Today's new word (phrase) is CONSTITUTIONAL LEVEL OF CARE

This phrase appeared in a JAMA want ad for a “medical executive” (physician? Bureaucrat? Bean counter?) to work in the California prison system. Here’s what the job offered:

Mandate to provide a CONSTITUTIONAL LEVEL OF CARE
Significant challenges
Sacrifices
Rewards
Choose job location from San Quentin, Mule Creek, Folsom or California State
Exceptional pay
Salary based on qualifications
No FICA
Great CA benefits and retirement package
Changing health care from the inside out

So I looked up “constitutional level of care” in google and found several articles, all related to prisons. Seems some prisons will do sex change operations and acne treatment for thugs, rapists and murderers, others won’t.

But here’s an interesting item in the Sacramento Bee that seems to say there is no “constitutional level of care”

The unsigned Oct. 11 report [on the $2.3 billion dollar plan] obtained by The Bee called the $230,000 per-inmate cost "staggering." It is nearly five times the average $46,104 needed to house a run-of-the-mill California prisoner.

"While the development of a comfortable, decorated living space with outdoor courtyards, private rooms, and overnight visitation, may indeed promote healing, it appears to be an extraordinary step by the federal government to impose a 'Class A, State-of-the-Art' facility design on what has been characterized to date publicly as an effort to achieve only 'a minimum standard of care,' deemed necessary to prevent unnecessary deaths," the report said.

"It is also unclear what the reaction of the public will be to providing this extensive 'enhanced universal health care' model to convicted felons when (law abiding citizens) are not afforded this same service, especially ... in ... fiscally uncertain times."

Details in the report drew a sharp response Friday from Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, R-Orange, who led the opposition that derailed [J. Clark] Kelso's efforts to fund his construction plan through the Legislature.

"He has never defined what is constitutional health care," Spitzer said. "Now I know. It's obviously having barbers and beauticians for prisoners. He'll probably want them to do hair weaving next."

It's really not surprising that liberals are so concerned about the rights of imprisoned terrorists--their level of care just isn't up to our own home grown and alien prisoners in California. They must be getting that $46,000 care instead of the $230,000, and that's just not fair. But I think you can see what government officials envision for healthcare when the sky's the limit and pigs can fly.