Health care crisis hits Los Angeles
By Adrian Garcia
Los Angeles
If there was ever any doubt that the Bush administration's
"war on terrorism" would simultaneously become a war against
the working people of this country, last May's proposed budgets
cuts in education and, most recently, the proposed health care
cuts in Los Angeles serve as undeniable proof of the capitalist
bosses' attempts to undermine the livelihood of the working
class.
"Billions of dollars were found to fight terrorism. Billions
of dollars were found to save airlines," commented Mandy
Johnson, a representative for community clinics, in a June 27
article in the Los Angeles Times. Johnson was responding to the
Los Angeles County Supervisors' vote to close 11 of 18 clinics,
crop 5,000 jobs and terminate inpatient services at one
prominent hospital.
The supervisors callously disregarded the concerns of 1,000
people who showed up at a public hearing with the purpose of
persuading them to preserve the health-care system.
Los Angeles' health care system serves 800,000 people every
year. Most are impoverished people, including many people of
color and immigrants, with little or no health insurance.
The attack on health care services doesn't end there. The
County Supervisors have warned the health department of deeper
cuts in October if a $350-million bailout from the federal
government does not come through. This may lead to the
elimination of emergency rooms and inpatient services at some
medical facilities.
Outpatient care has also been targeted for cuts, even as Los
Angeles County has been touting increased outpatient care as
one of its goals for improving the health care system.
Los Angeles' working class has suffered from health care
neglect for years. Nurses have complained that their hospitals
are severely understaffed, leading to numerous protests and
walk-outs. Ambulance drivers have testified that they routinely
transport patients in need of medical care from hospital to
hospital in an effort to find an emergency room that can render
assistance.
Despite these horror stories, the capitalist bosses have no
qualms about sacrificing the well being of Los Angeles'
impoverished communities.
And what is the reaction from Washington? Will lawmakers and
the president come to the aid of the people and grant Los
Angeles the $350-million bailout that is required to stave off
future cuts, as they have done for corporations and the
military following the events of Sept. 11?
Think again. Instead of using funds for the needs of the
working people, the Senate and the House shamelessly squander
taxpayer money for the Bush administration's reactionary war
drive.
On June 27 Congress approved a $393 billion bill for
military spending with virtually no opposition in either house.
The "defense" bill includes an increase in salary for military
personnel and the largest increase in military funding in
decades, according to the New York Times.
Some $7.4 billion of the military budget has been allocated
for the development of the highly controversial missile defense
system. The big business politicians prefer to grant monies to
a scheme whose likelihood for success is highly improbable
rather than to shore up a health care system that is in
shambles and jeopardizes the lives of countless working
people.
Annelle Grajeda, the general manager of Service Employees
Local 660, has announced plans for a number of demonstrations
and urged people to join her in a struggle against the health
care cuts in Los Angeles.
Reprinted from the July 18, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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