National Nurses United

NewsBriefs. Oct 2006 10/11/06 10:41 AM Page 7 produced by Colette Washington, a CNA/ NNOC staff person. With its clever lyrics and catchy beat, About Time for 89 (view at www.cleanmoneyelections.org/rap) captures the unfairness of the current pay-toplay system and inspires Californians to "get up on their feet" and turn things around by voting yes on 89. You can also listen to and watch the video at the CNA/NNOC website, www.calnurses.org. "This is the single-most important reform for voters to pass in California this November," said Deborah Burger, RN and CNA/NNOC president. "Once we take a lot of the corporate money out, we can finally start to work on what Californians really need, like health coverage, decent schools, and living-wage jobs." —staff report Letter from Maine by jim annis and john brautigam hat a difference publicly-funded elections makes. We are legislators from Maine, a Republican and a Democrat, and we know what we are talking about. We both ran for our House seats under the state's Clean Elections program, in place since 2000, which provides public funding for candidates who raise a specified number of $5 contributions from constituents and who agree to abide by spending limits. We are happy to say that public funding has given us the freedom to spend more time with our constituents discussing important issues. We are no longer stuck in the "dialing for dollars" game, in which we would need to spend long hours on the phone asking special interest donors and lobbyists to contribute to our campaigns. Here in Maine, we have seen direct results from this severing of ties between special interest donors and the Legislature. In 2000, the Maine Legislature approved a daring new pharmaceutical program that gives families the chance to buy drugs at a deep discount. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court and went into effect in January 2004. In 2003, the legislature approved a groundbreaking health reform bill known as the Dirigo Health Act, named after the state motto, meaning "I direct," and designed to provide health insurance to all Maine residents. Its primary feature is a health plan, DirigoChoice, that includes new controls on healthcare costs and initiatives to encourage high-quality care, as well as subsidizing premiums for those who cannot afford to pay. Publicly-funded legislators were free to support this legislation without any concern for the big-money special interests that might oppose such a law. Maine has seen no influx of frivolous candidates. The qualifying requirements are high enough that the great majority of candidates are serious, capable people. A strong enforcement system protects the Maine Clean Elections program from abuse. Clean elections are popular among legislators in Maine. A full 83 percent of our state Senate and 77 percent of the House ran "clean." Each year the proportion of lawmakers elected using the system has increased from the previous election. Could what works in Maine work in California? We think so. The voters should seize the opportunity to join not just Maine but also several other states and localities across the country that have established versions of publicly-financed elections, including Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Vermont, Albuquerque, N.M., and Portland, Ore. Clean elections are a proven, practical reform that will make government accountable to its voters. W Jim Annis is a Republican and John Brautigam is a Democrat, both serving in the Maine House of Representatives. OCTOBER 2006 W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G NNOC Texas RNs NOV. 14 IS A DAY OF ACTION! Join us in Austin for a RALLY to support the Texas Hospital Patient Protection Act of 2007 and CE CLASSES to learn how to improve standards of care for our patients. The bill we're proposing would: ■ Mandate RN-to-patient staffing ratios ■ Establish the explicit right of the RN as patient advocate ■ Protect RNs who speak out about unsafe conditions Come SPEAK OUT to the public, press, and lawmakers about the crisis in our hospitals, our healthcare system, and our profession. LEARN how to mobilize your RN colleagues. MEET NNOC RNS from all over the country. Make plans now to attend and recruit your coworkers, too. Get more information and RSVP at www.nnoc.net or call the hotline number at 1-800-540-3603. Leave a message with your name, complete address, home phone number, e-mail address, and where you work – including your unit and shift. REGISTERED NURSE 7

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