VIDEO-- Gavin Newsom: 500 Mayors for Health Care Reform

By GottaLaff



Gavin Newsom has a post up at HuffPo. Now let's stir things up even more with another generous scoop of Gavin, add a big splash of all 500 mayors, a healthy spoonful of Anthony Weiner, a big sprinkle of Howard Dean, with a dash of spicy Rachel Maddow, and heat to a boil all over the Tee Vee Machine.

That simple, yummy recipe would draw some badly needed attention to the truth and satisfy our appetites for straightforward health care information:

Here's the bottom line: rising health care costs are taking money out of our wallets and making it more expensive to do business. The increasing number of uninsured residents leaves cities footing the bill for emergency room visits from the uninsured.

We have a decision to make. We can do nothing, which will only make matters worse or we can demand change.

That's why mayors across our country have joined together to support President Obama's call for health care reform. City governments understand that the status quo is unacceptable. As the Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Health Care Reform Task Force, I am leading an effort to get 500 mayors to sign on in support of the Administration's health care reform principles.

Our petition urges Congress to enact comprehensive Health Care reform that will:

• Reduce long-term growth of health care costs for businesses and government
• Guarantee choice of doctors, hospitals and health plans and the choice of a private or public health care plan
• Maintain coverage when someone changes or loses a job
• End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions
• Eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in government health programs
• Hold insurance and drug companies accountable

We cannot wait for health care reform. We need to fix our broken system. We must refute the misleading campaigns that make Americans fearful about improving our health care system.

Two years ago, San Francisco launched the country's first universal health care program, Healthy San Francisco. Today, more than 75% of previously uninsured residents are enrolled in our public program. [...]

We can reform our health care system, but we must work together. Ask your mayor to sign on in support health care reform. Call. Email. We need to show right now that we support comprehensive health care reform before we let fear and disinformation prevail.

H/t: Ellen