September 21 , 2007
By Tom Honig
Sentinel editor
California legislators will pass health care reform during the ongoing special session in Sacramento, Assemblyman John Laird promised Thursday.
Laird, D-Santa Cruz, spoke to a loose-knit group of local citizens called the Health Improvement Partnership at a meeting at the Simpkins Family Swim Center.
Laird brought the 100 or so observers up to date on the health care debate now happening in Sacramento. Although Laird commented that he personally favors the so-called single-payer system of government-run health care, he also said that he can tolerate a proposal by Democrats now under consideration. Under that plan, the state would require employers to spend 7.5 percent of their payroll in order to cover people with pre-existing health conditions — those who most often are turned down for insurance.
Laird also had some praise for a plan by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that is also under consideration and opposed by the governor's Republican party. That plan would spread the cost out to businesses, health care providers [including doctors] and individuals, along with a big boost from the federal government. Unlike the Democratic plan, his proposal would require everyone in California to be covered by health insurance.
The various health care plans are complex to the point of confusion, and Laird did his best to explain the issues to his audience. He also discussed political realities, and that's when he expressed his optimism that the special legislative session would yield results. The challenge for any of these proposals is to reach a two-thirds vote from legislators — and that means that the Republican minority could block any measure. And so far, the GOP opposes both the Democratic bill and the governor's proposal.
That opposition only adds to the difficulty of finding a solution. First, legislative Democrats would have to agree on a compromise with Schwarzenegger. Then, they both would have to convince a handful of Republicans to join them. The difficulty there is that the GOP has stated it won't support any proposal that calls for more taxes.
Still Laird expressed hope. Dean Kashino, a local doctor and former president of the Santa Cruz Medical Society, asked Laird what happens if no agreement is forthcoming.
"I can't think that way," Laird replied. "We have to [agree]. We have the political will and we just can't let it go. ... I can't fathom that we won't get something done"
While discussion continues on the two main proposals, the single-payer, government-funded health care plan remains in the background. In fact, Laird said, "All plans are judged [by the public] against single-payer — and not the status quo"
But the sponsor of the government-funded solution, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, has quietly withdrawn her proposal pending the result of the current negotiations, Laird said. That didn't keep supporters of that plan from speaking up.
Local resident Chuck Huddleston pointed out that single-payer is the only solution that avoids the complexity of all the other plans.
However, another voice brought up the concern of business. Ted Burke, owner of the Shadowbrook restaurant and a representative of the California Restaurant Association, said many businesses — particularly restaurants — simply can't afford high levels of fees that either single-payer or the Democratic proposal would require. He said such fees would drive a number of restaurants out of business.
He also brought up yet another proposal — one from the Restaurant Association that would call for a 1-cent sales tax to pay for health care reform.
Laird first expressed admiration for the quality of food at Burke's restaurant, but then admitted to reservations about the sales-tax plan.
"The problem," he said, "is our broken system of raising revenues. We need to do something in the long term about ... the entire state budget process" |