Unions Stand Up to Rahm: Oppose Baucus Bill

[cal04]

by TomP
more at link

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/14/788584/-Unions-Stand-Up-to-Rahm:-Oppose-Baucus-Bill

Bloomberg is reporting that 27 unions stood up to Rahm yesterday:

Twenty-seven U.S. labor unions defied White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and announced their opposition to the $829 billion health-care measure passed yesterday by the Senate Finance Committee.

(snip)
The unions say in a full-page newspaper advertisement today that lawmakers need to make "substantial" changes to the bill or they will urge their members to seek its defeat on the Senate floor. Emanuel asked organized labor not to go public in opposition, said Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Looks like the rush to a Snowe Job may get slowed down.

Remember NAFTA? Emanuel f..ked (to use of of his favorite words) organized labor then also.

What's the big problem? No public option and taxing union member's health care plans so as to raise the prices of them.

Unions are upset that the legislation lacks a public option and would tax insurance companies for "Cadillac" healthcare plans.

Several unions have negotiated over time to secure top notch benefits for their workers and are worried that such a tax will result in higher premiums.

The Hill

The ad’s headline is: "Our Bottom Line for Health Care Reform." Calling for "good, affordable health care," it says, "We aren’t there yet. The Senate Finance Committee bill is deeply flawed."

The unions want Congress to create a so-called public option, a government health plan that would compete with private insurers, and to require that almost all employers provide health care or contribute to a fund subsidizing coverage. Neither provision is in the measure that the Finance Committee approved, 14-9.

Bloomberg

Baucus could have taxed the top 1%. President Obama originally asked that the reform be funded with increased taxes on the wealthy:

Mr. Obama said as he has before that he would prefer to raise revenues by capping the itemized tax deductions wealthy Americans can make.



Unions Spurn White House to Oppose Senate Health Bill
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aP9MCOiMezyk

[saracat]

1. Careful. The attack squad will soon arrive.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Rahm works at the president's behest, actually. nt