An expansion of Maryland's Medicaid program went into effect on July 1 and the governor is celebrating:

More than 100,000 formerly uninsured Maryland residents are now eligible for health care coverage, thanks to the passage of a new Medicaid expansion act that, according to Governor Martin O’Malley, is just one step in the state’s mission to expand health care to as many Marylanders as possible.

“We’re by no means done,” said O’Malley at a Monday news conference. “This is not a matter of crossing the finish line; it’s about making progress.” ...

“This is one of those days when you can really celebrate the fact that we are a strong people and a good people,” O’Malley said.

I guess I'm a weak and bad person, since I was one of only two people to testify against this legislation when it was considered by the state senate. Why would I want to be so evil as to deprive people of Medicaid? Well, considering that current Medicaid spending is contributing to a huge state deficit, it seems pretty foolish to expand the program. When you take into account the fact that the state's economy is slowing down and that Medicaid sending is usually under-budget even in good economic times, it seems even more foolish.

During my testimony I pointed out how Medicaid has been putting a squeeze on state budgets throughout the 1990s and this decade and why expanding it (especially during a looming recession and when the state is facing a structural deficit) makes no sense. That may not make me a "good" person by our governor's definition, but it does make me a fiscal realist.