Did you know that your Michigan Lawmakers spend your taxes to advertise a welfare entitlement program.

Well they do, approximately $1,000,000 annually of your state tax dollars according to reporting by the Michigan Capitol Confidential news site.

Are you ok with politicians spending your tax dollars on advertising and promoting welfare?

I have some deep concerns about taxpayer dollars used to promote anything.  Why are we in the marketing and advertising business?

It is my understanding that people who need and utilize welfare know where to get it.

Michigan’s current state budget authorizes spending $2,000,000 dollars a year to advertise Medicaid in the state.  Of that $1 million comes from us and our tax dollars and the other $1 million comes from federal matching dollars, essentially your federal tax dollars.

The Michigan Capitol Confidential is reporting about a bill introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, which would prohibit the state from advertising the Medicaid entitlement and expansion.

Senator Schuitmaker was quoted in the article stating:

“I ran into a constituent who complained about the state advertising Healthy Michigan. Then I saw the commercial on TV and it made me upset here we have something that was estimated to be for more like 400,000 people and it’s already up to 600,000. So there is all of that additional money we’ll be spending and then we turn around and spend even more on advertising it. Why? Obviously we don’t need to be spending more dollars advertising this, and doing so just encourages more people to become dependent on government.”

Remember in 2013, the Michigan Medicaid agency estimated that the expansion would lead to another 477,000 people on Medicaid.  What happened, well two years later, the number of additional people enrolled ballooned to more than 600,000.

Schuitmaker’s bill, Senate Bill 542, states, “Beginning October 1, 2015 a state agency shall not use state funds to advertise or otherwise encourage enrollment in the Healthy Michigan plan.”

Senator Schuitmaker went on to say "I don’t think this is something we should be doing and I especially don’t believe it is something we should be using taxpayers’ dollars to do”.

Right now the bill has is in the Senate Health Policy Committee.

So what are your thoughts, should the state of Michigan be marketing and advertising welfare programs?

Is this just another example of an ever growing government monster?

Is this a great idea to you?

Let’s discuss this tomorrow (Wednesday) on my show, The Live with Renk show, which airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at (269) 441-9595.

Or please feel free to start a discussion and write your thoughts in the comment section.

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