Health Care: SMS and Lottery

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

The state is starting to emerge from the fires and focus on other topics. Health care is regaining the spotlight, though it still seems like there is a better change of failure legislatively than passage of a bill that Arnold will sign. Advocates are pressing ahead, putting pressure on Arnold to come around and stop siding with his corporate donors instead of the millions of uninsured and underinsured.

Tomorrow at the state capitol the It's OUR Health Care coaltion is having a rally prior to the legislative hearing on Arnold's policy proposal, which the coalition strongly opposes. They are setting up a screen, displaying text messages from Californians to the Governor on health care. They are parking a giant screen on the Capitol grounds and will broadcast them all day long.

To participate send IOH to 30644. They will let you know what to do tomorrow via text. See Matt Ortega's post on Calitics for more.

Meanwhile, the California Labor Federation issued a scathing report on Arnold's proposal to lease the lottery. Here are the three major problems they found.

Using even the most optimistic financial projections, the lottery lease will not provide sufficient funds to address health care costs over the term of the lease.

The proposal takes funding from public schools and gives it to health care, with no guarantee that the education funds will be replaced without raiding other state priorities.

The proposal's lottery lease estimates are contingent upon a dramatic increase in lottery sales that will disproportionately hurt low-income Californians.

The lottery lease proposal has no real advocates besides the governor (much like his larger health care plan) and this is yet another nail in the proverbial coffin for the idea.