It’s amazing what one can learn off these here Internets. Prepping for a lecture on state corrections costs and healthcare I came across this wonderful website — and by “wonderful” I mean it made me despair, pull my hair out and reinforced my growing detestation of our current political structure — federal and state. Follow that link and you can find out the annual salary of every state employee — by name — or by agency, etc.
The CDCR — California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation has over 63,000 employees….
14,650 of them make over $100,000 a year.
325 make over $250,000 a year. Most of those are physicians, dentists and psychiatrists…. We spent in FY 07-08 almost $1.8B on health care or nearly $11,000 per inmate and that doesn’t count juveniles in CA institutions and those in county jails and detention facilities.
The federal government — pursuant to a lawsuit — has put the CDCR in receivership due to overcrowding and deficient health care. They are ordering the State of California to build $8B worth of prisons with fully functional hospitals. Do the math. This revolution will be televised.
Now here’s a query… let’s say you graduate from college and you’re now off your parents health insurance. The day after graduation you get mugged, beaten, and raped. You go to the ER and you’ll need counseling for months if not years after. Let’s say you’ve got a few broken ribs, teeth, internal bleeding, etc. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of health care. Welcome to bankruptcy. Now let’s say you got your licks in and the assailant also requires medical care. Who will foot that bill?
What’s the answer? Not socialized medicine because the costs would actually be higher and you wouldn’t get the help you need when you need it. I’m not sure what the answer is quite frankly — in other words I know some wrong answers, but have yet to discern the right one.
Is there any wonder why those who belong to federal employee unions vote overwhelmingly Democrat?
Put Sherriff Joe Arpaio in charge of the CDCR.