Posted on 09/13/2006 6:12:11 PM PDT by calcowgirl
SACRAMENTO - Siding with Wal-Mart and other large employers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have required they provide health care benefits for their employees or pay into a state health fund.
In a veto message, Schwarzenegger said the bill was the wrong approach to tackling spiraling health care costs.
"Singling out large employers and requiring them to spend an arbitrary amount on health care does nothing to lower costs or guarantee that even one more person has health care coverage," Schwarzenegger said.
Supporters had argued the bill was needed to prevent companies with at least 10,000 California workers from shifting their health care costs to public-assistance programs.
The bill, by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, would have required large companies to spend at least 8 percent of their total wages on health coverage for their workers or pay into a state fund to cover various health care programs.
"The governor's statement that the bill accomplishes nothing is a slap in the face of the 40,000 Wal-Mart employees, as well as thousands of others, who would have received real health care benefits," Migden said in a statement.
Wal-Mart's business practices have become a charged political topic nationwide. Critics blame the company for a range of social ills from low wages and meager insurance benefits to harmful environmental impacts.
Company supporters have defended the world's largest retailer for providing millions of jobs and helping keep product prices low.
Schwarzenegger noted that a similar law in Maryland had been struck down by the courts. He urged lawmakers to work with him on comprehensive health care reform.
"Without fundamental change, costs will spiral higher, more businesses will be forced to drop health care coverage, and fewer working families will find themselves with health care," Schwarzenegger said. "This is not an option."
Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 1414 by Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) that would have required large employers to spend a specified percentage of their total wages on employee health insurance costs.
“I want to see a new paradigm that addresses affordability, shared responsibility and the promotion of healthy living,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger in an opinion piece in the San Diego Union Tribune on Sept. 5. “Affordability is the key to making our system work for everyone, and affordability is exactly what we are dedicating ourselves to. With my partners in the Legislature, I look forward in 2007 to working to develop a comprehensive and systemic approach to health care that not only provides affordable medical treatment to people when they are ill, but that strives to make sure people don't get sick in the first place. An approach that supports cost containment and recognizes the shared responsibility of individuals, employers and government. That promotes personal responsibility and builds on existing private and public systems.”
Below is the veto message.
To the Members of the California State Senate:I am returning Senate Bill 1414 without my signature.
The spiraling cost of health care is nearing the crisis point. That is why in July I convened a summit on health care affordability to bring together experts from health care, government, business, academics, and labor to discuss California’s health care challenges. Numerous leaders joined me that day to identify why health care costs are rising and propose solutions to this problem.
Unfortunately, SB 1414 does nothing to address the health care challenges we face. Singling out large employers and requiring them to spend an arbitrary amount on health care does nothing to lower costs or guarantee that even one more person has health care coverage. In fact, SB 1414 will do little more than lead to expensive legal challenges. A Maryland law similar to SB 1414 was recently struck down by the courts as preempted by federal law.
Beyond its legal shortcomings, SB 1414 is not the comprehensive approach to health care reform that California needs. Without fundamental change, costs will spiral higher, more businesses will be forced to drop health care coverage, and fewer working families will find themselves with health care. This is not an option.
I encourage the Legislature to work with me in 2007 to develop a comprehensive plan to address our state’s health care challenges. I am confident that working together we can achieve our shared goal of a healthier California.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
One Bill Gil's latest effort at driver's licenses for illegals has been promised a VETO according to the governor's office.
That would be good news! The above was a great veto... the reasons are a bit disconcerting, however.
But, isn`t Arnold a Rino?
Just the latest example of what some were writing during his election, that Arnold was no better than the Democrook ...
Of course he'll veto it. He vetoed it last year, and in 2004 as well. It gets passed every year and vetoed every time. I believe 2006 is the seventh year in a row.
They don't call Sen Cedillo "one bill Gil" for nothing. It's all he does.
Well...let's teach those evil capitalists a lesson. If we get rid of public assistance programs, the can't shift their costs to them.
Thank you Governor Schwarzenegger.
SB 1414 is not the comprehensive approach to health care reform that California needs. ... I encourage the Legislature to work with me in 2007 to develop a comprehensive plan to address our state’s health care challenges.
He will soon have the power to coerce legislative Republicans through the campaign purse strings of the CAGOP.
He'll be termed out soon, only one more year to get it done.
The disappointment I feel at losing Rep Haynes will be balanced by glee at seeing OBG head out the door, n'er to return.
Once elected, however, he may revert to his core RINO/socialist beliefs.
When Pete Wilson's right hand, Bob White, came to visit him on the set of "End of Days" in 1999, Schwarzenegger was cool to White's idea that he enter politics and revive the state GOP. The star instead complained about the party's support for the impeachment of President Clinton. Two years later, Schwarzenegger's political consultants sat him down in front of a camera and asked him to state his views on issues. He railed against partisan politics and laid out his plan for expanding healthcare coverage. After focus groups complained that the plan sounded like something Hillary Rodham Clinton would embrace, he dropped the idea.
Since when is it the job of the scumbags in the government to tell private business that they have to provide healthcare to their employees? The DemocRATS are confusing America with the old, now defunct, Soviet Union. I'm pretty sure what these goons are wanting is very "unconstitutional." UnAmerican anyway.
The best coverage that OPM can buy.
A truly eclectic collection of bloggers
What will you do since the legit byline (LA Weekly) is gone?
On the surface--I don't like it!
It will definitely take some getting used to.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
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