AFSCME's head, Jerry McEntee disagrees with flier by 527 group that endorsed Hillary

[zulchzulu]

AFSCME's head, Jerry McEntee spoke before the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives on April 25, 2007 regarding "Living without Health Insurance".

Unlike the message of the AFSCME negative fliers (More: "Clinton Campaign Disguises Negative Flier As Product of Edwards Campaign") attacking Obama for not thinking mandated healthcare insurance is the solution, McEntee firmly states he is against mandated healthcare insurance and is for "Medicare For All", which is basically single-payer healthcare insurance.

About Mr. McEntee:

Gerald W. McEntee is the International President of AFSCME. As a Vice President of the AFL-CIO, Executive Council member, chair of the federation’s Political Education Committee and a member of its Organizing and Public Relations Committees, Jerry plays a key role in the leadership of the labor movement.

http://www.ocsea.org/Convention2007/s-mcentee.asp

Here are some critical points in his testimony regarding not supporting individual mandates on healthcare insurance:

The absence of action on health care reform at the federal level has forced states to pursue their own reform initiatives, largely out of desperation. Although systemic reform requires federal action, we commend states for attempting to address the issue comprehensively. However, we are concerned with the direction reform efforts have taken in some states.

For example, the Massachusetts reform model attempts to achieve near-universal coverage through the use of individual mandates that require those without access to coverage through their jobs to buy coverage in the individual market. Although there are subsidies to help low-income families, many working families will be forced to pay much higher prices for coverage. The most recent estimates for coverage under this initiative for a family with an income of $50,000 would include a $7,000 premium and a $2,000 deductible. Health care costs that approach 20 percent of total family income are unaffordable and unacceptable to working families and they will ultimately doom this plan to failure.

Among the new health reform initiatives being discussed in this Congress, two deserve particular mention. The Medicare for All plan, proposed by Chairman Dingell, offers a viable path to attaining universal coverage. It offers the security of extending the trusted Medicare plan to everyone under age 65, but it also features attributes of choice by allowing enrollees to select any one of the health plans offered to members of Congress.

We are also favorably impressed by the AmeriCare plan introduced by Rep. Stark. This plan would build on our existing employer-sponsored system of coverage, but would also leverage the administrative efficiencies contained in Medicare to create a new system of universal coverage.

http://www.afscme.org/legislation-politics/14062.cfm

AFSCME is also officially on record being against individual mandates in healthcare insurance:

In August 2006, at its annual convention, the union adopted a "Health Care Reform Blueprint for 2007-2008" that called individual mandates "incompatible with AFSCME's principles and long term interests."

http://www.afscme.org/resolutions/13722.cfm
http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2007/12/obama-clinton-afscme-mandates.html

About the mailing:

A union flyer hitting Democratic mailboxes in Iowa has ended up affecting all three top presidential contenders in the state: It was sent by a group backing Hillary Clinton, attacks Barack Obama and looks like it came from supporters of John Edwards.

The mailing was the product of the political arm of the national American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the public workers' union that is backing Clinton's bid for the presidency.

It criticizes the health-care coverage expansion plan offered by Obama, the Illinois senator, as being "timid" and a "band-aid solution." And it quotes Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, as saying "as many as 15 million Americans would be without coverage" under Obama's plan.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/afscme_hits_the_trifecta.html

More info on "Medicare For All":
http://www.alternet.org/story/46550/

[Bitwit1234]

1. Lets see...post number five but in a different context.

Gee AFSCME votes to support Hillary because she supports THEM. And this prick wants to support someone else. Maybe he won't be the head of AFSCME for very long. The rank and file can vote him out. And why would they want to support Obama who doesn't support the Unions...damn...what a piece of work.

[zulchzulu]

2. I didn't expect people like you to get it

Next thing you know, you'll say he's from Illinois. Ferchrissakes, AFSCME is on record being against individual mandates on healthcare insurance...not just the head of the union, but the union itself.

Take time to read.

[zulchzulu]

3. Has the Clinton camp made any comments on this issue? n/t

[zulchzulu]

4. Kick for the hypocrisy of the Hillaryworld campaign n/t