Cruz Bustamante on Health Care

Democratic Lt. Governor; former Candidate for CA Governor

Provide health care for the children of illegal immigrants

[With illegal immigrants we shouldn't] take it out on the kids. It's not their fault their parents are here. Sometimes people think that their food comes from Safeway but it really doesn't. It comes from the 70% of the people that pick our fruit and our food and put it on the table who are these immigrants. 30% of construction workers, 40% of hotel workers. They work hard every single day. They pay their taxes. They stay out of trouble with the law. They're taking care of the families, paying taxes. Source: Recall Debate, Cal. State Univ. at Sacramento Sep 24, 2003

SB-2: Insuring 1 million all we can afford at this time

BUSTAMANTE [to Huffington]: We're in a budget situation that I don't believe we can get a universal health care plan at this time. I believe that SB-2 is probably the most important piece of legislation this year in California. It will provide 1 million working people health care in California.

HUFFINGTON: Actually, SB-2, the John Burton bill, doesn't include cost controls. And that's the problem with a lot of half-baked measures out of the legislature. I don't believe we should implement another bill which does not include cost controls and which also leaves over 3 million Californians uninsured.

BUSTAMANTE: That's true.

HUFFINGTON: Another half baked measure.

BUSTAMANTE: Well, not half-baked. It's a good step.

HUFFINGTON: But ultimately, we need universal health care. The only reason we don't have it is because of the millions of dollars being paid by insurance companies and the medical industry to politicians and that's ultimately the only reason.

Source: Recall Debate, Cal. State Univ. at Sacramento Sep 24, 2003

Implementing real healthcare is greater issue than fraud

Q: Your comments on Medi-Cal fraud.

BUSTAMANTE: There is fraud, no doubt about that. But I think that the issue is greater than that. You have to figure out how to build up a department that will root out fraud. To deal with the real problem though, you will have to support programs that will be providing five million employees in California the ability to get real healthcare. That is what you're going to have to do. Propose it, move it, and make sure it gets implemented.

Source: Recall debate in Walnut Creek Sep 3, 2003

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