ECA Newsletter

1-31-2022

John’s Soapbox

Vote For Your Interests, Not the Special Interests of Another

The opinions expressed in the Soapbox are not necessarily the opinions of the ECA.  I am speaking my own mind and not stating any collective ECA opinions.

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I am going to talk a bit about health care to make a point.  I know-what does health care have to do with the ECA?  A little bit, we all know that.  But what my point is today, is that if we keep blindly voting one side of the ballot without knowing how that is going to affect our businesses and lives, we are going to get just what we deserve.  And it is not good.

I was a part of another organization talking about whether to take a position on AB1400 last week (that is the ballot measure that would provide single payer health care in California), and I was amazed at how little we are aware of what is being voted on today.  I am making this the topic of my soapbox today, in order to get people to think about blindly voting along party lines.

Whether you are a Blue or a Red voter, voting strictly along party lines exacerbates the problems we have from special interest groups basically running our government.  And do not be fooled-this AB1400 and ACA 11 (ACA 11 is a constitutional amendment that dovetails with AB1400 to basically eliminate private insurance in CA and set the stage for additional taxes to pay for single payer insurance) are being promoted by special interest groups that do not care a whit about your business in California.  If you care to see what special interest groups are backing this expensive, and very socialistic ballot measure, just read who is endorsing this bill.  And if you want to see how demanding the democratic party is in California, feel free to read this where they basically say “vote no on AB!400 and lost all support” from the democratic party.  Please read this chilling “threat”:

California Progressives Warn Dems Against No Vote on Single-Payer (commondreams.org)

AB1400 will be voted on today-January 31, 2022, and if the predominately democratic elected legislators pass it, it will go to the voters in November to be voted upon.  I urge all of you to review how your State electeds vote on this bill today and write or call them and let them know how happy or unhappy you are with their vote today.

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Here are what supporters of AB1400 say are FIVE FACTS about AB1400:

1. What would CalCare do?
   CalCare would establish a state insurance plan that would cover all California residents regardless of employment, income, health status, marital status or documentation status.
2. What medical services would CalCare cover?
   CalCare would include coverage for medically necessary services currently covered under the Affordable Care Act, PLUSoral health, audiology, vision services and long-term care.
3. How would CalCare be different from private health insurance?
   CalCare would eliminate premiums, deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance. It would also eliminate hassles like pre-authorizations for treatment, provider networks and enrollment periods.
4. How would CalCare be financed?
   CalCare would be financed by a public Trust Fund, which would be funded by monies from federal and state government agencies along with additional revenue sources, like a wealth tax, to be determined by the California State Legislature.
5. How can CalCare capture federal funding?
   To capture healthcare dollars from the federal government, the Governor of California must request waivers from federal agencies such as Health & Human Services.

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And if you want to read parts of, or the entire bill, have at it.  It is right here in this link-Bill Text – AB-1400 Guaranteed Health Care for All.

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I would like to add a few “facts” of my own about AB1400 if possible:

A.  A recent survey shows nearly 93% of California residents are insured already.  So, I have to wonder, who is going to benefit from this universal health care bill that is not already covered?  LOL-I’ll let you guess!!

B.  Nobody knows what it would cost existing or new businesses, but the assumption is it would cost A FREAKING LOT!  An example of the cost from 3 very democratic states that tried the universal approach, Vermont, Colorado, and Massachusetts, is shown here:

C.  I know Biden wants to send Kamala down to Honduras, Guatemala, and other countries to find out what the “root causes/reasons” are for all these folks coming up and crossing the border into America might be (179,000 in December alone by the way!), but I would hazard a guess that free health care for your family for the rest of their lives, without having to pay into it one copper penny, MIGHT JUST BE A REASON TO LEAVE AND COME TO AMERICA! You think?  And if you do not believe that allowing 179,000 folks to cross the border, get medical insurance at no cost once they are in the USA, and be allowed to vote regardless of if they are undocumented or here illegally are not part of the same program, think again.

D.  Passage of AB1400, combined with the passage of ACA 11 (a constitutional amendment) would essentially make it illegal to have private insurance in the State of California. And ACA 11 will open the door for the legislator to impose new fees and taxes on businesses and workers to pay for all those that do not have to pay into the system.

California Democrats’ single-payer healthcare plan passes first hurdle (yahoo.com)

I guess my point in writing this newsletter soapbox piece is that no matter which side you vote for, do not vote unilaterally for all GOP or all Dem ballot measures and candidates.  We are (or should be), better than that.  When Trump comes out and says he is going to pardon those that stormed Washington on January 6, 2021, it is equally wrong to blindly support that position.  If you believe they should all, be pardoned, by all means, vote for Trump in 2024.  But if you do not believe they should be pardoned, and they should be prosecuted for trespassing and damaging federal property, then be aware of where you put that ballot check mark.  Similarly, in California, where voting one side of the ballot is nearly a “given”, know what you are voting for and if that is what you want to vote for, never complain about the high cost of doing business in California.  There is clearly one party in charge in CA, and if they are making your life better for you, then by all means, keep voting them in.

If you think “not so much”, look at each line item on the ballot and vote according to your interests, not those of the nurse’s association or any other special interest groups!!

That’s All Folks!

John