Aggressive “No on 2” Campaign Shows Real Costs of Question 2 for Mainers

10/29/17, Maine First Media Staff Reporter,

On Tuesday, November 7th, voters will take to the polls and cast ballots on Question 2.

Question 2 is a “Medicaid expansion” proposition, that extends additional healthcare welfare to young, healthy Mainers.

Meanwhile, elderly and disabled Mainers are pushed to the back of the line.

The so-called “Medicaid expansion” under Question 2 will not provide any additional benefits for, minor children, seniors (anyone 65 or older), the disabled, or anyone currently on waitlists.

New England Opportunity Project is responsible for a new and aggressive campaign fighting against Question 2. NEOP has released a whiteboard animation style video depicting younger people, including one person smoking a cigarette and drinking what appears to be alcohol, cutting in line ahead of an older lady in a wheelchair.

The video also appears to depict a Somali refugee cutting the poor, old, wheelchair-bound woman.

It is worth noting, the language in Question 2 would cement into law Medicaid benefits going to non-citizens in Maine.

NEOP President, Rep. Larry Lockman says Mainers deserve to know the truth about Question 2.

“Question 2 not only throws granny under the bus, the bus then backs over granny once it’s fully loaded with the working-aged able-bodied,” Lockman said. “While there are many arguments for voting against Question 2, the obvious problem seemed to be getting lost in the shuffle. Question 2 allows younger, healthy Mainers to cut to the front of the line ahead of our truly vulnerable, Maine’s elderly and disabled populations, who’ve been languishing on waitlists for far too long as it is.”

According to Rep. Lockman, NEOP believed Mainers deserved to know the truth.

“NEOP has released a cutting-edge video that calls out Question 2 for what it is,” Lockman said. “In addition, we also have released a postcard graphic and launched a pledge page, where Mainers can pledge to vote no on Question 2 come November 7th.”

You can find NEOP’s “No on 2” pledge page here: http://www.newenglandopportunityproject.org/pledge.html

Meanwhile, the graphic Rep. Lockman is referring to appears to show two lines of people at a bus stop. One of the lines is full of younger, healthier people, again including non-citizens, happily boarding a “free healthcare” bus. The other line is full of disgruntled, older Mainers in a “Medicaid Waitlist” line. Cobwebs are shown, indicating just how long they’ve been waiting, with no bus in sight coming to their rescue.

Question 2 is on the November 7th ballot. NEOP says they plan to continue their aggressive fight against the healthcare welfare expansion.