"Sadly, the Feds just cut their money stream."

It's sad?  Oh f#@%ing really?  Wrong.  The whole goddamn picture needs to be cut.  State and Federal.

Secondly, had you read the entire article it'd been more than clear to you that the mandate side that you seemingly are in total "defeatist mode" on was considered.

In the best of times, it spends as little as possible providing aid to the unemployed, the sick and the injured. Texans have consistently elected lawmakers who will add to the public safety net only when threatened with a federal lawsuit.

Furthermore, nowhere did I portend any abolitionist calling for welfare but, four years of suckling off the taxpayers teat is totally out of the question and is not what I elected my representation in Lansing to make law.  For chraissake, even back in 1993 BJ Clinton pushed for a two year limit on welfare and the dangers of illegitimacy.  That was 18 years ago, and now this newly elected Republican domination of Lansing somehow thinks that they're cutting a hog in the ass?  Quite bizarre.  More importantly, unacceptable.

And thirdly.  If it were true that we all are only left to your three limited options of ignoring or oblivious, thrifting and gouging... I guess I'd pull the plug on the whole sh!ttery 'cause the fix is in.  We're DOOMED!