Nurses to President Obama: Don’t Cut Healthcare, Retirement; Raise Corporate Taxes, End Wars
RNs Won’t Endorse Politicians who Vote to Cut Social Security
In advance of President Obama’s speech Wednesday on the budget deficit, the nation’s largest union and professional association of nurses today called on the President to oppose any cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security – and strengthen the nation’s economy by restoring fair taxes on corporations and the super-rich, ending the wars, and creating good paying jobs.
“America is not broke, it’s just deficient in political courage and leadership,” said Jean Ross, RN, co-president of the 160,000-member National Nurses United. “It’s time to tell Wall Street and the politicians they finance in Washington and state governments that the American people have sacrificed enough. There can be no more cuts in healthcare programs for seniors, the disabled, and the disadvantaged, and no reductions in retirement security.”
NNU’s national executive board recently passed a resolution stating that it will not endorse any federal candidate in 2012, from the President to Congress, who votes to cut Social Security.
“We expect the President and our elected leaders in Congress to stand up, and protect our most basic safety net programs, which start with Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,” said Ross. “For 30 years, we’ve seen a massive shift of our nation’s wealth and resources transferred from Main Street to the executive suites. The result, record profits, and unbridled corporate corruption and thievery, while wages for working people stagnate, and income and health insecurity soar.”
If the President and the Democrats want to cut the deficit, said Ross, they should end the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, reduce military spending, close all the corporate tax schemes that have allowed more than 40 percent of corporations to avoid taxes, restore a fair tax system, and re-invest in America to create good paying jobs in the U.S., not China or India.
NNU is also calling for a Main Street Contract for the American People, a second bill of rights, that includes jobs at living wages, guaranteed healthcare for all, a secure retirement, a safe and healthy environment, a secure retirement for everyone, and respect for union rights.
Republican proposals to privatize Medicare, slash Medicaid, and make further deep cuts in safety net programs are “obviously reprehensible,” said Ross. “But without real leadership from the other party and the White House, and a clear road map for an alternative vision, these mean spirited proposals, and continued handouts for the wealthy and corporate elites, will surely follow. It’s time for the President to stand up for the working people of this country, not the corporations which brought us an economic tsunami.”
We are opposed to any cuts that affect middle and lower class families
we should be clear with our elected fearless leaders: Cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid and you are out. Everything is on the table: like your jobs. That should be very made very clear.
Further, we should boycott goods and services of any corporation that funds these loons and make it clear that is the reason.
Boycott regioins and states that their leaders support this nonsense. on and on. they wish class war, lets give them exactly that.
Oh I am I glad there are others on the same wave length as me. Close all over seas bases, bring the Navy to Home Port and make a statement by painting them like Colorful Flowers. Then we would have more than enough to fulfill the dreams of Tom Paine here.
“When shall it be said in any country of the world, my poor are happy; neither ignorance or distress is to be found among them; my jails are empty of prisoners, my streets of beggars; the aged are not in want, the taxes are not oppressive…when these things can be said, then may that country boast of its constitution and government.” ~ Thomas Paine
That was the wrong link to my myspace site. This should fix it.
Someone from medical establishment doesn’t want medicare cut. Our medical costs are 17% of GDP vs 10% for most developed countries. Our life span is below average for developed countries. Pharmaceuticals cause more harm than benefit basically treating symtoms while toxifying the body and causing negative health affects and side affects. How many pharmaceuticals cure problems such as diabetes, hypertension and depression. These drugs cause more problems in long run for patients. Average drug list 70 side affects. People on pharmauceuticals generally have poor health that continues to decline at rapid pace as they age. Cancer treatments such as chemo kills cells is expensive and often kills patient before cancer does. Most health problems are caused by poor nutrition, bad food choices and imbalences in body (acids). Health can be restored by better nutrition (vegs and fruits)and supplementation. Our food supply is poor due to agricultural practices and pesticides, gmo foods, etc. FDA and Agri Dept are in bed together. No one is really telling us what foods are good for us. Medical costs are biggest long term budget cost. Orthodox medicine for most part is excessively costly and doesn’t lead to health but in most cases causes greater harm. Most doctors have less than 10 hours of nutrition education. Adequate vitamins, minearls, amino acids are what makes body function properly. People bodies lose proper function due to poor nutrition. Doctors then prescribe medications that do not correct the underlying problem instead of encouraging people to eat properly and supplement to make up for nutritional deficiencies. Changing medical care towards natural health and reducing pharmaceuticals would reduce medical costs in this country drastically. Medical establishment and FDA have repressed and prohibited virtually all natural health treatments. Americans are causing their health problems from poor diet and lack of exercise and need to change and take responsibility. Health care insurance rates should be tied to general health of individual and reflect increased risks from poor health. Present medical care is large factor leading us to financial collapse. Our budget problems are leading in a short time to a drastic cut in federal spending to all programs. We are in same situation as Greece except we can print money to control interest rates. Printing money can lead to high inflation. We won’t be able to sell tresury bonds soon due to high rates of interest demanded due to our fiscal condition. A long depression is coming unless government spending slows very soon. This problem is huge and it will be very very painful for us to control without collapse of our financial, system. Medicare, social security and all programs need to be reformed. Watch the debt clock and see where this is heading. Even a balenced budget ammendment will lead us to $20T debt soon because we will have deficits for next 10 years. Take 5% interest (low interest for our fiscal condition) and you’ll get high debt costs for $2T to $2.5 T in revenue. Also as government spending reduced we will lose tax revenue. Understand the problem before insisting entitlements must not be cut/slowed. Once you understand the situation and the fact that baby boomers will shortly increase demand on system is becomes evident that our country doesn’t produce the revenue/taxes to support us. Government waste, unnecessary spending, high government wages and benefits, high defense costs, high medical costs. Protect your home, reduce your costs to live and move money outside of the dollar to a market with fiscal strength. Emerging markets are exceptional investment for future. The dollar will gradually decline and we will see much higher costs for goods and services like whats started to happen during the past few years. Protect yourself and then sit back to watch this real life horror unfold.