National Nurses United

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 W W W . C A L N U R S E S . O R G R E G I S T E R E D N U R S E 13 t h e n o v e m b e r election is right around the corner. Already, absentee ballots have gone out and people are beginning to vote. I can honestly say that un- less Proposition 89, CNA/ NNOC's Clean Money initiative, passes, noth- ing will fundamentally change in our lives. We need to put the brakes on the cash register- based, politician-buying debacle that passes for representative democracy in our state, and now. The political system is rigged against everyday people, against patients, and against a better California. If our political leaders truly cared about our lives and our works, they would not jump on board with every corporate-sponsored legislative nightmare that encourages and propels trade agreements that shift Ameri- can workers' jobs offshore, leaving jobs that provide low salaries, no benefits, and which destroy any security for the retirement years. They would invest in education, genuinely clean up the environment, and make health- care a right and not a privilege to which fewer and fewer people have access. Our country and our lives are in decline, and the power of a corporate agenda has made collective opposition ever more urgent. Nurses fought the governor and the nurses won. They defeated a governor that the conventional wis- dom had declared unbeatable. They defeated a man who took, and continues to take, more money from special interests than any gover- nor in the history of California, a man who is ranked third in the history of the U.S. for taking campaign contributions from special interests. But the nurses fought Schwarzenegger, and won. They won because they believed that patients' right to access to care is a demo- cratic right and not an economic privilege. They won because they had the courage of their convictions to take a stand for their patients' health, for the nursing profession's dedication to its practice, and to answer the demands of their own moral compass. Nurs- es know what we all know if we but ask the question: The caring profession's commit- ment to themselves and their patients does not begin and end at the hospital door, but includes protecting Medical Justice for all wherever, whenever, and however it is threatened in our community, our state, and our nation. The nurses see the human pain of an inhumane world where people work longer and harder, for less and less and yet still are denied access to care or find them- selves isolated in understaffed hospitals with little if any community support. Democracy is now up for grabs to the highest corporate bidder. Large corporations are running amok and politicians are in effect bought and sold in a political market dominat- ed by a corporate elite that knows only one value—the dollar. The human costs engen- dered—poor health, a crumbling natural envi- ronment, shoddy and dangerous products, poor pay, a rising poverty rate, a loss of dignity in the workplace for millions—all these are borne by ordinary citizens while corporate profits and executive compensation are at lev- els unthinkable a few short decades ago. The nurses of California are trying to save lives—and they are offering Californians an opportunity to reinvigorate a truly participa- tory California democracy and to stop the insanity that allows these abuses of our lives. Please join me in voting YES on PROPO- SITION 89, the Clean Money & Fair Elec- tions Act, and please ask every one that you know to do the same. If you don't know a lot of people, come volunteer with us by phone banking and reaching out to educate and inspire your fellow voters. Together we can win this important social change. ■ Rose Ann DeMoro is executive director of CNA/NNOC. Rose Ann DeMoro Executive Director, CNA/NNOC Passing Prop. 89 is the only way to end the pay-to-play system big corporate campaign donors use to control California at working people's expense. Game Over "Democracy is now up for grabs to the highest corporate bidder. Large corporations are running amok and politicians are in effect bought and sold in a political market dominated by a corporate elite that knows only one value—the dollar. The human costs engendered—poor health, a crumbling natural environment, shoddy and dangerous products, poor pay, a rising poverty rate, a loss of dignity in the workplace for millions—all these are borne by ordinary citizens while corporate profits and executive compensation are at levels unthinkable a few short decades ago." You Can Help Pass Prop. 89! First, get connected by joining Californians for Clean Elections at www.Yeson89.org. You can learn more about the initiative and also ways to help, such as speaking to neighbors and community groups or donat- ing to the campaign. You can also request bumper stickers and other Yes on 89 gear.

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