So, let’s see, increasing insurance costs, a lack ofnew hospital development by the private sector, an inability by the public sector to build or improve health facilities without increased taxes via bonds (as the CEO of a public healthcare district, this is firsthand knowledge), overflowing emergency rooms, what more can I add?

Is government responsible for any of this? Let’s just touch on a couple of mandates…

Government mandates on nurse staffing ratios: Instead of a look at how individual hospitals fare in the provision of quality health care, based on an individual facility’s number of nurses needed for a select number of patients, let’s instead mandate a "one size fits all" ratio of patients per nurses based on the lowest common denominator…the worst providers of service. Oh, we already did that.

Result: Higher costs to provide a mandated number of employees in every unit, on every floor, in every hospital, regardless of the benefit or measurable outcome.

Government mandates for seismic retrofit of facilities: Yes, we all want our hospitals to stand up in an… Read More

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s universal health insurance proposal is a complicated, multi-faceted plan. It is an attempt to address the problem of affordable health insurance and an attempt to spread the pain of any potential solution around to all parties (individual, medical system, government and employers). I know and respect many of the people who worked on the plan and recognize that tackling any change to our health care system is a tough challenge.

That said, while there is MUCH to digest and educate ourselves on this proposal, one of the more troubling aspects of the governor’s plan is his intention to provide health insurance to illegal immigrants. It’s not brain science that it is more costly to pay for emergency room visits than it is to pay for preventative care. But the argument against extending health insurance to a group of people who entered our country illegally is more about the rule of law than it is about whether it costs more to have someone get their pneumonia treated in the ER or in their… Read More

Thanks to the Democrat Speaker for proving my point with his comments on the Governor’s Healthcare proposal:

“This is a plan Assembly Democrats could have written – and in a lot of ways already did. I’m pleased to see so much in common with the plan I introduced last month.”… Read More

Liberalism is based on two precepts – taxes and large social welfare programs. This proposal contains the offensive aspects of both because it combines a new tax to finance a new social welfare program that benefits illegal aliens. When Republican legislators are past the disbelief that this proposal has been made by a Republican Governor, they should rally to oppose it. Like most liberal programs, this one will eventually hurt the most the very people it perports to help.

You can be sure there will be a lot of praise of this proposal by the liberal Democrats in the legislature. Expansion of government is their favorite pasttime.

I’m sure you will hear more from others, but that is my first response. You can read about how the Governor wants to expand a government healthcare bureaucracy at www.gov.ca.gov.… Read More

Only one question: Where has it ever worked? Britain’s system is bankrupt. Canada’s is beset with rationing and long wait times. Tennessee abandonded its system. Maine has had nothing but problems.

It’s a simple question that should be asked by every journalist in California covering this administration and its’ healthcare plans.… Read More

I’m blogging live from the San Jose Technology Museum. I am sitting next to former California Republican Party Chairman Mike Schroeder and his wife, Susan, in the third row – where we have a great view for the proceedings. Nearby is Jim Richarsdson, Poizner’s new Chief of Staff, Larry Greenfield who is Director of the California Republican Jewish Coalition.

The crowd looks to be several hunded here for Poizner’s big day. At work are Tim Clark who heads up Poizner’s transition team (he and Wayne Johnson were lead consultants for the campaign), and Robert Molner, Mike Richman and Jennifer Kerns, other key aides to Pozner. Helping out at the event is also Catherine Brinkman, President of the California Young Republicans. They are all smiling – broadly – as they should be on this big day for Team Poizner.

Being here in Santa Clara County, on hand is the leadership of the local GOP, including Chairman Keen Butcher and Treasurer Steve Moore. Also on hand is Linda Boyd, Chairman of the Los Angeles County GOP Linda Boyd with her husband, former CRP Treasurer Doug Boyd. Intersestingly, Butcher and Boyd are locked in a… Read More

I want to commend Governor Schwarzenegger for his “tough-love” welfare reform proposal to help hundreds of thousands of state welfare recipients find work.The Governor’s proposal will restore accountability to the CalWORKs program, while helping welfare recipients achieve their goal of finding and retaining work.

Now it’s time for the Legislature to do its job.This is an opportunity for us to move beyond the bi-partisan rhetoric and show Californians their Legislature is committed to working together to restore accountability to government and move California forward.Democrats cannot continue to be the party of “No” when it comes to reforms that reduce waste and fraud in government. Republicans shouldn’t tolerate it and Californians simply cannot afford it.… Read More

Among the achievements of which California Republicans can be proud, certainly in addition to the re-election of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the victory of every legislative GOP incumbent, is the strong win posted by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Poiziner in his campaign for the crucial office of Insurance Commissioner. Today, Mr. Poizner will be inaugurated as the state’s third directly-elected insurance commissioner, and his swearing-in is good news, not just for Golden State Republicans – but every ratepayer, taxpayer and California citizen determined to have ethics, integrity and honesty in a public office that essentially is the watchdog overseeing how the insurance industry operates in California.

Rather than a stoic event in Sacramento, Steve Poizner will accept the oath of office before 500 technology leaders in the Silicon Valley, which has been his home for 30 years. Accompanying Poizner as he accepts the challenge of serving as California’s new Insurance Commissioner will be his wife Carol and their 15-year old daughter Rebecca.

Also – demonstrating the appeal Steve Poizner has beyond California Republicans – former San Jose… Read More