{"id":5414,"date":"2017-07-01T13:48:56","date_gmt":"2017-07-01T20:48:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=5414"},"modified":"2017-07-01T13:51:16","modified_gmt":"2017-07-01T20:51:16","slug":"killed-single-payer-california-clio-chang-newrepublic-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2017\/07\/01\/killed-single-payer-california-clio-chang-newrepublic-com\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;What Killed Single-Payer In California?&#8221; by CLIO CHANG (newrepublic.com)"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"article-header-wrap\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0\">\n<div class=\"article-header-grid\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0\">\n<div class=\"article-cover\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.1\">\n<div class=\"article-image image\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.1.0\">\n<div class=\"img-responsive-wrapper\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.1.0.0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive-img img-jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/images.newrepublic.com\/4a775d1d7e722a6084766125795169dcea4c288a.jpeg?w=1000&amp;q=65&amp;dpi=1&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;fit=crop&amp;crop=faces&amp;h=667\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.1.0.0.0\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"photo-credit\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.1.1\">ROBYN BECK\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-title\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.2\">\n<h1 class=\"article-headline\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.2.0\"><\/h1>\n<h2 class=\"article-subhead\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.2.1\">If single-payer can&#8217;t pass with Democratic super-majorities in the Golden State, that raises serious questions about any national effort.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-meta\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.3\">\n<h5 class=\"article-date\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.3.1\"><time datetime=\"2017-06-30\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.0.0.3.1.0\">June 30, 2017<\/time><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.1\">\n<div class=\"content-body\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.1.0\">\n<div class=\"article-text-wrap\">\n<div class=\"article-text-grid\">\n<p>On June 25, RoseAnn DeMoro, leader of the union National Nurses United, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\/status\/878997176843608065\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">tweeted<\/a>an image of the grizzly bear on California\u2019s state flag with a knife sticking out of its back. The words \u201cHealthy California\u201d are written on the bottom, and the name \u201cRendon\u201d is on the knife. It has been retweeted more than 1,000 times, a reflection of the anger swirling around the decision two days earlier by Anthony Rendon, the speaker of California\u2019s Assembly, to shelve the nation\u2019s most ambitious proposal to institute single-payer health care.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"article-embed\">\n<div class=\"SandboxRoot env-bp-350\" data-twitter-event-id=\"0\">\n<div id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"EmbeddedTweet EmbeddedTweet--edge EmbeddedTweet--mediaForward media-forward js-clickToOpenTarget js-tweetIdInfo tweet-InformationCircle-widgetParent\" lang=\"en\" data-click-to-open-target=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\/status\/878997176843608065\" data-iframe-title=\"Twitter Tweet\" data-dt-full=\"%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}\" data-dt-months=\"Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec\" data-dt-am=\"AM\" data-dt-pm=\"PM\" data-dt-now=\"now\" data-dt-s=\"s\" data-dt-m=\"m\" data-dt-h=\"h\" data-dt-second=\"second\" data-dt-seconds=\"seconds\" data-dt-minute=\"minute\" data-dt-minutes=\"minutes\" data-dt-hour=\"hour\" data-dt-hours=\"hours\" data-dt-abbr=\"%{number}%{symbol}\" data-dt-short=\"%{day} %{month}\" data-dt-long=\"%{day} %{month} %{year}\" data-scribe=\"page:tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"878997176843608065\" data-twitter-event-id=\"1\">\n<article class=\"MediaCard MediaCard--mediaForward customisable-border\" dir=\"ltr\" data-scribe=\"component:card\">\n<div class=\"MediaCard-media\">\n<p><a class=\"MediaCard-borderOverlay\" tabindex=\"-1\" title=\"View image on Twitter\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\/status\/878997176843608065\/photo\/1\"><span class=\"u-hiddenVisually\">View image on Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"MediaCard-widthConstraint js-cspForcedStyle\" data-style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\n<div class=\"MediaCard-mediaContainer js-cspForcedStyle\" data-style=\"padding-bottom: 60.1563%\"><a class=\"MediaCard-mediaAsset NaturalImage \" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\/status\/878997176843608065\/photo\/1\" data-scribe=\"element:photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"NaturalImage-image\" title=\"View image on Twitter\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/DDLTQXpUQAAZzfj.jpg:small\" alt=\"View image on Twitter\" width=\"1024\" height=\"616\" data-srcset=\"https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FDDLTQXpUQAAZzfj.jpg%3Alarge 1024w,https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FDDLTQXpUQAAZzfj.jpg 1024w,https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FDDLTQXpUQAAZzfj.jpg%3Asmall 680w\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"EmbeddedTweet-tweet\">\n<blockquote class=\"Tweet h-entry js-tweetIdInfo subject expanded is-deciderHtmlWhitespace\" cite=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\/status\/878997176843608065\" data-tweet-id=\"878997176843608065\" data-scribe=\"section:subject\">\n<div class=\"Tweet-header u-cf\">\n<div class=\"Tweet-brand u-floatRight\">\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--twitter \" title=\"\" role=\"presentation\" aria-label=\"\"><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"u-hiddenInNarrowEnv\"><a class=\"FollowButton FollowButton--edge follow-button profile\" title=\"Follow RoseAnn DeMoro on Twitter\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\" data-scribe=\"component:followbutton\">Follow<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"TweetAuthor \" data-scribe=\"component:author\">\n<p><a class=\"TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\" data-scribe=\"element:user_link\" aria-label=\"RoseAnn DeMoro (screen name: RoseAnnDeMoro)\"><span class=\"TweetAuthor-avatar Identity-avatar\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Avatar Avatar--edge\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/697519848633430016\/dAiYjlQN_normal.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-scribe=\"element:avatar\" data-src-2x=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/697519848633430016\/dAiYjlQN_bigger.jpg\" data-src-1x=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/697519848633430016\/dAiYjlQN_normal.jpg\" \/><\/span><span class=\"TweetAuthor-name Identity-name customisable-highlight\" title=\"RoseAnn DeMoro\" data-scribe=\"element:name\">RoseAnn DeMoro<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--verified \" title=\"Verified Account\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Verified Account\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\" data-scribe=\"element:user_link\" aria-label=\"RoseAnn DeMoro (screen name: RoseAnnDeMoro)\"><span class=\"TweetAuthor-verifiedBadge\" data-scribe=\"element:verified_badge\"><b class=\"u-hiddenVisually\">\u2714<\/b><\/span><span class=\"TweetAuthor-screenName Identity-screenName\" dir=\"ltr\" title=\"@RoseAnnDeMoro\" data-scribe=\"element:screen_name\">@RoseAnnDeMoro<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Tweet-body e-entry-content\" data-scribe=\"component:tweet\">\n<p class=\"Tweet-text e-entry-title\" dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a class=\"PrettyLink hashtag customisable\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SinglePayer?src=hash\" rel=\"tag\" data-query-source=\"hashtag_click\" data-scribe=\"element:hashtag\"><span class=\"PrettyLink-prefix\">#<\/span><span class=\"PrettyLink-value\">SinglePayer<\/span><\/a> covers pre-existing backstabs. Let&#8217;s tell <a class=\"PrettyLink profile customisable h-card\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Rendon63rd\" data-mentioned-user-id=\"1200043633\" data-scribe=\"element:mention\"><span class=\"PrettyLink-prefix\">@<\/span><span class=\"PrettyLink-value\">Rendon63rd<\/span><\/a> to pull the knife out:<\/p>\n<p>562-529-3250<br \/>\n916-319-2063<a class=\"PrettyLink hashtag customisable\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SB562?src=hash\" rel=\"tag\" data-query-source=\"hashtag_click\" data-scribe=\"element:hashtag\"><span class=\"PrettyLink-prefix\">#<\/span><span class=\"PrettyLink-value\">SB562<\/span><\/a> <a class=\"PrettyLink hashtag customisable\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SundayMorning?src=hash\" rel=\"tag\" data-query-source=\"hashtag_click\" data-scribe=\"element:hashtag\"><span class=\"PrettyLink-prefix\">#<\/span><span class=\"PrettyLink-value\">SundayMorning<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"Tweet-metadata dateline\"><a class=\"u-linkBlend u-url customisable-highlight long-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoseAnnDeMoro\/status\/878997176843608065\" data-datetime=\"2017-06-25T15:23:52+0000\" data-scribe=\"element:full_timestamp\"><time class=\"dt-updated\" title=\"Time posted: 25 Jun 2017, 15:23:52 (UTC)\" datetime=\"2017-06-25T15:23:52+0000\">8:23 AM &#8211; 25 Jun 2017<\/time><\/a> \u00b7 <a class=\"u-linkBlend customisable-highlight\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=place%3Ab71fac2ee9792cbe\">Sacramento, CA<\/a><\/div>\n<ul class=\"Tweet-actions\" role=\"menu\" data-scribe=\"component:actions\" aria-label=\"Tweet actions\">\n<li class=\"Tweet-action\">\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--reply TweetAction-icon Icon--replyEdge\" title=\"Reply\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Reply\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Tweet-action\">\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--retweet TweetAction-icon Icon--retweetEdge\" title=\"Retweet\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Retweet\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"TweetAction TweetAction--retweetEdge web-intent\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/retweet?tweet_id=878997176843608065\" data-scribe=\"element:retweet\"><span class=\"TweetAction-stat\" data-scribe=\"element:retweet_count\" aria-hidden=\"true\">1,110<\/span><span class=\"u-hiddenVisually\">1,110 Retweets<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"Tweet-action\">\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--heart TweetAction-icon Icon--heartEdge\" title=\"Like\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Like\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge web-intent\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/like?tweet_id=878997176843608065\" data-scribe=\"element:heart\"><span class=\"TweetAction-stat\" data-scribe=\"element:heart_count\" aria-hidden=\"true\">1,482<\/span><span class=\"u-hiddenVisually\">1,482 likes<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tweet-InformationCircle--top tweet-InformationCircle--topEdge tweet-InformationCircle\"><a class=\"Icon Icon--informationCircleWhite\" title=\"Twitter Ads info and privacy\" href=\"https:\/\/support.twitter.com\/articles\/20175256\"><span class=\"u-hiddenVisually\">Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"resize-sensor\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>What happened in California could have widespread repercussions for the national health care debate. At a time when Congress is threatening to deprive millions of people of health insurance, and when progressive activists are urging national Democrats to make a push for single-payer (or Medicare for All), the California experiment shows all the challenges and pitfalls that await a serious attempt to institute government-provided health insurance.<\/p>\n<p>In a state where Democrats have super-majorities in both legislative chambers and a Democratic governor, the conventional wisdom is that if California can\u2019t pass single-payer, it can\u2019t be passed anywhere. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/berniesanders.com\/press-release\/sanders-statement-california-single-payer-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">statement<\/a> in response to Rendon\u2019s decision, Senator Bernie Sanders wrote, \u201cIf the great state of California has the courage to take on the greed of the insurance companies and the drug companies, the rest of the country will follow. The eyes of the country are on California today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The story is a little more complicated than that. The bill\u2014SB 562, also known as Healthy California\u2014had already passed in the Senate in June before Rendon unilaterally decided to take it off the table. Now it will lie in committee without any hearings \u201cuntil further notice.\u201d The nurses associations that are the lead sponsors of the bill <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalnursesunited.org\/press\/entry\/statement-by-ca-nurses-on-decision-by-assembly-speaker-rendon-to-block\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">called<\/a> Rendon\u2019s move \u201ca cowardly act, developed in secret without engaging the thousands of Californians who have rallied to enact real health care reform.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-text-wrap\">\n<div class=\"article-text-grid\">\n<p>The timing of Rendon\u2019s decision was especially egregious. Only a day earlier, U.S. Senate Republicans had revealed the first draft of their health care reform plan that would take insurance away from 22 million Americans, many of them Californians. This was a time to shore up support for those vulnerable residents of the Golden State, not leave them to the wolves.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"pullquote pull-left\">\u201cNobody said this is crazy, we can\u2019t do this.\u201d<\/aside>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/melmason\/status\/878396500874743808\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&amp;ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-assembly-speaker-calls-single-payer-1498261105-htmlstory.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">statement<\/a>, Rendon said the bill was \u201cwoefully incomplete\u201d because it did not address serious issues such as \u201cfinancing, delivery of care, cost controls, or the realities of needed action by the Trump administration and voters to make SB 562 a genuine piece of legislation.\u201d Rendon was echoing the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2017\/05\/24\/california-proves-single-payer-health-care-is-too-expensive-commentary.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">main objection<\/a> that the bill\u2019s detractors\u2014many of them Democrats\u2014have made: that single-payer is too expensive.<\/p>\n<p>A legislative analysis found that California\u2019s single-payer plan would cost $400 billion to implement, $200 billion of which would be new spending. Critics were quick to point out that this \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/policy-and-politics\/2017\/5\/22\/15676782\/california-single-payer-health-care-estimate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">hefty<\/a>\u201d price tag is twice the state budget. Furthermore, the bill did not include a funding plan (although the bill\u2019s language ensured that Healthy California would not launch unless it was funded).<\/p>\n<p>However, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peri.umass.edu\/publication\/item\/996-economic-analysis-of-the-healthy-california-single-payer-health-care-proposal-sb-562\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">report<\/a> by professors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, commissioned in part by National Nurses United, estimated that after taking in the savings of single-payer, such as lower administrative costs and prices of pharmaceuticals, the actual cost of the plan would end up at around $331 billion. And, because 70 percent of the state\u2019s current health care spending is covered by public programs like Medicare and Medi-Cal, California would only need to come up with $106 billion in new revenue, which researchers proposed could be done through two new taxes (a 2.3 percent gross receipts and sales tax), with exemptions for small businesses and tax credits to offset costs for low-income families. In exchange, nearly all of Californians\u2019 medical expenses would be covered, doing away with premiums, copays, and deductibles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I think most people don\u2019t understand is that, even with single payer we\u2019re not going from 0 percent publicly funded to 100 percent publicly funded, we\u2019re going from 70 percent to 100 percent,\u201d Robert Pollin, one of the study\u2019s authors, told the <i>New Republic<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-text-wrap\">\n<div class=\"article-text-grid\">\n<p>Rendon noted that appropriating public funding for the Healthy California plan would require approval by the Trump administration. Pollin said that while it\u2019s impossible to know in advance what the Trump administration will do, \u201cyou can also pass the bill, and obviously it has to be contingent on us continuing to get 70 percent of funding that we now get.\u201d Pollin felt that Rendon\u2019s objections were technical ones\u2014they need to be addressed, but don\u2019t raise any issues that can\u2019t be worked through. \u201cThe concerns that they raised were pretty narrow. Nobody said this is crazy, we can\u2019t do this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>There are problems other than the fact that the bill did not include a specific funding mechanism. The biggest hurdle may be Proposition 98, a complicated California funding law that requires that around 40 percent of the state\u2019s budget go to schools. This means that a huge portion of any increase in the state budget would have to go to education, so legislators would have to come up with almost double the money to cover the single-payer plan. To get around this, voters would have to first pass a ballot initiative.<\/p>\n<p>But this is not the issue that critics bring up most often. Instead they are pointing to the <a href=\"http:\/\/losangeles.cbslocal.com\/2017\/05\/23\/single-payer-healthcare-estimated-to-cost-nearly-double-californias-state-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sticker shock<\/a> that comes from single-payer.<\/p>\n<p>Single-payer supporters say that, in tabling the bill, Rendon gave up before even allowing the Assembly to try to hammer out the details. Chuck Idelson, spokesperson for the California Nurses Association, called Rendon\u2019s objections to the bill a \u201cdodge.\u201d Idelson told the <i>New Republic<\/i>, \u201cWhen he said it was incomplete, what is the job of a legislature if it\u2019s not to hold hearings and consider amendments? What he\u2019s basically saying is, \u2018We can\u2019t do our job.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many blame corporate interests for the death of single-payer in California. According to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ibtimes.com\/political-capital\/democrats-help-corporate-donors-block-california-health-care-measure-progressives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reporting by the International Business Times<\/a>, since 2012, groups opposing the single-payer bill have donated $1.5 million to Democratic Assembly members. Rendon himself has taken more than $100,000 from pharmaceutical companies and $50,000 from major health insurers. Single-payer would clearly hurt these industries, putting some entirely out of business.<\/p>\n<p>The California Chamber of Commerce also <a href=\"http:\/\/advocacy.calchamber.com\/2017\/04\/26\/senate-health-committee-to-hear-single-payer-job-killer-today\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">opposed the bill<\/a>, calling it a \u201cjob killer\u201d that would \u201cresult in significant new taxes on all Californians and California businesses.\u201d But according to Pollin\u2019s study, most businesses, even those that would have to pay an extra gross receipts tax, would be significantly better off under single-payer because they would no longer have to pay for health care for their employees. \u201cWhen the Chamber of Commerce comes out against it, they\u2019re not acting in interest of majority of their constituents,\u201d Pollin said.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the politics of the issue are treacherous enough to spook lawmakers. While it\u2019s true that California Democrats have a super-majority in the legislature, this also means that the party is a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/local\/politics\/la-me-pol-ca-california-politics-democrats-20160117-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">big tent<\/a> with a number of ideological fault lines. As a state, California might look blue overall, but there are still conservative pockets\u2014and it remains a challenge for progressives to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/politics\/article\/Berniecrats-look-to-push-California-Democratic-11157378.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">push the party leftwards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"pullquote pull-right figure-active\">A single-payer program would inevitably incur additional taxes, but the overall health care costs would be lower for most people and businesses.<\/aside>\n<p>Another issue was that there wasn\u2019t a broad coalition of labor behind the bill. \u201cLabor traditionally is a supporter of universal access of care, not just in California, but nationally,\u201d Gerald Kominski, professor of health policy and management at UCLA, told the <i>New Republic<\/i>. The Service Employees International Union of California, which supports single-payer, backed Rendon\u2019s decision, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.seiuca.org\/2017\/06\/26\/seiu-california-supports-decision-to-spend-more-time-developing-california-healthcare-reform\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">stating<\/a> that \u201cthere is a lot of work to do on SB 562, and we remain eager to engage in that conversation.\u201d The State Building and Construction Trades Council <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2017\/06\/28\/californias-single-payer-fight-gruesome-imagery-death-threats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">also supported Rendon<\/a>. Even state Senator Toni Atkins, one of the bill\u2019s co-sponsors, told the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/politics-government\/capitol-alert\/article158363674.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><i>Sacramento Bee<\/i><\/a>that while she was \u201cdisappointed\u201d in Rendon\u2019s choice, she did not fault him for it.<\/p>\n<p>Polling in support of single-payer in the state is high\u2014two surveys showed <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2017\/05\/31\/universal-health-plan-would-save-californians-37-billion-and-cover-more-people-study-finds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">65 and 70 percent<\/a> of people in favor of the policy. But, when people were confronted with the prospect of new taxes or the costs of the program, support for single-payer fell. This reveals a failure on the part of Democrats, and why the bill\u2019s price tag was so effective as a scare tactic. A single-payer program would inevitably incur additional taxes, but the overall health care costs would be lower for most people and businesses. Democrats have to convince voters that those pocketbook benefits are as real as the higher tax bill they will receive. \u201cWhat we need to do is tell the stories of people whose insurance doesn\u2019t cover enough, or are still burdened with high health care costs,\u201d state Senator Ricardo Lara, one of the bill\u2019s co-sponsors, told the <i>New Republic<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Rendon may have thrown a wrench into California\u2019s push for single-payer, but the battle is far from over. \u201cThe public engagement of people in California around this legislation was almost unheard of,\u201d Idelson said. Lara said that while Congress\u2019s efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare adds uncertainty to continued federal funding, it is also \u201cmobilizing people to care for their health care like never before. We didn\u2019t see this passion to protect health care even during the push for the Affordable Care Act, when 20 percent of Californians were uninsured.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>California Democrats have to commit to working out the details of the bill\u2014to showing that it is feasible. Single-payer has been lambasted as a utopian dream, but there is a clear path to making it work policy-wise. The question is if Democrats, both in California and elsewhere, can then make it work politically. If they continue to concede that single-payer is unaffordable and unachievable, it certainly will be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer-wrap\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.2\">\n<div class=\"article-author-bio\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.2.0:$0\">\n<div class=\"bio-body\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.2.0:$0.0\">\n<div class=\"bio-text\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.2.0:$0.0.0\">\n<p>Clio Chang is a staff writer at <i>The New Republic.<\/i><span style=\"font-size: 12px;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"bio-twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cliomiso\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.2.0:$0.0.1\"><span data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.2.0:$0.0.1.1\">@<\/span><span data-reactid=\".9htldh4su8.2.1.0.0.$0.2.0:$0.0.1.2\">cliomiso<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ROBYN BECK\/AFP\/Getty Images If single-payer can&#8217;t pass with Democratic super-majorities in the Golden State, that raises serious questions about any national effort. June 30, 2017 On June 25, RoseAnn DeMoro, leader of the union National Nurses United, tweetedan image of the grizzly bear on California\u2019s state flag with a knife&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2017\/07\/01\/killed-single-payer-california-clio-chang-newrepublic-com\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5414"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5414"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5417,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5414\/revisions\/5417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}