National Nurses United

NewsBriefs. Sept 2006 9/1/06 1:26 PM Page 5 Gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides with Katrina RN volunteers (left to right) Jim Van Fleet, Patricia Reagan, Lorraine Simons, Shirley Usher, Natalie Firato, Cindy Petrak, and Sue Cannon. CNA/NNOC Endorses Angelides aying that he would help California provide greater access to healthcare and better prepare for natural disasters than the incumbent, CNA/NNOC announced on Aug. 29 its support of state treasurer Phil Angelides for governor. "We're going to move to make California a model for universal healthcare," Angelides said at the Los Angeles press conference announcing the endorsement, which coincided with the oneyear anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. He also supports Proposition 89, CNA/NNOC's November Clean Elections ballot initiative that aims to stop corruption in politics by curbing the influence of campaign money. Angelides also said that he would prioritize healthcare, education, and the public good above protecting profits for corporations and the wealthy. In contrast, current Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has publicly opposed universal healthcare, worked against a law requiring large businesses to cover their workers, and vetoed S legislation to give communities more notice about hospital closures. Also in contrast to Schwarzenegger's effort to overturn nurseto-patient ratios, Angelides said he would never suspend the law. But one of the main reasons for confidence in Angelides is simply that he came through during the emergency following Katrina last year. When CNA/NNOC was scrambling to send RN volunteers to the Gulf Coast, the organization asked Angelides for help. Within days, he arranged and sponsored seats on a charter jet plane to fly about 50 CNA/NNOC RN volunteers to Louisiana. "I said, 'Phil, we need to be able to send nurses,'" CNA/NNOC Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro said. "That's the kind of governor we need: the kind who responds to suffering." The crowd responded by chanting "Nurses for Phil" and displaying a banner reading "Katrina: Don't let it happen here." Angelides said that if he were elected governor, he would implement a disaster CALIFORNIA SEPTEMBER 2006 W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G response plan to prevent another public health crisis. He had called on the Governor to declare a state of emergency in the latest heat wave this summer. "Even in 'normal' times, California is unable to adequately provide for the emergency care needs of our population. People wait hours for care in emergency rooms, which are strained by both a lack of capacity and overcrowding, due in large part to the failure of [Governor Schwarzenegger] to address the growing crisis of the uninsured, to provide sufficient funding for our public healthcare safety net, and to work to secure quality care for all Californians," Deborah Burger, RN and CNA/NNOC president said in a press release for the event. Given the options, Angelides is the better choice, said nurses at the event. "Registered nurses in California do not believe that California is ready to deal with a disaster," said Jan Rodolfo, an oncology RN and CNA/ NNOC board member, "and we don't believe that Schwarzenegger is willing to do what it takes." —bonnie ho REGISTERED NURSE 5

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