Snippets and snippets:
House Speaker Andy Dillon may meet with, and in fact head, the House Democratic Caucus, but he is not a Democrat if he follows through with his plans on public employee health care, Michigan AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney said at a press event Friday. A true Democrat would work to increase levels to health care coverage for workers in the state, not to cut those benefits, Mr. Gaffney said at the union's annual Labor Day press conference. "Part of being a Democrat to me means taking care of all people's health insurance and health care needs," he said. "It is not adhering to the principles of the Democratic Party to be trying to cut benefits and eliminate collective bargaining rights."
... Whatever his motivation, Mr. Gaffney said moving ahead with the plan could mean loss of union support not only for Mr. Dillon should he announce for governor, but also for any legislators who support him. Mr. Gaffney said Mr. Dillon should shift his focus away from the state health plan. "He should take the attention he and his consultants have managed to raise and apply it to reforming health care for all workers, not look at one segment to cut," he said. "Unless you address the 8 percent increase in everyone's health care every year you're not solving the problem." And he urged the state to wait on any changes until a federal plan is in place. "Wait until Washington is done and then see how we fit into it," he said.
He actually has a legitimate point in the second paragraph of the second snippet. As long as government attacks health care costs piecemeal, it will always be more advantageous to approach it by making things worse of regular people. On the other hand, I can see dark foreboding in this article. If Dillon runs, look for the 2006 presidential primary to play itself out again, except in a state where various Democratic factions are fighting for survival and continued relevance. If that happens, don't tell me you weren't warned that it might so again so thoroughly disgust me off that I cross party lines and endorse Rick Snyder. |
