cover these people.

Our great Speaker Becky Lockhart disagrees. She says it's an Obamacare expansion to get Utah hooked on federal health care dollars. I guess she knows this is tax money originally sent to the feds by Utahns, but I am not sure if she does.

I wonder what would happen if this were the Obama Developer Expansion Act offering between $500 million and $800 million to developers in Utah for various developments such as moving and building a new prison. Then would our Republican Legislature be upset? Yes, because it wouldn't be enough.

If you're poor in Utah, good luck.

Dick Dennis

Salt Lake City