SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- On the eve of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's State of the State address, the state's largest organization of RNs today said the governor's first year has been largely a failure in promoting the health and safety of Californians.
"California has a growing healthcare emergency. But rather than promote resolutions to our considerable problems, this governor has enacted policies that have exacerbated the crisis and set back efforts to enhance public protections," said Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the nearly 60,000-member California Nurses Association.
"From hospital patient safety, to addressing the crisis of the uninsured, to affordable medications, to assuring mothers access to maternity and pre-natal care, to support for working people who receive debilitating injuries on the job, this governor's record has been one of the worst in memory," DeMoro said.
"Across the board, the common thread has been the governor's determination to place corporate interests ahead of the public well being, a sharp contrast to Gov. Schwarzenegger's promises that he would put the people back in charge in Sacramento," DeMoro noted.
CNA cited the reports that in his first year, Gov. Schwarzenegger collected more than $26.6 million in contributions, mostly from corporate allies, according to his own political team. Among the results were vetoes of 86% of the top 38 bills, and all of the top 10, opposed by corporate interests, and the governor's leading role in promoting the corporate agenda on ballot measures.
Health care has been a particular target. Examples include (partial list):
-- Hospital safety: Emergency order to roll back safe nursing care in
emergency rooms and general medical units. The result will be longer
waits, a lower standard of care for hospital patients, and, very
likely, more preventable deaths and injuries.
-- Access to care: Led the charge to overturn the law extending health
coverage to one million Californians. Today over 6.4 million
Californians have no health insurance, over 20% of the non-senior
population, while the governor talks about criminalizing those unable
to buy health insurance.
-- Workers comp: Pushed a "reform" plan that, according to a UC Davis
study, will cut benefits by on average 70% for workers on permanent
disability due to on the job injuries. Notably the new limits exempted
insurance premium increases.
-- Affordable prescription drugs: Vetoed bills to help Californians
obtain access to affordable needed medications.
-- Other healthcare vetoes: Bills to assist communities facing hospital
closures, assure health plans provide maternity and pre-natal care,
protect low income families facing excessive hospital charges, cut air
pollution levels at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, and reduce RN
workplace injuries.
-- Budget cuts: Health care programs, especially those facing our
society's most vulnerable, top the list of cuts the governor is
expected to propose in his new budget.
In the coming year, said DeMoro, CNA will work with other healthcare advocates to promote real solutions to the state's healthcare crisis.
California Nurses AssociationCONTACT: Charles Idelson of California Nurses Association,+1-510-273-2246, or +1-415-559-8991 (cell)
Web site: http://www.calnurse.org/
