Help CA get last two votes for single payer health care!

[yurbud]

KEY EXCERPTS:



Single Payer 2 Votes Short in Senate
by David Gorn

The idea of a single-payer health care system in California stalled on the Senate floor yesterday, falling two votes short of passage.

Reconsideration of the bill was granted, though, so proponents of SB 810 by Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) have until Tuesday to reintroduce the bill. First they will have to come up with two big votes. The bill failed on a 19-15 vote.

The idea of universal coverage has been passed by the Legislature before. In 2007 and 2009, both houses approved the idea, only to have it vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Last year, it passed the Senate and stalled when it was not brought to the floor in the Assembly.

FULL TEXT

Single payer for California has made it to the governor's desk twice before, but Arnold vetoed it both times.

Now we have a Democratic governor who is a lot more likely to sign it than our former Austrian Autocrat.

Five Democratic state senators abstained from voting, but if two of them vote yes by the 31st, the bill will go to the Assembly.

I have a personal stake in this: I taught community college for ten years before any of my employers offered me health insurance--and that's just for me, it won't cover my wife or child.

My wife's dad lost his health insurance with his job, but is too young for Medicare, so he drives to Tijuana every month or so for cheaper out of pocket medical care.

That's a disgrace in the richest, most powerful nation on Earth. We have a right to the same kind of universal healthcare people in Europe and every other advanced democracy enjoy.

As I said in my letter to the five holdouts:

If a handful of Democratic senators block this historic opportunity, it will make a lot of us wonder if you guys actually care about average people or only do bold legislation when you know you have a business-owned governor who can be depended on to veto it.

It's critical that you call, fax, or email these five abstainers and tell them to support Mark Leno's SB 810 single payer bill or expect a progressive primary opponent in their next election.


Alex Padilla (Pacoima/LA area)
Capitol – 916-651-4020
Fax: [phone]
District – 818-901-5588
Fax: [phone]
online contact form

Rod Wright (Los Angeles area)
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
[phone]
online contact form

Juan Vargas (San Diego area)
Sac: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Dist: [phone]
[phone]
online contact form

Michael Rubio (Fresno/Bakersfield area)
Sac: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Dist: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
online contact form

Ron Calderon (Los Angeles area)
Sac: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Dist: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
online contact form

Follow the developments at:

[cbayer]

1. Fantastic job putting this together. My senator is on board.

[yurbud]

3. Mine too--I contacted the others anyway by fax at district office and Sac

[abelenkpe]

2. This would be great! nt

[pinto]

4. Kick.

[white_wolf]

5. Good luck. CA is debating Single-payer and TN is dealing with a Don't say Gay bill.

Really puts things into perspective. I can't wait to be in LA

[yurbud]

8. that we are discussing this here makes it sound like we have our shit together more than we really

do.

California screwed itself on revenues decades ago with a conservative property tax ballot measure, and a 2/3 requirement to raise taxes.

[Proles]

6. It would be awesome if California set an example for

the other states and adopted a single payer.

As I understand it, Vermont is the only state currently adopting such a system?

[yurbud]

9. I don't know.

[Starry Messenger]

7. k&r

[yurbud]

10. don't forget! Call, email, and fax today!

[Beaverhausen]

11. K & R

[Merlot]

12. My comment to all of them (and my senator IS on this list:

Hello -

You really need to take a stand on Single Payer SB 810. California needs to lead the country on this issue. There are many people who don't have jobs and are to young for Medicare. What do they do? Drive to TJ for cheap treatment? It's a disgrace that a country as rich as the US is the only industrialized country in the world that does not provide a healthcare plan. Instead, we have for profit insurance companies robbing us blind and letting us die.

The amount of money saved by Single Payer would more than make up for what is spent on medicine in this state. Do the will of the peoplet, NOT the insurance companies, and support SB 810.

thank you.

[yurbud]

14. Great one! My letter:

I was disturbed to see you abstained on Mark Leno's single payer healthcare bill, SB 810 and urge you to vote YES in time for the bill to be sent to the Assembly.

As you know, previous bills passed both chambers only to be vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, but with a Democrat as governor, there is a real chance that this could become law.

If a handful of Democratic senators block this historic opportunity, it will make a lot of us wonder if you guys actually care about average people or only do bold legislation when you know you have a business owned governor who can be depended on to veto it.

I have a master's degree and taught part time at multiple community colleges at the same time for ten years before any of them offered me health insurance, but even that won't cover my wife and child.

My wife's dad lost his health insurance with his job, but is too young for Medicare, so he drives to Tijuana every month or so for cheaper out of pocket medical care.

That's a disgrace in the richest, most powerful nation on Earth. We have a right to the same kind of universal healthcare people in Europe and every other advanced democracy enjoy.

[Merlot]

16. My letter was inspired by your post

Except mine sounds a little more angry...

[Ohio Joe]

13. K&R - nt

[yurbud]

15. Bad news: CA Dems acted like their DC counterparts

They talk a progressive game when there's no chance of it becoming law, then when there is a chance, they suddenly get all moderate.

The number of nos and abstainers GREW.

http://californiaonecare.org/sb-810-killed-on-the-california-senate-floor