Minnesota spent $1.9 billion to help make its citizens live healthier lives. Now, the Minnesota legislative bodies have an eye on ditching the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP).
Begun in 2009, SHIP funneled funds to 870 employers who launched worksite wellness programs that reached 138,000 people; it also funded 544 child-care sites around the state that were educated to offer healthier foods to 8,500 kids; 24 farm markets opened with the financial help of SHIP; 255 cities used money from the program to encourage walking and biking; 369 apartment buildings in the state launched smoke-free environments; and 73 clinics and hospitals encouraged breastfeeding for new moms.
In short, the program spent a ton of money in an attempt to offer an ounce of cure for a fraction of the state’s population. Projects like SHIP need to be shelved.
Why? In spite of the supposed surpluses being touted by the state, the next biennial budget is projecting a shortfall.
In fact, Minnesota’s Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter told Minnesota Public Radio that his office’s latest forecast projects a $1.1 billion deficit by fiscal year 2014.
If SHIP continues to be funded while the state’s schools and cities are being denied important state funds in the face of a billion dollar-plus deficit, our priorities are a bit misplaced.
If SHIP funding is cut or dries up, it should be recommended that people adopt their own health and wellness programs. One option most Minnesotans might wish to engage in (at minimal cost) is walking around their own neighborhoods and meet the folks on their block. Another option available to everyone is getting up off the couch and riding a bike on the beautiful Paul Bunyan Trail. Another healthy consideration is to take a kid fishing and eat the healthy catch with the family.
Adopting such healthy habits won’t cost the state of Minnesota a dime. It will allow legislators to funnel those SHIP funds back to the state’s school districts and municipalities.
—Keith Hansen
Comments (6)
Add commentKeith, you's missing the point.
"worksite wellness programs that reached 138,000 people; it also funded 544 child-care sites around the state that were educated to offer healthier foods to 8,500 kids; 24 farm markets opened with the financial help of SHIP; 255 cities used money from the program to encourage walking and biking; 369 apartment buildings in the state launched smoke-free environments; and 73 clinics and hospitals encouraged breastfeeding for new moms."
That sounds like more than an "ounce of cure" Surely walking, biking etc. are good for the populace. But equally important is education about good eating habits. Diabetes is a huge problem in our state and a major cause of health costs. If the SHIP funds changed our eating patterns, would this not improve the lives of Minnesota citizens and eventually even save us a little money? I think you are missing the point.
"OUR Opinion?"
Who are the others who agree with Keith? Maybe we will get some more responses from the Editorial Board.
Better SHIP than ALEC amendments.
"OUR Opinion?"
Who are the others who agree with Keith? Maybe we will get some more responses from the Editorial Board.
Better SHIP than ALEC amendments.
Keith-what if I don't own a
Keith-what if I don't own a bike? How can it be an option available to "everyone" if you can't guarantee the "everyone" has a bike?
And "take a kid fishing and eat the healthy catch"? Seriously? Eat the mercury laden fish and call it healthy? Or maybe have a bad day and don't eat at all? What if you can't find a kid to take fishing?
All kidding aside, I do believe that people should take care of their health. I do think it is important to educate and help those who don't have a clue. But like anything else...whether SHIP is a good idea with noble intentions or not, if we don't have money to pay for it, then we can't have it. Sometimes we have to draw the line between "want" and "need".
math question
So now they are projecting a $1.1 bill deficit by 2014?
Newsletter from Gazelka said that the GOP had managed to fix the budget to end the year with a surplus. Now the projection shows the amount of the deficit will be $1.1 billion year after next? I better write to Gazelka and have him check those figures again.
Different Biennium
The State of Minnesota operates on a two-year budget cycle, called a biennium. The current budget cycle is projected to end in a surplus; meaning the government will take in more money than it planned on spending for the years 2012 and 2013.
The next biennium, 2014-15, is currently projected to be at a $1.1 Billion deficit.
The information is readily available in many places online if you actually are curious.