Scott Brown lets ideology trump health care for fishermen

This just seems crazy to me.  Gloucester Times:

The state’s full congressional delegation, with the exception of Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, has written to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services backing a Massachusetts Fishing Partnership application for a three-year, $4 million grant for a project aimed at helping fishermen find their best fit for health insurance….

Brown declined due to the program’s funding source — “Obamacare,” Brown’s press secretary, John Donnelly, told the Times on Thursday…. According to Fishing Partnership statistics, the community outreach-based model and collective prevention efforts — whose “navigators” include Angela Sanfilippo of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association — has helped reduce the rate of uninsured fishermen from 43 percent to 13 percent.

Yeah, it sure would be terrible to get Obamacare-tainted money to find health insurance for fishermen.  Because God knows those guys are living high on the hog these days without a care in the world.  Thank goodness we’ve got Scott Brown to stand on principle on things like this.



Discuss

10 Comments . Comments are closed.
  1. That must be why Scott came up with this fishing related diversion

    From Brown’s Facebook page.

    Senator Scott Brown
    I’m keeping up the pressure on NOAA’s abuses because our fishermen deserve better. Southcoast Today

    I posted this in rebuttal, but who knows how long it will remain there.

    FYI: The boat referenced by Sen. Brown was purchased by local Seattle fishery police in 2008, before the current NOAA administrator was even in office. Since the 2010 audit by the Inspector General, none of these cruises by local officials have taken place and NOAA has tightened oversight of funds received from fishing fees. This is a phony issue to discredit NOAA head Dr. Jane Lubchenco because she is a renowned scientist who believes that climate change exists – a no-no for Brown’s supporters the Koch brothers.

    Seattle Times

    I hope Elizabeth Warren takes note and makes a major statement blasting Brown on issues related to the fisheries industry. The fishermen had a powerful advocate in Ted Kennedy. Scott is more of a show boat than a working boat.

  2. Would you rather Brown stick to principle...

    …or try to take credit for and advantage of money from a law he didn’t support? I ask because many on our side have called out as hypocrites those who for example voted against the stimulus, but then brag about how they got stimulus money that was so important to their own states or districts.

    • Glad he screwed up

      Now we can use this to batter him in the North Shore, which went heavy for him last time around. This is him flipping off his base and we need to remind them he did this.

      • Supporting Industry against overzealous regulators

        I would think the fishermen would appreciate Mr Brown’s efforts on their behalf with respect NOAA.

    • He should be a realist, not an ideologue

      He can vote against jobs bills, health care reform, and effective regulation of Wall Street all he wants, but once the voting is done, he should accept the laws that are in place and do his best for Massachusetts. His grandstanding won’t change the law, all it will do is hurt people in Gloucester who could use help with health insurance.

  3. “application for a three-year, $4 million grant for a project aimed at helping fishermen find their best fit for health insurance

    $ 4 million to help fishermen FIND THE BEST FIT ??? Seems to me the money would be better spent providing the fishermen with health insurance. Just another waste of money. In my business we are contacted every year by many knowledgeable agents who help us find the best fit…no grant, no government, no problem.

    • What is your business?

      Is it possible that things are different for fishermen?

      • Yes it's possible

        …but four million dollars to “find the best fit”. Fishermen are human beings, so are the employees where I work, how different can their needs be compared to ours regarding health insurance? Isn’t that what “The Connector” is all about, finding the right policy, the right “fit”.

        IMO it’s a waste of four million which could be better spent.

        • Wrong sir

          Fisherman do not work for companies but are independent contractors tasked with finding their own health care, thus under both Romneycare and Obamacare getting them help to find affordable insurance is essential.

          • Why?

            What about painters, or dentists, or plumbers, or any of the numerous other independent contractors who require health insurance. Should we spend four million on every vocation which is populated by independent contractors?
            Again I ask…isn’t that what exactly what “The Connector” is for?

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