2008 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Health Care


Tim Pawlenty: Supports market-driven healthcare reform

[We must] work together to pass health care reform that is market-driven, restores the relationship between doctors and patients, and uses savings from the system to hold down the cost of health care premiums.
Source: 2008 State of the State speech to Minnesota legislature Feb 13, 2008

Jon Huntsman: No denial of coverage because of minor ailments

On one hand, we are one of the nation's most advanced states in medical sciences. On the other hand, we have far too many Utahns who cannot afford adequate health care.

It is unacceptable that a young father who works for a small business and wants to buy insurance for his family is denied coverage because of minor ailments. Should eczema or post-partum depression preclude a family from getting affordable health insurance?

What business or family in Utah hasn't experienced rising health care costs or, even worse, had to forgo treatment for lack of coverage? In Utah there are now more than 300,000 people without insurance. That's one out of every eight of us. And many more fear that losing or changing a job may leave them without health insurance.

In a state that prides itself on practical solutions, this issue is crying out for a fix. We cannot wait for Washington's one-size-fits-all plan that does not account for Utah's unique challenges and abilities.

Source: Utah 2008 State of the State address Jan 22, 2008

Sarah Palin: Take personal responsibility for personal health & all areas

Together, let’s provide the services that our Constitution requires, constitutional services such as education, public safety, and a solid infrastructure--and let’s do them right. Let’s commit to take responsibility for good stewardship when we’re developing our natural resources. Let’s remember that Alaskans are capable and created to work. So when government provides education and job training, every able-bodied Alaskan is expected to work and not simply rely on government to provide. Let’s take personal responsibility in all areas of life--including health. What we consume and engage in impacts not just our personal health, but our communities too.

Let’s reign in government growth so individual liberty and opportunity can expand. And let’s expect that every region contributes to our economy, to fulfill our promise to be a self-sufficient state made up of the hardest working, most grateful Americans in our nation.

Source: 2008 State of the State Address to 25th Alaska Legislature Jan 15, 2008

Sarah Palin: Doctors should manage health care, not bureaucracies

I established our Health Care Strategies Council and we’ll pursue many of their recommendations, starting with our Health Care Transparency Act, requiring that consumers get better information about prices and quality of their own care. We will allow competition. Under our present Certificate of Need (CON) process, costs and needs don’t drive health care choices--bureaucracy does! Our system is broken and expensive. We propose, as many states have, eliminating the CON, to increase choice and to manage rising costs. Currently nine CON lawsuits are adversely affecting consumers. Alaskans want health care in the hands of doctors, not lobbyists and lawyers. We are considering what other fiscally conservative states have done to incentivize employers to provide medical insurance for employees, based on the free market.
Source: 2008 State of the State Address to 25th Alaska Legislature Jan 15, 2008

Sarah Palin: Personal responsibility & choices key to good health

Our choices often lead to heart disease, diabetes, underage drinking, drugs, violence, and abuse. Soaring health and public safety costs are sometimes unfairly passed on to others. But more importantly, by ignoring or accepting selfish choices that cause the abuse, children, families and entire communities are destroyed. Government cannot cure all ills. And don’t assume more laws foisted on Alaskans are the only answer--most “bad activity” is already illegal. We have got to make wise, healthy personal choices, including choosing not to ignore child abuse. I’m counting on families, communities and faith-based groups to step up, together, to help passionately here, too.
Source: 2008 State of the State Address to 25th Alaska Legislature Jan 15, 2008

Tim Kaine: Mental health system is chronically under-funded

We have not forgotten the example of the Virginia Tech students. Together, all three branches of government have studied the challenge of delivering mental health services more effectively.

Six percent of Virginians have a serious mental illness, and one of every four citizens of the Commonwealth has a diagnosable mental illness of some type. Most of us have been directly impacted by mental illness among friends, families, or co-workers, and we know firsthand the magnitude of this problem. But due to chronic under-funding and an insufficient focus on the quality of care, our mental health system has not been measuring up to the needs of Virginia's mentally ill.

The strain on our overloaded case managers mean that thousands of Virginians with mental health needs are not getting treatment when they need it. Many are not being treated at all. If we identify people with mental illnesses and provide them with proper treatment and support, we serve them and our communities better.

Source: 2008 State of the State address to Virginia Assembly Jan 9, 2008

  • The above quotations are from 2008 Governor's State of the State speeches.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Health Care.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Sarah Palin on Health Care.
  • Click here for more quotes by Haley Barbour on Health Care.
Candidates and political leaders on Health Care:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 02, 2018