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McCain wrong on health care, says industry union
In the coming months, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Barack Obama will be traveling across the country attempting to convince voters that they have a plan to improve our nation's health care system.
A group of health care advocates will likely cross paths with the presidential candidates as it travels through many key battleground states to bring more attention to the respective plans of the two candidates.
"The Road to American Health Care," a national bus tour organized by Service Employees International Union (SEIU), came through Wisconsin Tuesday and held a small rally in the Capitol building. Its primary message: John McCain's health care plan is not going to do anything to control skyrocketing costs of health care.
The group, which claims 1.9 million members, says it hopes that our next president and Congress will be more committed to making quality health care affordable for all Americans. SEIU also says McCain's plan is going to make it more difficult for people to afford health insurance -- especially seniors and those with pre-existing conditions -- and does nothing to remedy the fact that an increasing number of employers are no longer offering health coverage to their employees.
State Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) voiced his support of the group's message in the Capitol's Assembly Parlor during Tuesday's news conference. Hansen said there is no reason that communities must have fundraisers for people who cannot afford to pay for common medical procedures.
"What kind of place is Wisconsin going to be?" asked Hansen. "Is it going to be for the rich and powerful, or is it going to be for everyone? We need affordable health care for all Americans, not just the privileged."
Lesli Wright-Bobholz, a Madison-based home health nurse, told the crowd that it is heartbreaking to see patients refuse necessary medical treatment because they cannot afford it.
"Many patients cannot afford to stay in hospitals as long as they should," said Wright-Bobholz. "It's sad, but some people have to choose between buying health care or buying food. They do not have enough money for both."
Dian Palmer, a registered nurse, is president of SEIU's District 1199 in Wisconsin, the largest union of health care workers in the state. Palmer, who has been a nurse since 1981, believes government, employers and individuals should share the cost of health care. She said McCain's plan does nothing to stop the rapidly rising costs of health care.
"We have had conversations with the presidential candidates," Palmer said. "McCain is not including everyone in his plan. Obama, on the other hand, has the political will to include everyone."
The campaign, which is heading toward Iowa next, began in Cleveland before making its way through working-class towns of Pennsylvania and on to New York City. The bus traveled through Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Michigan before arriving in Wisconsin. It will now crisscross through the western U.S., stopping in Denver for the Democratic National Convention in August. The tour will culminate in Minneapolis during the Republican National Convention in early September.
LM Otero/Associated Press
A health care union is touring the country saying presidential candidate John McCain's plan would make it harder to get affordable coverage.
