Sid Salter has an excellent editorial and summary of the Medicaid funding issues facing our legislature this session in today's Clarion Ledger.  The bottom line is that the healthcare reform that is most likely to pass in the next several weeks will insure a large number of the currently uninsured by expanding Medicaid eligibility.  It is predicted that such an expansion will increase Medicaid recipients in Mississippi from the current 20% to 35%, and Mississippi's only real choice for getting the extra money to pay for that increase (even with the $3 to $1 federal match) will be to increase sales tax, income tax, or both. 

Now, I seem to recall the President saying repeatedly that increased coverage is not going to increase the taxes of anyone making less than $200,000 per year.  I guess it's a good thing people in that income range don't buy things that are subject to sales tax.