I wasn’t going to continue this, but I was having a discussion with my normal coffee buds and this issue came up. And, several folks asserted facts that were plainly untrue. Quoting that Fox News said so. (It turns out that Fox News actually has NEWS programs- and their reporting is pretty darned good. But, the shows- you know, the ones with abrasive personalities at night or blond(e) bimbos [the e is in parentheses to denote either gender] in the morning, the ones that air about 22 hours a day- are NOT news. But, they want you to think they are.)

I already discussed (hence the “continue” mentioned above) the fact that most people receiving SNAP (aka Food Stamps) actually are working- or recently lost at least one of their positions. So, a work requirement to receive SNAP is not only superfluous, it only is added to create more paperwork- and, therefore, more impediments- involved for folks to receive the benefits needed.

Kind of like how so many Southern states (and now GOP-held states in the rust belt) have adopted photo id requirements to vote. Except one can only get the photo ID’s during work hours (which means it costs folks’ wages to register)- and that photo ID’s one has that were issued by various (now non-approved) state agencies are invalid- even though they ARE state agencies.

But, now Michigan found a really cool way to discriminate against minorities.

The state is producing legislation that will impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients. Oh, wait. NOT all Medicaid recipients. Certainly few of those whose skin tone is white.

You do know that PPACA (aka Obamacare) has provisions to allow folks whose income is up to 138% of the poverty level to obtain Medicaid. (In addition, those folks making up to 4 X the poverty level are able to obtain  subsidized health insurance.)

Well, Michigan plans to change the rules, now that it has approved the expanded Medicaid program offered by PPACA. By imposing a work requirement, as I mentioned above. And, for those who don’t pay close attention, it almost sounds reasonable. There will be no work requirement for those folks living in counties where the unemployment rate exceeds 8.5%.

See how reasonable that sounds on the first reading? Of course, it would be tough to get a job if you were already unemployed, needing Medicaid, if you lived in a county with a high unemployment rate. Because one would expect the rate to be so high only because that county didn’t have many available jobs.

This provision sounds like it will make the 706,000 Michigan residents (out of a total population of some 9.962 million) seek out jobs, or they won’t be able to get Medicaid benefits. 160K  of that census are Black (about 23%), while some 400K (57%) are White.

Let’s consider a few more facts. If a county has low unemployment, but the cities within that county are desperately short of jobs, those cities won’t earn an exemption- since the exemption is county based. That means Detroit and Flint, cities where the unemployment rate is significantly above that threshold, will still have work requirements.

Hmm. 60,000 unemployed Detroit residents- and we know they are primarily Black- will have to seek out work, even though their locality clearly lacks opportunities. And, Flint will add another 9000 folks needing  employment, even though the opportunities are bleak.

Wow, just two cities with high unemployment rates- in counties with low unemployment rates, comprise 10% of those being subjected to work requirements. Oh, yeah. 44% of the Black population of Michigan lives in those two cities.

Now, we should also note that the work requirement covers “able-bodied” adults. (That means pregnant women and full-time students are exempt. That’s also why it’s only 706,000 Michigan residents that need to obtain jobs.  The Medicaid-able population is much higher.) Work requirements means one has to work 29 hours in a week- or perform “work activities” like receiving job training or participating in substance abuse programs.

Substance abuse- that sounds perfect given the opioid epidemic stretching across whole counties. Except where is the opioid crisis highest in the state of Michigan? You guessed it, in those counties with low unemployment. Oh, and primarily its White residents.  Like Wayne (with problem areas like Lincoln Park, Romulus, Ecorse, and Westland), Macomb (with problem areas like New Baltimore, Roseville, and Warren), or in cities in low unemployment rate counties like Ypsilanti (Washtenaw), Grand Rapids (Kent), Battle Creek (Calhoun), and Lansing (Ingham).

Of course, the GOP denies they are discriminating against Blacks. They just managed to define the rules so tightly that it “just so happens” that only poor Blacks (and some Hispanics) are affected.

Oh, yeah. These proposed provisions will save Michigan all of some $ 30 million a year- not including the extensive startup costs. Out of more than $ 10 billion to be spent on Medicaid!

Obviously, shame no longer applies to the GOP.

(Or, the emoluments clause, since TheDonald “officially” felt bad for putting ZTE out of business, wanting to renegotiate with China, right after his Trump Organization received  $500 million (bribe) to build his golf course systems in Indonesia.  Half the total needed.)