National Nurses United

F or all of the nurses who have been in- volved to protect California from the forces behind Gov. Schwarzenegger, people throughout California and the United States call here on a daily basis to say thank you. We have limited his power and re- stricted his ability thus far to erode our ratio law and have protected the RN scope of practice. We have successfully fought back thus far his attempts to erode RN and public employee's pension plans. But now, our governor and his special moneyed interests are kicking their cam- paign up to a "winner take all" scenario where he is spending $80 million dollars of our money, the people of California's money, to gain unilateral control of our Legislature and the budget of California. If Gov. Schwarzenegger accomplishes this agenda, all of California will be sub- jected to the agenda set forth by the huge corporations that are behind his curtains, including the healthcare industry. This would mean: ■ Ratios could be severely eroded and ultimately abolished, regardless of the cost to patient safety. ■ The Board of Registered Nursing and other independent oversight regulatory agencies could be eliminated, opening the door to a substantial erosion of RN scope of practice. ■ Pensions of RNs in the public sector along with other public employees could be privatized. ■ Workers meal and lunch breaks would be left at the exclusive whim of em- ployers. ■ Consumer safety laws would be gravely endangered, such as the gover- nor's proposal to roll back the California Environmental Quality Act. This partial list provides a portent of what Schwarzenegger and his corporate backers would like to do to the social and health fabric of our state. The corporations have not freely given Gov. Schwarzenegger $70 million dollars because they wanted his company or a chicken dinner at his fundraisers. Here's another hint. Look at one area where the governor already has constitu- tional authority—vetoes. In just his first year in office, Schwarzenegger vetoed 33 of the 38 bills fought by the California Chamber of Commerce, the lobbying arm for the state's biggest corporations, in- cluding the healthcare industry. Here is Gov. Schwarzenegger's cur- rent record: ■ Bills to facilitate the import of af- fordable prescription drugs from Canada: vetoed ■ Bill to require private insurers to in- clude pre-natal and maternity coverage in health plans: vetoed ■ Bill to restrict hospital closures: vetoed ■ Bill to reduce workplace injuries to nurses: vetoed ■ Bill to protect uninsured patients from exorbitant hospital charges: vetoed ■ Bill to raise the minimum wage: vetoed ■ Bill to curb job outsourcing: vetoed ■ Bill to reduce air pollution: vetoed ■ Bill to protect employee privacy rights: vetoed All of these vetoed bills, and others not on this list, had and have an immedi- ate and sometimes tragic effect on human lives. As a result of the disgraceful price gouging by the pharmaceutical giants, for example, RNs are seeing more and more patients who, once diagnosed, are simply unable to afford to buy the lifesaving med- ications they need. Gov. Schwarzenegger's record to date amply illustrates the dangers of handing him increased domination of our health and social safety net and our democratic institutions. But that is precisely what is at stake in the coming months, if we don't win this crucial battle. The big corporate interests who have already bankrolled the governor with some $70 million and counting have a clear pro- gram. Their goal is to privatize health, ed- ucation and other social services for private profit and silence the voice of RNs and other public advocates who stand in their way. In the world of Schwarzenegger and his legion of corporate sponsors, the public is only en- titled to healthcare, education, and other public services if they can afford them. Pub- lic education will become a thing of the past. Every initiative on the upcoming No- vember ballot promoted by the governor and his allies is part and parcel of this agenda. Budget. The initiative would hand the governor unilateral authority to impose sweeping cuts in state funding, including the ability to override state laws, even dur- ing years of surplus, largely eliminating the role of the Legislature and public oversight in determining fiscal policy. On the state level, the governor, who has regularly shown a willingness to reduce social spending, could arbitrarily slash Medi-Cal for 6.7 million Californians, in- cluding many seniors in nursing homes, the Healthy Families Program that helps 750,000 children see a doctor, or the com- munity health for children and other health programs funded by the voter-approved to- bacco tax initiatives Props. 10 and 99. Even worse, the initiative endangers virtually every health program funded through counties, including trauma cen- ters, public health clinics, childhood im- 10 J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 0 5 C A L I F O R N I A N U R S E Nurses Say No to Arnold, No to Corporate California, No in November Rose Ann DeMoro CNA Executive Director His initiatives will destroy the state's safety nets. By Rose Ann DeMoro

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