BY SARAH ROSS
SALEM- Governor Ted Kulongoski and Attorney General John Kroger announced Wednesday their intentions to proceed with legal action supporting the recently passed federal health care reform.
“Oregon has been a leader in expanding access to health care while containing costs, and the bill passed by Congress and signed by the President is essential for states like Oregon to advance this goal,” said Gov. Kulongoski.
Kroger is the first Attorney General to announce that he will be taking legal action to support the legislation. The Oregon Department of Justice now will proceed with working to create a coalition of states to file an amicus brief.
“Opponents of the bill seek to turn back the Constitutional clock 100 years, returning to a time when the United States Supreme Court routinely struck down legislation designed to protect the health, safety and well-being of the American people,” Kroger added. “As an Attorney General and law professor, I think it is critical that the courts hear not just from the opponents of the health care legislation, but from those states that believe it is constitutional.”
The Communications Director for the Department of Justice, Tony Green, stated that the Department is looking into ways of paying for this action that will not take money away from the State’s other agencies, but instead will pay for it internally.
I currently suffer the misfortune of living in what has, in my lifetime, become one of the most liberal states in this great country of ours. It makes me cringe to hear that Atty. Gen. Kroger will file a brief in support of any mandate handed down by the federal government, especially the health care mandate, when it is certain that it will negatively impact our states feeble economy.
It is my belief that this is nothing more than an effort to attract the attention of the media, which I’m certain it will. It shows the lengths that the current leadership of our state will go to pander to the media and the Democratic party. It also shows their disregard of the citizens they govern.
Thank you for joining in the legal action against the government. I was going to write you and ask why you are not part of the process until I read your response. Once again, THANK YOU
Three cheers for Oregon!
John Kroger, as the Attorney General of the State of Oregon, is the attorney for the State and the people of the state. By using his office to support federal legislation, he is working outside the scope of his position. We, as taxpayers, are paying Mr. Kroger to now work for the interest of the federal government rather than for the interest of the State. This is fraud and he should be removed from office.
now we are expected to pay for Oregon to take legal action in support of this pork bill, when we cant even pay for our schools. please get our priorities in check and listen to the people.
This is outrageous. The people in this country don’t support it, and it completely trashes the U.S. Constitution… yet they will push, at our expense… to help push this along. Oregon’s liberal ignorance only seems to keep getting worse… when it is hard to believe that it can even get any worse. Thanks for letting the people know who you really stand for.
What is Kroger talking about? What a colossal waste of time and taxpayer money.
Ditto Michael Bates. Kroger and Kulongoski should be ashamed of their behavior. This is frivolous! Where do they think the “internal” money comes from?! Who are they trying to fool? Fooled us once, shame on you; fooled us twice, shame on us. I think it is time for big change in Oregon - starting with Salem and moving steadfastly north to Portland where only bikers and criminals have rights.
I was very disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that Oregon’s Governor, Ted Kulongoski and Attorney General John Kroger are supporting the new federal health care reform. I was hoping that Oregon politicians would for once join the people in an attempt to stop the ever encroaching power of the federal government. As I see it, health care is no business of the federal government. Oregon should be joining the states filing suit against this atrocious legislation instead of proceeding with legal action supporting it. Will politics in Oregon ever change?
I am so pleased that Oregon is taking a stand and pushing for a public option in our state. It is so needed. There are too many (anyone is not acceptable without healthcare. Healthcare should be a right. We are spending way too much money on things-2 wars, rising healthcare costs, laws that allow businesses and corperate America to not pay their part, out of control spending by banks that allow their CEO’s to given themselves raises and bonueses that are just unethical, immoral, and degrading to the average American. We are not taking care of our own citizens. I have been a part of the middle class and now my husband and I are part of the working poor due to high medical costs (that is not coming under some control soon enough for my family. We are too young to retire but have used up all of the savings we had for retirement (and it was not much). My husband was classified as “self employed” and was unable to receive unemployement benefits. I am tired of all the lies being spread, the racism, and the money being spent to protect the rich and the companies from having government regulation. We are here today because of where the former administration did. To deny it is to lie.
I agree, Steve - these are politically-motivated acts. There is no premise on which to file “amicus briefs.” These men must both be looking up the ladder…crunching on the bones of Oregonians in their race to the top.
It’s disgusting. You should contact the ACLU or maybe a law school - I just learned that they need cases for their attorneys-in-training. I’d sue. I’m fortunate because I don’t have to here in Texas. It outrages me that you don’t get represented by your Attorney General against the feds. They are exploiting Oregonians for their own agendas.
You need to go to the head of the local party that you belong to - and begin an active campaign against these men. Write the local papers, print up some hand-outs, express your dissatisfaction…ask to be speak before your state legislators. I’ll bet there are LOTS of people who feel like you do.
I think that you can fight and expose them on this! Good luck.
Oregon had been a leader in trying to expand health care. Although the Oregon Health Plan failed because of a lack of funding, its underlying premise was sound: that all medical activities can be evaluated for effectiveness & can be ranked accordingly, and that government funds should not be wasted on therapy found to be ineffective.
An amendment sponsored by Senator Wyden would allow Oregon to develop a “public option” within any future insurance exchange.
I fully support Kroger’s actions. By allowing states to experiment, the health care reform act is the ultimate expression of “states rights.”
This is offensive in the extreme, for the attorney general to make the patently false argument that this bill is somehow constitutional. There is no power to be found enumerated to the federal govt. on the subject of healthcare. Furthermore the tenth amendment says that all powers not given to the federal government are reserved to the states, and to the people. Even the spurious claim that this somehow fits into the interstate commerce clause falls on its face in this case because health insurance companies are specifically forbidden from engaging in interstate commerce (competing across state lines). For our Attorney general to spend one dime of taxpayer money defending this abomination is a waste of taxpayer money, and a betrayal of the people who elected him.
Three Cheers for Oregon!!!
I grew up here. I remember how Oregon was known for leading in good environmental causes, tolerance of others, and just plain common sense. But it has gone down the slippery slope and I am ashamed of this state’s recent past. I am very ashamed of the people who continually vote in people of political persuasions that will take us further down the slope. Shame on you Governor Ted Kulongoski and Attorney General John Kroger.
Two things I noticed in the comments. The first is definitional, but an important distinction if we are to properly comprehend what we are being asked tonsubmit to.
The claim that healthcare is a right is ignorant of the meaning of a right. If something requires taking something from someone else by force, it cannot be a right. When referring to government using their force to pull resources from to provide resources for others, that is best referred to as an entitlement. You may believe that everyone is entitled to certain forms of healthcare, but you have to at least acknowledge that such an entitlement requires taking something from someone else by force. Of course, if you believe that everyone is entitled to some form of healthcare, someone must decide precisely what is to provided, who is going to provide it and from whom are the resources going to be pulled. This is the problem of “who, whom” in that who is going to decide and whom does it benefit. You hate corporatism, but government intervention is the cause of corporatism because lobbyists petition to make sure their companies benefit from the “whom” side of the decision making process. More government is not the cure for corporatism.
The good Dr. highlights the the problem of “who” decides and clearly commits the fatal conceit. The claim is that someone can rank care, but that someone (and it could be anyone) suffers from the knowledge problem and cannot possibly rank care given the diversity of people, problems and priorities. It is the height of arrogance to assume you can.
The other problem is
Elections have consequences. I strongly suspect the consequences of the last election is going to be a lot fewer Progressives in offices across this nation. I can only hope this sort of stuff is waking up the people in Oregon, and elsewhere, who have thought they had the luxury to sit on the sidelines and hope their elected officials were working on their behalf. This state is starting to look more and more like CA… taxes rising, businesses failing and/or leaving the state, paying more for education and getting less every year… being ignored and/or dismissed by their elected representatives. You can keep doing the same thing expecting different results… or you can actively work to elect people to office in this state that work for and represent YOUR priorities and values. Kulongoski and Kroger do not represent mine.
I am Very upset to learn that Oregon’s Governor, Ted Kulongoski and Attorney General John Kroger are supporting the new federal health care reform.
This Bill is a disgrace & is nothing less than The Begining of The End of Freedom in America.
I will be sure and spread the word FAR & WIDE that Oregon’s Governor, Ted Kulongoski and Attorney General John Kroger MUST BE REMOVED.
We should be joining all the other states that care about our Consitution!
This act on the part of the Governor and AG is purely vengeful. They were motivated to file this brief beacause so many other Republican AG’s and Governors are sueing the Federal Govt. The attitued being “we’ll show them”. The trouble is, they’re showing the nation what idiots some Oregonians are. As others have already stated, it’s not up to the AG to defend the Feds. I’m so ashamed to say I’m from Oregon any more. I can’t wait for November.
The fact that The Governor and Mr. Kroger have taken it upon themselves to get involved in something outside their Job discriptions tells me they could care less about Oregon. When it is clearly evident that the majority of Oregonians are against this Health Care bill and their lack of respect for that makes me sick. We’re always being told the state is short on cash and they need more and more. For Kroger and Ted K. to take this Extreme position and waste an enormous amount of our money shows their complete disrespect for the Oregon People. They need to be removed from their lofty positions and sent packing.
The Kulugoski and Kroger are overstepping their bounds. Like Our bankrupt state needs to spend tax dollars defending a bill that is unconstitutional to begin with. They need to do the job they were hired for and stay the hell out of the Healthcare business! Thanks to Kulugoski, I got a 1% tax increase on my healthcare back in Sept, like my premiums weren’t high enough already.
YOU TWO MORONS CAN AND WILL BE REPlACED!!
The state of oregon should not be telling its residents to buy healthcare.
the state of oregon should be sueing to stop the healthcare bill that obama is forcing down our throats.
Obama will not, repeat, will not get away withthis.
Oregon’s governor and attorney general will not get away with this.
they do not speak on behalf of the residents of oregon.
Please keep in mind mr. governor, that only the city of eugene and city of Portland, with the help of acorn, got you in to office.
you must be stopped and you will.
we will not be told what todo here inoregon