Don't we belong to a society that believes "that all men are created equal"? Or, at least, the Declaration of Independence states as such... It's not our place to decide who is a "higher priority", or who is "worth more", is it?
I mean, hey, God loves this guy just as much as He loves the "law abiding" citizen who is waiting for a transplant right now.
In fact, come to think of it, I was given a "new heart" by God even after I was "convicted" of breaking His law(s). If God only gave heart transplants to people who had never broken any of His laws, we'd all be in a world of hurt.
But I digress... I don't think the issue here should be "did the guy deserve the new heart". The problem is the fact that WE end up having to pay for it. Or is it just those of us living in CA that have to pay for it? Either way, my point is that he should have been treated like anyone else in line for a transplant: No cash or insurance, no surgery.
Just my $.02.
Organ transplants are not that simple. It's not just a lack of available organs, it's a lack of available organs that MATCH the recipients ABO blood type, MHC type, and many other criteria that are necessary to prevent tissue rejection.
It may be that the heart that became available did not match any other people on the list. Even so, taxpayer dollars SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN USED FOR THIS!!! Let his family pay for it, or their insurance company. Give him an outstanding balance, payable when he gets out. No tax dollars for this! Where are my tax-supported medical bills?