| Arnold Schwarzenegger has promoted his record of bringing enrollment in Healthy Families to record levels. And when running for governor in the recall election, Schwarzenegger promised to provide health coverage for every child. This much is true, more than 90% of California children now have some form of health coverage. Now, his claims of credit are a bit more misguided:
"Frankly, I think kids' health care in California is close to being a success story because 92 percent of all kids are now insured," said Kim Belshé, Schwarzenegger's secretary for Health and Human Services.
But state data compiled by the California HealthCare Foundation show programs that cover children grew much faster under Democratic Gov. Gray Davis than under Schwarzenegger. Davis was recalled, in part, because the state ran up a record budget deficit under his watch. A lot of that money went to expand the same health care programs that Schwarzenegger is now touting.
The governor's own efforts, meanwhile, have been slowed by factors ranging from the deficit he inherited -- in his first budget Schwarzenegger tried unsuccessfully to cap enrollment in Healthy Families -- to resistance from his fellow Republicans in the Legislature. With their votes needed to pass a state budget, Republicans succeeded last week in forcing Schwarzenegger and Democrats to drop proposals to extend health insurance programs to all children, including illegal immigrants. The governor had earmarked $23 million to provide coverage for children in 18 counties who do not qualify for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families because their families are not poor enough or are illegal immigrants. (SacBee 7/3/06)
The governor has used the Davis boom-time legacy of spending on child health insurance to build his own record. He has done little to actually accomplish anything that brings up the rate of enrollment, as the slowing enrollment has shown.
So, health care supporters are forced to turn to the initiative process to get something done. The tobacco tax, Prop 86, that will appear on the November ballot will provide funds for coverage of all California children. Now, I have some remaining questions about Prop 86, but the fact that we can't get universal child healthcare done is a sad statement. The GOP has chosen to make children thier pawn in this immigration game that they are playing. It's not right, and it's not fair to the children of California. All of our children deserve quality health care. |
