Monday, December 11, 2006
As the government reconvened this week for a new two-year assembly, the planets are close to supporting to extend worldwide health coverage to all of California's kids. Up to date, the only thing worldwide about this problem has been political defeat at every turn. But there is expectation coming in 2007 for the nearly 800,000 children who remain uninsured.
In the 2003 evoke election, the governor ran on an oath to cover all California children. Yet in the 2005, he banned a bill that would have done just that. Previous year, I led the attempt in the Assembly for universal children's health cover through the financial plan process. Republican legislators used the problem to hold budget discussions hostage and defeat was rushed from the jaws of victory one more time.
Although Republican legislators are still rattle sabers in opposition to universal health care for kids using migration issues as a wedge, the governor has named a group to work on enhanced health-care admission for all Californians. The clear point from last month's vote was that the voters wan bipartisan efforts to solve California's troubles.
A November 2006 poll custom-made by United Ways of California shows just such a bipartisan attitude on this problem 81 percent of voters said they support ensuring that all California kids have health insurance. Two-thirds of those polled also reflect the goal of covering all kids is practical and possible. When well-versed of the cost, two-thirds say California can pay for it.
Ninety percent of California's children are already assured. It would cost about $300 million in a general fund budget of over $100 billion dollars to stop the job by register qualified children in existing programs.
Covering all our kids is not only the correct thing to do, it is sound economic policy. It makes sense to give less-expensive coverage and the protective care that goes with it to children prior to they end up in the emergency room. Cold and flu viruses are making their way into California classrooms this winter and they are not making a difference between those kids who have health coverage and those who do not.
This week, I begin legislation, AB 13, to make sure every child in California has complete health coverage. They simply can not wait any longer and neither should we.



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