It always amazes me how quickly time flies. It seems like I barely get dates into my calendar before I have a meeting or major project coming up... Before you know it, Election Day will be here, and I'll be lucky to have time to read the short, and at times, incomprehensible descriptions of the measures on my ballot. On November 2nd 2004, voters will be asked to elect our next President, and give their opinions on pressing issues facing our communities. Anyone who has been able to suffer through all the coverage of the Olympics lately has heard at least a few sound bytes about the upcoming election, the candidates and their platforms. I'm still trying to recover from trying to watch Shotput the other day. I hope I'm not offending any Shotput fans out there, but hello...could it be any more boring? I'd rather watch golf, and that's saying a lot....
Anyway...it occurred to me that while I'd basically decided how I will vote in the Presidential race, I'd made no attempt to educate myself on the propositions that will be on the ballot. A few of which have the capacity to be very important to people with disabilities. Regular readers of this column will know, I have dedicated plenty of ink to our healthcare crisis both at the State and local level. I will not belabor the point here. Suffice it to say, that I believe that everyone has a right to healthcare, and we must find a solution that provides it. I hope that this column will serve as a reminder for you to educate yourself about Prop 72 and all of the propositions on the ballot. Justin Dart, one of the early leaders in the Disability Movement used to say, "Vote Like Your Life Depends On It, Because It Does" I could not agree with him more.
Let's start with a little background on Prop 72 from the Legislative Analyst's Office. In 2003, the Legislature approved and the Governor signed Senate Bill 2 to expand health insurance coverage beginning in 2006 for working Californians and, in some cases, their dependents. The law also established a program to assist lower-income employees with paying their share of health care premiums.
The new law would have gone into effect January 1, 2004. However, Proposition 72, a referendum on this new law, subsequently qualified for the statewide ballot. As a result, SB 2 was put "on hold" and will take effect only if the voters approve Proposition 72
Proposition 72 would require that large and mid-sized companies pay for private health insurance for their employees and their dependents. Specifically, those companies with 200 or more employees would be required to provide health insurance for their employees and their dependents, or pay a fee that would be used to purchase private insurance for their workers, starting in 2006. Firms with 50 to 199 employees would be required to cover their workers only, starting in 2007. Those with 20 to 49 workers will have to cover their workers only if the State enacts a tax credit for 20% of the employers' share. Companies would have to pay at least 80% of premiums, and would be given the option of paying up to 100%. The insurance coverage provided would have to include prescription drug, major medical and preventative care. Opponents say that this proposition is government run healthcare, and a job killer, that will hurt businesses. However, they fail to point out that small businesses are exempt from the provisions of Proposition 72, including 93% of all restaurants and retailers. Large corporations like Walmart and McDonalds are the chief opponents to the measure, and they've put all of their money behind defeating it. In fact, their opposition to the measure has been so strong, it prompted Michael Hiltzik, from the LA Times to quip, "McDonalds sent all their franchisees the directive to oppose this proposition packed in with shipments of all-beef patties and special sauce." Wouldn't it be nice, if they would put some of those resources to work to insure their own employees, instead of forcing the taxpayers to pick up the tab for the uninsured at a cost of $4.6 billion annually? They seem to forget that a healthy workforce is a productive workforce.
They would rather have you believe that you will be forced into some kind of huge government healthcare system financed by a health care tax, and that State bureaucrats, not doctors will be making decisions about your care. Proposition 72 is not a tax, it simply requires businesses to provide private health insurance to their employees, and doctors, nurses and other medical professionals support it. The California Medical Association, California Nurses Association, and other organizations have endorsed the measure because under it's provisions another 1.3 million Californians from working families will be able to see their own doctor rather than having to rely on our already overcrowded emergency rooms and clinics.
For more information on propositions on the ballot visit the Secretary of State's web page at http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/ or the Legislative Analyst's Office at http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot_source/Propositions.aspx. Educate Yourself and Rock the Vote!