Tuesday, 12/18/2007 Print Version | Email / Share
Gov. Schwarzenegger Applauds Assembly Vote on Landmark Health Care Reform
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GOVERNOR: Good afternoon, everybody. California has taken a giant step forward today on something that many people thought could not be done. With the Assembly's courageous vote just a short time ago we are closer than ever to fixing our broken health care system. We owe so much to the great leaders; Speaker Núñez -- let's give him a big hand. (Applause) And the Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata. (Applause)
And to all the different groups standing behind me right here who normally are opposed to one another. (Laughter) But this time they made an exception. And we have a very impressive group of people standing behind me here. I just want to list some, talk about some of the people here. Speaker Fabian Núñez, Mayor Alan Autry, then Andy Stern, President of the Service Employees International Union; then Steve Burd, CEO of Safeway; Jeanine English, State President of the AARP; then Willie Pelote with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; then Ruben Barrales, President of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce; Bill Hunt with the Catholic Health Care West; then Deena Lahn, with the Children's Defense Fund; then Peter Harbage with the New American Foundation; then Danny Curtin with the California Conference of Carpenters; and Stan Padilla with the California Association of Physicians Groups, and the list goes on and on and on. So let's give them a big, big hand for the great work that they have done. (Applause)
Then of course also all the great legislators that are standing right behind me also. Let's give them also a great big hand. (Applause)
Now, like I said, they were not always on the same side, but slowly they came together and they joined forces for the good of all Californians, because it is time for the people of the greatest state in the greatest country to have the greatest health care insurance and health care system that is affordable, accessible, and works for everybody. It is time for the people to stop living in fear of losing their medical coverage, and to live in fear that they are literally one long hospital stay away from having to file personal bankruptcy. It is time for all of us with coverage to stop being forced to pay twice; to pay for ourselves, and also to pay for the uninsured. It is time for the hardworking California families and businesses to get relief from double digit premium hikes and health care costs that are spiraling out of control. It is time for us to take advantage of the 4 billion dollars of federal matching funds that are California's for the asking, as long as we do our part and institute real reform. And it is time for us to have a health care system that encourages and rewards healthy living so that we can save billions and billions of dollars and deal with medical issues before they turn into deadly diseases.
So, ladies and gentlemen, we are in a marathon here in California that the whole country and the whole world is watching. With today's vote we can see the finish line; the finish line is coming closer and closer and closer. And I want to tell you something else. This reform is the best thing that we could do right now for California's economy and our state budget, because it is self-financing and it takes nothing from the general fund, and it pumps billions and billions of dollars into Medi-Cal and into our California economy. I'm confident that the Senate will follow up and move the finish line even closer, because Senator Perata is a big, big believer in universal health care; health care for everyone here in California, that gives Californians the world-class health care system that it deserves. And then in November we will have the biggest celebration of all when we ask the voters to approve it, just like we have done this last year with the infrastructure bonds, because the people of California are our greatest partners.
In 1912 Teddy Roosevelt has already talked about universal health care, to dramatically improve health care for all American people. And 36 years later, Earl Warren, in 1948 -- which was the year after I was born -- has tried to do the same thing here in California. He failed by one vote. And if we keep our eye on the goal, which means cost containment and health insurance for all Californians, we will indeed make history. It will at the same time have a positive impact on millions of Californians, and it will have a positive impact on California's economy, and it will have a positive impact on our state budget.
So thank you very much again, thank you for giving me the opportunity. And now I would like to call out my friend and my partner, a great, great negotiator, a man that really cares about having health care insurance for everybody, my friend Speaker Núñez. Please welcome him. (Applause)
SPEAKER FABIAN NÚÑEZ: Thank you very much, Governor. First, let me just say that we wouldn't be here today if it was not for the hard work, effort, and the steadfast commitment that the members of my Democratic Assembly Caucus have had, and the focus and energy which we have put into health care reform for all Californians. And I've just got to tell you, we wouldn't be here today if it was not for that incredible vote of 46 votes in favor of AB 1X.
We are now, thanks to this great vote, well on our way to demonstrating to Californians what the purpose of government is all about. It's about solving their problems, and we intend to do just that with AB 1X by expanding health care coverage to close to 4 million people who currently don't have it, about 70 percent of the total population of uninsured. We're in the process right now, thanks to this great, historic vote today, of making sure that in the State of California, never again will people be denied coverage because they develop a condition that their health company would rather not pay for. At the same time, I want to say that the folks that I'm talking about here are the Members of my caucus, and I personally want to thank each and every one of them for their hard work, the Assembly Democratic Members that are here today. Thank you for all of your work. (Applause)
The other thing I want to say is, you know, in the course of the negotiations, this wasn't an easy agreement to negotiate. Otherwise, in the last 90 years you would have seen some successful attempts at really reforming, fundamentally reforming, our broken health care system not only here in California but around the country. And the reason why it has been difficult is that it's very tough to get people to the table that have a different point of view, to come together and to force a compromise. But I've always said that the art of compromise is the art of the possible.
And I will tell you, there is no one with more courage and tenacity than Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He has been so focused on this. And there were times when I was ready to throw in the towel and say Governor, I've had enough of this, we can't continue. And he was there to call and say no, we've got to keep going. Come on, let's sit down again, let's talk. There were plenty of times when many of us thought that we had run out of time, and yet we found an extra week here, an extra day there, and the negotiations continued. And I've got to tell you, you talk about demonstrating real courage; you're a Republican governor in a Democratic state, responding to the people of California. That sounds easy enough to do, but it's harder than people recognize. Otherwise, it would have been done before. So, Governor, thank you for the leadership that you're demonstrating, and for the great work that you have done. (Applause)
And lastly -- and I said everything I needed to say on the Floor of the Assembly about this, but I do want to thank a couple of people for their hard work. And I've got to tell you, in my office, Sumi Sousa -- nobody worked harder, got less sleep than Sumi working on this thing. (Applause)
Also, the other consultants, Scott Bing, John Gribner, Ed Neuschler -- Neuscher? Neuschler. Rich Curtis and John Gorgina, the Health Committee Staff all did a great job. And I also want to acknowledge Anna Montesantos from the Governor's Office, because I've got to tell you, she's a tough negotiator, she really is. (Applause)
Senator Perata and I always thought that we had an easier time getting something negotiated with the Governor than with Anna. And any time she was in the room we figured, oh boy, this is going to be tough.
But I just want to thank everybody for their support. To see that we have business and labor coming together, the unions who came on board with us, SEIU, AFSME, the Carpenters, the IBW, all of the other unions, the other building trades unions, the laborers, the Operating Engineers, the United Farm Workers. All of them have just done great work, and I really want to thank them, because they too took a very strong stand and helped us get over the top today. So thank you very much, everybody, for your work. Thank you. (Applause)
And speaking of unions, I want to present to you a man who I consider to be one of the most enlightening labor leaders in the country today, a man who -- I've said to him, is the modern day Samuel Gompers of the labor movement, a great leader, Andy Stern, the General President of SEIU. (Applause)
ANDY STERN: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We come together at a pivotal moment, an historic crossroads, in the search for real solutions to transform America's health care system. Today California took a giant step towards assisting the growing number of hardworking, taxpaying, middle-class families, to many whose only health care plan is a prayer that they won't get sick, whose only doctor is an emergency room, and whose only realistic chance to live free of both increasing health care costs and being an illness away from financial disaster, is the plan that the Assembly just passed, along with the Governor's leadership. Which is why SEIU is here today to formally endorse this plan on behalf of our 600,000 California members and the patients we serve.
Let me be the first to say thank you to the Governor and to the Speaker for showing us how bold leadership, how political courage, and yes, how even compromise, making tough choices, shows that government can be part of the solution to solving the problems of hardworking Californians. And that's just what they did today, and we all owe them eternal thanks and gratitude. Thank you. (Applause)
Let me just say the plan passed today is both practical -- in drawing from the lessons of a Republican governor in Massachusetts, and the three leading presidential frontrunners in the Democratic Party -- and it's principled, in meeting the twin goals of reducing health care costs for the insured, while at the same time providing coverage for the 4 million uninsured. And it's precedent setting, because California, the most populous state and diverse state in the nation, can make health care happen, can show this country that it can be done. The one single, repeated, proven lesson of health care reform that we've learned, as the Governor said, for decade after decade, is the longer we wait -- the longer we wait, the worse it gets. Waiting is just not an option for too many Californians.
Today, California started building a new road to reform that I believe history will show that California was the tipping point in the long-sought dream of America where every single man, woman and child who works has a choice; a secure and affordable and quality health care plans for themselves and their families. Now, may we have the wisdom and the courage to make the dreams of Californians and America come true. Thank you. (Applause)
I'd now like to introduce a business leader who has become the preeminent voice of the business community not just for health care reform, but for wellness and prevention and for a health care system that works for everyone, the CEO of Safeway, Steve Burd. (Applause)
STEVE BURD: Thank you, Andy. The first thing I want to do is really just applaud the efforts of the Governor and the Speaker for what they've done here. I truly believe that this will be recorded as a historical event. You know, clearly we are not finished, I think there's a lot more work yet to be done. If I could use a football analogy, I think we're in the red zone, and I think you've gotten there without throwing a single pass. I think it's been a rough ground game.
I remember when Andy an I first met, which was a little over a year ago, I remember we talked at the Governor's Conference, we said we think this guy has the will and the commitment to make this thing work. I later met the Speaker. And while a lot of the popular press was sort of suggesting that this couldn't get done, Andy and I were talking regularly, and we were betting that it would get done. And I don't think we have the full business community, or all unions, necessarily on board with this effort just yet. But I would just ask those that want to be critical about what's been done here to just think thoughtfully about what we're trying to accomplish. We're trying to accomplish something that no one has ever done. We're trying to bring health care costs down when they're escalating at a rapid rate. We're trying to get all Californians covered, and we're trying to do it in the most fair way possible.
So while it's easy to think about what you might write as the legislation -- I would write something different, I'm sure the Governor would, the Speaker would, and Andy would -- but at the end of the day it's not fair to criticize unless you have a solution that you think is eminently more fair. And I don't believe there is a solution that's been advanced that is any more fair than this one. This is a game changer, and I think that California has appropriately taken the lead here. I speak not only as the CEO of Safeway, with some 200,000 employees -- some 70,000 employees in the State of California, but I also chair a coalition to advance health care reform. We have over 50 companies, and they're just as interested as I am, the Governor, and the Speaker and Andy Stern, in getting this kind of reform. So we're on the 20 yard line. I intend to be on this team until we cross the finish line. (Applause)
I want you top notice something here. We've all forgotten our last task, which is to introduce the next speaker. Well, we're so excited about this roomful of people. The next speaker is Jeanine English, who is the State President of the AARP. Jeanine? (Applause)
JEANINE ENGLISH: Thank you so much, it's a pleasure to be here. On behalf of AARP's more than 3 million members in California I'd like to thank Governor Schwarzenegger and Speaker Núñez for working together and having the courage to make this happen. Crafting this legislation represents a significant step toward fighting and enacting this comprehensive health care reform in California. The legislation passed by the Assembly today addresses the issues most important to AARP members, and I believe to Californians in general, including access, affordability, and cost containment.
Access to health coverage is an especially important issue for our members, who because of their age are being turned down in record numbers by insurance companies, or they're being offered insurance that they simply can't afford. Today, this legislation addresses this by requiring insurers to offer coverage to everyone, not just those people they want to, but everyone, regardless of age or a pre-existing condition, and by providing subsidies to make health care more affordable to those Californians that can't afford it.
In addition, there is real cost containment threaded throughout this proposal. The Cost and Quality Transparency Initiative will build infrastructure that will drive down the costs, and increase quality of care. The expanded coverage and increased Medi-Cal reimbursement rates will reduce cost shifting to those who now have insurance. The Prevention Initiative will over the long term reduce costs by reducing the demand for health care.
The bottom line is that we cannot let this opportunity pass us by. Not only will this legislation help millions of Californians, but it will really set an example for the rest of the nation as we head into the presidential election year. We really look forward to working with the Senate to make the necessary adjustments to pass this vital legislation and make affordable, accessible health care a reality for all Californians. Thank you very much. And I'd like to introduce -- (Applause)
I'm not going to forget. I'd like to introduce Willie Pelote -- Pelote, sorry -- with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Thank you.
WILLIE PELOTE: Let me start off by saying clearly that I'd like to thank my leaders that govern the State of California. We're 175,000 members in both the public and the private sector that provides for every Californian every day when it comes to the services that they receive from their government. And without their vision to stay at the table, to work through all the difficult items that we have to deal with, I wouldn't be here today saying that we are in strong support of the Speaker's bill, the Administration's bill, as well as the State Senate bill. We have gone through a lot to get where we are today, and because of their leadership I can strongly say today that it is a pleasure to be a part of this time, to move health care reform forward for every Californian, especially the uninsured in the great state of California.
Let me also at this point thank the Governor. If we didn't have an administration that had the vision that this job indeed could be done, we wouldn't be standing here. We would have a lot of different reports in the newspapers that we'd failed one more time. We're not failing this time. We're bringing to the people in the State of California a resolution that they will indeed have health care reform as a part of their daily lives.
Let me say to the Speaker, you are indeed a dynamic leader that has come along ways from the labor movement into the Legislature, moving to a position where you can bring the different forces together to do something as remarkable as this.
And then, from the Senate, Pro-Tempore Don Perata, who I believe will bring his House back in, and deal with the issues at hand, because it is right for the State of California, it's right for the nation, and it's going to set an example for our country. (Applause)
Let's write the checks now. It is true that I support today -- we convened at around 8:30 this morning. We were on this conference call for close to three and a half hours. We looked at this in every point of view you can look at health care reform. We were in the Speaker's office last night until about 10:30. And my board said, "Willie, this I is a good plan. Go back and let the leaders know that AFSME is in strong support," because it brings to the table expanding access to public coverage options that exist at the local government level today, that puts forth controlling the rising costs of health care, ensuring quality coverage. And most of all, it promotes sustainable and equitable funding for that coverage. We are glad to be a part of the Governor's team, the Speaker's team, and Senate Pro-Tempore's team. Now, let's move forward and make sure that Californians join us, because they will be the beneficiary of the health care reform.
And I'd like to say to the President of SEIU, standing together is what unity is all about. Solidarity will give this state now the model that all of the rest of the country would like to follow. Thank you very much. (Applause)
I would like to introduce our next speaker, Mr. Ruben Barrales, who is the President of the San Diego -- you know I'm saying the Chamber of Commerce -- the Chamber of Commerce. (Applause)
RUBEN BARRALES: Thank you. Together -- together again. It's tough to follow a speaker like that. But thank you Willie, very much. I want to thank the Governor, I want to thank the Speaker for their leadership. This is a tough thing, and as Steve Burd said, it's a tough thing to get right, it's something that is going to involve shared responsibility. But on behalf of the 3,000 members of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and our approximately 400,000 employees represented by those companies, it's important to get health care right in 2008, and make sure we have provisions included here that provide for cost containment, allow for employees, provide incentives for preventative health care, provide pre-tax provisions at a lower cost for those employees, and create a sense of certainty for the employers in California so that we can continue to grow this economy, and continue to be a leading economy in not only the United States but in the world.
So with that, I want to thank the Governor and the Speaker and all of the Members behind me, and I want to thank representatives from labor and business that are here, and I need to introduce Bill Hunt, who is the President of Group Operations for Catholic Health Care West. (Applause)
BILL HUNT: Thank you. I'm very pleased to be here today on behalf of our CEO, Lloyd Dean, and all of the Catholic Health Care West family to join with Governor Schwarzenegger and Speaker Núñez and the many others who have worked hard this year to advance meaningful health care reform in California. Catholic Health Care West applauds the courage that Governor Schwarzenegger and the Speaker have shown in seizing this rare opportunity to advance an initiative that will change the lives of millions of Californians, especially the poor and the disenfranchised. We also want to take this opportunity to thank Senator Perata and other senate leaders who have worked hard all year and will continue to work to achieve this important health care reform.
The passage of AB 1X signals a momentous step in the right direction. We know additional work needs to be done to complete this bill as it moves through the Senate, and we are positive that a solution can be found. Reform, including how hospitals are reimbursed for Medi-Cal, will help stabilize health care through this important vehicle for the next generation. We at CHW believe that health care is a fundamental right, and this bill will help ensure that every Californian lives with dignity and has access to high quality and compassionate health care. It is essential that we pass health care reform to make this care more accessible and secure for all. Now is the time -- we must act now. Thank you. (Applause)
And I'd like to introduce Dr. Padilla from Brown & Toland. (Applause)
DR. STAN PADILLA: Thank you very much. It's a great pleasure for me to be here on this historic day. As mentioned, my name is Dr. Stan Padilla; I'm a family physician and the chief medical officer of Brown & Toland Medical Group in San Francisco. I'm also a board member of the California Association of Physician Groups. On behalf of the California Association of Physician Groups and its 150 member groups who provide health care to over 13 million enrollees in California, I would like to commend the Governor and Speaker Núñez for their work on health care reform, and their recognition that health care costs can be reduced through the coordination of care by medical groups and investments in health care technology.
The California Association of Physician Groups are in strong support of the core principles of this reform, those being increasing affordability and providing Californians with lower costs and more convenient options for accessing high quality health care services in this fine state. We believe this plan is a major step toward fixing our broken health care system, and we thank you gratefully for the hard work that you have accomplished this past year. (Applause)
Now I would like to introduce Deena Lahn, the State Policy Director for Children's Defense Fund and Californians for a Healthy California Coalition. (Applause)
DEENA LAHN: Hi, I'm Deena Lahn, and I'm the California Policy Director for the Children's Defense Fund. Today I'm here representing Californians for Healthy Kids, which is made up of the 100 Percent Campaign, Children Now, the Children's Partnership, and Children's Defense Fund, and PICO California, and the California Children's Health Initiatives. We are happy to stand here today with the Governor, the Speaker, and so many other groups working together for a common goal; making sure that all Californians have comprehensive, affordable health coverage.
Our coalition is proud to focus on California's children. We have made significant progress in the State of California over the last decade in insuring kids, and it is absolutely critical that we finish the job and finish it now. If we don't, we risk moving backwards. Without a comprehensive statewide program we could end up in California with fewer children covered that are covered right now. We all know, and research continues to show, that access to comprehensive, affordable health care means the world to our children. It means fewer missed days of schools, as has been documented in Santa Clara. It means fewer preventable hospitalizations. It means better developmental outcomes for the children.
We appreciate all the work that the Governor, Speaker, and their staffs have put into this issue. We agree with them so strongly that here, in the richest country in the world, in our greatest state, that we have still uninsured children. We stand here today to urge all our policy makers and elected officials to not let his opportunity go by. Today is an historic day. We must continue to do everything that we can, stand together and stand proudly as Californians, to know that we have finally done right by our children. Thank you. (Applause)
I'm going to introduce my friend Peter Harbage from the New America Foundation. (Applause)
PETER HARBAGE: Hello. Governor, Mr. Speaker, and to everyone this year who has toiled in rooms hotter than this one to achieve this historic moment, my humblest congratulations.
I'm lucky enough to be able to travel the country and talk about health care issues quite a bit, and the No. 1 question, the No. 1 question I've gotten this year is, what are we going to do when California fails? Or as that question has been phrased, really since the summer, what are we going to do now that California has failed? And today with pride I answer those skeptics as I've answered them all year long, which is to say, "You just don't know California." What we have seen in this debate this year is the best that -- through health care -- is the best that California has to offer in terms of courage, perseverance, and post-partisanship. And what we've truly seen is dedication to the future of California, to the financial future of California.
What this bill today means is that we're going to take on the hidden tax, which New America was first to write about in terms of the inefficiency in the health care system, and the Governor has done such a great job talking about. This bill takes on the hidden tax. What we're going to see is billions of dollars coming into California from the federal government, and what we're going to see is a more productive workforce as those workers and all of the folks here in California have better access to health care that they need and deserve so that we can keep our economy moving forward. Thank you. (Applause)
And I, like everyone else, have forgotten to introduce Dan Curtin, who is the head of California's Carpenter Union. (Applause)
DAN CURTIN: Thank you very much. Those of us who have been involved in some of these press conferences know that you do not leave the podium until you get that next person up here, so thank you very much.
I had a thought that went through my mind when this bill passed today. You have to cut me a little slack on political correctness here, but it was something from four decades ago, maybe longer. "One small step for man, one giant step for mankind." That's what I thought about when I saw this bill pass. You know, when you work this building and you see bills pass it's sort of a small step, but this one was a giant step. And if you remember back when President Kennedy made the goal of getting to the moon, there was a lot of tension in the world, there was a lot of division in the world. What this bill promises, in a way that no other legislation that I've been involved in, in over 30 years, is to bring California together, everybody in California around the same issue of health care. And I think the country will see that as a model and go forward.
It took tremendous vision, I might add, for President Kennedy to say we're going to get to the moon before the end of this decade. It took tremendous vision for this governor to say, "I want a universal health care program." It took tremendous vision and leadership by the Speaker. It took tremendous courage and leadership by all the Members -- I want to thank each and every one of them.
What this legislation does if we finish this process -- and I agree with Willie, I think the President Pro-Tem is going to come in here and get this thing to happen -- there will be nobody in California who views health care with anxiety any longer. It doesn't matter what your health status is, or what your income status is. A poor person who doesn't have access for themselves or their children will not have that anxiety any longer. Working people who are bound to a job they may be miserably unhappy with but can't afford to leave because they can't afford to lose that health care for their families, that will no longer be an anxiety. Small employers who would love to provide health care for their workers because they really believe in their workers won't have that anxiety. And also, people will work harder, they'll be a part of that team. They won't have to worry about an illness driving them into bankruptcy. The Governor likes to point this out; he didn't in his remarks, but 40 percent of all the bankruptcies in the United States are due to health care catastrophes.
So I simply want to thank the Governor and all those involved. You know, getting this kind of a coalition is not an easy thing to do, and some of the organizations up here had a hard time getting up here, because this is not a simple process. There are billions of dollars at stake, incomes and lives at stake. It's a marvelous accomplishment. We have further to go, but I'm confident we will get it done. We have a tremendous leadership team. This Governor has a vision and an optimism that I have never seen anywhere else. We have tremendous legislative leaders, we have intelligent legislators. It's a team we need to keep going and get this thing done. Thank you very much.
But before I go I want to introduce somebody who I've gotten to know on this issue and a few others, who I have enjoyed immensely, tremendous mayor of a tremendous city, Mayor Alan Autry of Fresno. Thank you. (Applause)
MAYOR ALAN AUTRY: Thank you. I know it's tough on the guys standing back there, but we know your love for this issue, and hang in there. Jeanine's (IA) next to AARP. We know how to find Bin Laden -- wait until he's 50, AARP will find him.
But you know, the one battle this initiative is going to have to face is going to be whether purity of purpose can win out over politics. I got a phone call on the way over here from a Republican, one of my fellow Republicans, that questioned me on the validity of this being a Republican issue, and really saying it was a miracle, it would be a miracle, if this got passed by the people of California. Well, I don't think it's a coincidence, maybe it's just God's way of staying anonymous, that we're in the season of miracles. And Fabian Núñez and myself agreeing on something, let the miracles begin.
But you know, this is -- I'd like to know where it says in the Republican Commandments: Thou shalt not have universal health care. And to be called a bad Republican because I'm supporting this gets on the fighting side of me, it really does. I believe in a strong national defense, I believe that onerous taxation on individuals, families and businesses is bad, I believe the sanctity of life starts in the womb, and I believe in universal health care. If that makes me a bad Republican, so be it. But I think there are Republicans all over this state that can't wait to vote for this. (Applause)
Because we know, we know this isn't a left wing issue, it's not right wing, it's just the right thing. And the Governor -- it's long, so I'm not going to go into the story you'd asked me to speak on, on a personal note. I'll sum it up real quick. I do have a personal vested bias in this. I lost my daddy when I was 19 because of a lack of health care. He was a migrant farm laborer, worked in the San Joaquin Valley. We moved six times in five years, third grade education, but the smartest man I've ever known in my life.
I got a call when, as I said, I was 19, rushed back from the University of the Pacific to find him in the University Medical Center waiting in bleachers with 30 Mexican workers and my Dad. Walked up to him, I said, "Daddy, why aren't you getting in there?" He said, "Well, they're trying to see who can get in, who can't." About that time a family walked out, tears streaming down a Mexican man's face. He was emaciated, probably in the latter stages of cancer, what I supposed to be the case. And it was time for my dad to walk in. Well, he walked in. Five minutes later he comes out, says, "Doc." Called me Doc, ironically. Said, "Let's go home." I said, "Why?" He said, "They're not going to let me in, let's go."
I said, "No, wait a minute." I went in. I had a better shot because I could speak English, and I told this gentleman, "Look, I know my Dad. He's one of the hands that feed the world. He's been laboring in these fields. To miss a day of work, this man would rather die. That's why he's here." He looked at me, and I'll never forget the look on his face, because he wasn't a mean man, he had to make decisions based on this system that he was forced to work under. He said, "Let me tell you, that means a lot. Bring him back in." Well, he got in. I breathed a sigh of relief, walked out.
As I was walking out I walked past those bleachers. I looked up, and there's another Mexican man with the straw hat on his lap, I'll never forget. He looked down at me -- I was waiting for the door to open -- I looked up, and he looked down, and he smiled as if to say, "Good job, you got yours in."
Well, I went off, went back to college. Two days later I got a call that my Daddy was back in the hospital again. Well, it happened he'd been operated on by a doctor who was on leave from the National Guard. You see, doctors get their training on poor people, and those without insurance. They don't operate on the Bill Gates of the world. No aspersion against Bill Gates, but that's just a fact. Well, they let him go without checking him out, because he didn't have insurance. They rushed him out of there. He had peritonitis on a gall bladder operation that set in. Five weeks later, my 220 pound Daddy died at 90 pounds.
I'd like to say that I took up the torch then, but I didn't. I went on and I finished college, got drafted by the Green Bay Packers, went on and lived the world of sunglasses and autographs. Didn't think much about that Mexican man that looked down at me when I left. But when I took this office I sure did. And I thought about him a lot, because I know what happened to my Dad. My Dad got in the system and he died, but he had a shot at the system. He got in. Where did that man die? Did he drop dead in the field? Did his granddaughter come in and find him in bed, passed away? What happened to the 40 other people that were up there? So that's one of the reasons I'm here, because it's not a political issue, it's not an economic issue, it's a moral issue.
And Governor, I want to thank you, and Fabian, I want to thank you and the whole Assembly here, because -- and especially under these conditions, Governor, we spoke about it the other day. We have some tough budget times ahead of us, but it's un-American to let our condition of the moment dictate our vision. If that's the case, we would have never made it out of the Great Depression, but we did. So I want to thank you for your courage to move forward during these difficult times and say universal health care is for everyone.
So on behalf of my Daddy, on behalf of that Mexican man -- that I can't get out of my head, and I hope to go to the grave with him -- we can do something about it for them now, and for the countless others who have fallen because of this system, but more importantly for those that are going to be saved by it, especially our children. Thank you, Governor. (Applause)
Now it is my honor to bring up the man that I do believe God put in this place for such a task as this, our great Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Applause)
GOVERNOR: Thank you very much for sharing that story. Thank you, I really appreciate it. And I want to also say thank you, before I answer any questions, to Secretary Kim Belshé for her tireless efforts throughout the whole year. A big hand to her. (Applause)
Then Daniel Zingale, thank you very much for the wonderful work that you have done. (Applause)
And Herb Schultz is somewhere over here. Where is Herbie? There's Herb Schultz, thank you. (Applause)
And then my Chief of Staff, Susan Kennedy. Thank you very much for a great job. (Applause)
And also Fabian, to your entire staff that has done such an extraordinary job. Thank you very much. (Applause)
So if you have any questions, please?
Q: (IA)
GOVERNOR: Can you hold the mike a little closer so I can hear? Thank you.
Q: Yes. What are your plans to convene Senator Perata in case you have some, to go --
GOVERNOR: Senator Perata is a great leader. Senator Perata believes 100 percent in universal health care, and he has been part of the negotiations, he has made some great recommendations, he has been working towards that goal for a long time. So I know that he will do the right thing, I have absolute confidence in him. Thank you. Yes?
Q: Do you plan to ask Senator Perata to bring back the Senate before the end of the week?
GOVERNOR: I'm not telling Senator Perata how to do his job, but I know that Senator Perata will be doing the right thing, because he wants to have the same -- he has the same goals as we all have, which is universal health care, and to take the burden away from so many people, and to ensure those 6.5 million people that we have here in California that are uninsured. So I think that we all are fighting for the same thing.
Q: Governor, now that you've had this vote, are you moving forward with the ballot language? And at what point do you intend to have that ready for submission to the Attorney General for Title and Summary?
GOVERNOR: I cannot give exactly the date, but this is the next step, to get the vote in the Senate, and then to go and put it on the ballot, and then to go and hope that the people are with us. Because the people have been our true partners when we talked about rebuilding California, and I think the people will be with us again when we ask them to vote for this initiative to rebuild our health care system, because it's broken. It's very clear that more than 70 percent of the people in California say the health care system is broken, and they want to have action now, and this is why we're creating the action. And it's also my responsibility as governor. That's why I was elected and sent here to Sacramento, to make the lives of people better. And this will make the lives of people better in California, because it is inexcusable the kind of health care system that we have right now.
Q: Governor, how are you going to overcome the opposition of probably the tobacco industry, possibly Blue Cross? The conventional wisdom says that it's much easier to defeat a ballot measure than it is to pass one. How much money are we talking about raising from this coalition here?
GOVERNOR: Well, as you know, as you have heard the Speaker mention, for almost 100 years we have tried to get universal health care in America, and we were not able to do it because it's very difficult. There are a lot of obstacles to overcome, and we have had a lot of obstacles that we had to overcome throughout this whole year. But we see the finish line, it is there. So I think that all we have to do is, Democrats and Republicans have to work very hard together to convince the California people. And I think the people will look through all of those ads and so on, and so I think we have a good shot.
Just like I said with the infrastructure bonds where the people approved it, even though in the beginning everyone said, that will be very difficult, you only have 32 percent approval rating for those infrastructure bonds. But then when we went out there and we joined hands, Democrats and Republicans, and really campaigned for it, I think the people got it, that this is a very important issue, and they should vote yes on that. And on some initiatives we got even more than 80 percent of the votes, even though there were earlier just 32 percent.
So I have tremendous faith in the California people. They are our true partners, and I think they will understand that this is absolutely essential, to have reform in our broken health care system. Yes, please.
Q: Governor, what's the timetable in terms of the Senate voting? How quickly do they need to vote in order for you to get out there and collect the signatures you need to get this on the ballot?
GOVERNOR: Well, I think that as soon as possible. I'm looking forward for the Senate to vote on this as soon as possible.
