Wingnuttia is "fact-checking" again, hooray. This time we go from Insty to Steyn to, naturally enough, some Freeper. And all the idiots start crowing about Citizen Journalism and so forth, blah blah blah world without end.

[UPDATE: A good example:

A Freeper took the trouble to investigate the 12-year-old who gave the Democrats' weekly radio address last week, and whose family ostensibly is too poor to pay for medical insurance, and therefore wants to use your money instead. The results are hilarious.

I'll say! Carry on...]

This is one of the stories they're sniveling about; here's the other. And the results of the freepy investigations?

Graeme Frost, who gave the democrat rebuttal to George Bush’s reasons for vetoing the SCHIP Bill, is a middle school student at the exclusive$20,000 per year Park School in Baltimore, MD. Graeme was in a severe car accident three years ago, and received care paid for by the government program known as SCHIP-(State Children's Health Insurance Program) "I was in a coma for a week and couldn't eat or stand up or even talk. My sister was even worse," Graeme wrote. "My parents work really hard and always make sure my sister and I have everything we need, but we can't afford private health insurance." [their emphasis] His sister Gemma, also severely injured in the accident, attended the same school prior to the accident meaning the family was able to come up with nearly $40,000 per year for tuition for these 2 grade schoolers.

Wow, that sure sounds like a lot of money. Especially when we read down a bit and find out that the family's income is only $45,000. Presumably the Frosts are making the remaining $5,000 go a long way in meeting their remaining expenses.

Or not. The always eagle-eyed Don Surber speculates "they may be subsidized." Ya think? Hmmm, could be. After all, the freeper's iron-clad proof that they're paying 40K a year for private school tuition contains a link to the school's payment information page, which does indeed explain what tuition costs... and which also explains their financial assistance program:

Park enrolls students based on their talents and capabilities. Families who are unable to meet the full cost of tuition may apply for the Financial Assistance Program, which supplements tuition payments. Financial assistance does not need to be repaid. In 2007, 18% of Park students in grades 1-12 received over $2 million in financial assistance that ranged from $1,000 per year to full tuition. Tuition remission for children of our faculty brings that total to 25% of the student body. Because each family's situation is unique, it is impossible to predict the amount of funding awarded based solely on income. For example, the number of children attending tuition-charging institutions is an important factor. As a guide, families with incomes up to $160,000 received financial assistance during this past school year.

If the school is giving assistance to families making $160K, they are offering pretty substantial assistance to those making $45K. I'm just guessing here, but it sure does seem plausible!

Adding to the fun, the freep includes this nugget:

Confirmation both attended Park found here using edit-"find on this page"-Gemma. It will take you to an article in the schools newspaper about a fundraiser for Gemma class of 16, and Graeme class of 13.

Needing a fundraiser thrown for them sure is good evidence of their impressive wealth. And it sure is classy to see this evidence of a personal tragedy introduced as evidence against them.

Moving on.

What the article does not mention is that Halsey Frost has owned his own company "Frostworks",since this marriage announcement in the NY Times in 1992 so he chooses to not give himself insurance. He also employed his wife as "bookkeeper and operations management" prior to her recent 2007 hire at the "medical publishing firm". As her employer, he apparently denied her health insurance as well.

Maybe because it was too expensive?

His company, Frostworks, is located at 3701 E BALTIMORE ST. A building that was purchased for $160,000 in 1999. The buildings owner is listed as DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CENTER, LLC whose mailing address is listed as 104 S Collington Ave which is the Frost's home.

Omigod! So? Is the implication here that he paid $160K out of pocket for his business property? Perhaps he had this wacky thing known as "financing," and that he's able to pay the nut for the financing out of the proceeds of his business, and then after he's paid all his other business expenses, he takes home a modest personal income? SHOCKING behavior, I tell you. But wait, it gets worse:

The current market value of their improved 3,040 SF home at 104 S Collington Ave is unknown but 113 S COLLINGTON AVE, also an end unit, sold for $485,000 this past March and it was only 2,060 SF. A photo taken in the family's kitchen shows what appears to be a recent remodeling job with granite counter tops and glass front cabinets

My Lord! Not glass-front cabinets! What a fop! Or, the guy's a woodworker who owns his own woodworking business, who probably did the work himself using materials he was able to get himself at a very reasonable price?

The upshot is that this is a guy with a family of 6: is it a mystery why he wants to own a 3,000-ft house? is it wrong of him to drive, gasp, an SUV (for 4 kids and a mom and dad)? And to do all this on $45K -- sounds like he' and his wife are pretty hard working, actually, paying their own way -- until their kids get into a horrible car accident and need incredibly expensive medical care.

And what does the freeper say about him?

One has to wonder that if time and money can be found to remodel a home, send kids to exclusive private schools, purchase commercial property and run your own business... maybe money can be found for other things...maybe Dad should drop his woodworking hobby and get a real job that offers health insurance rather than making people like me (also with 4 kids in a 600sf smaller house and tuition $16,000 less per kid and no commercial property ownership) pay for it in my taxes.

That's the spirit! People who own their own small businesses are freeloaders. And our pal Surber?

This business of “affordable insurance” is socialistic. The Frosts found an “affordable” business building and an “affordable” 3,000-square foot house and an “affordable” private school. Why couldn’t these yuppies afford to cover their own damned kids?

Because healthcare is hellishly expensive. And yes, guys who own their own small businesses and clear 45K are "yuppies." Don Surber is quite the specimen. And then we have this:

$1200 per month for a family of 6 in Baltimore. Really? What are they smoking?



A check of a quote engine for zip code 21250 (Baltimore) finds a plan for $641 with a $0 deductible and $20 doc copays.



Adding a deductible of $750 (does not apply to doc visits) drops the premium to $452. That's almost a third of the price quoted in the article. Doesn't anyone bother to check the facts?

Ah, a quote engine. One that presumably tells us everything about the family and their existing medical conditions that might affect what they would pay for health insurance. Amazing what you can find out online these days. Yes, clearly the Frosts are drug abusers. That's a perfectly reasonable inference.

There's something pretty mean-spirited about the wingnut Citizen Journalists here: they don't know a thing about this family, really, but are trying to portray them as "yuppie" freeloaders while screeching their jackass heads off about "socialism."

The point is, healthcare costs can make it impossible for hardworking middle class families to have a decent life. This is a problem. SCHIP expansion would help to solve it at a moderate cost.

Greater Wingnuttia may think they've struck another blow for Freedom, or whatever, but they're pretty far out there on this. They just look like a pack of assholes.