From Foreclosures to Fraud, Schwarzenegger Puts Politics Ahead of Policy
Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski
“Governor Schwarzenegger’s last minute rash of vetoes is just another example of
putting politics over policy. Of the hundreds of bills the legislature sent to his desk,
Schwarzenegger vetoed nearly every one that supported working families.
“In a classic Schwarzenegger move, he signed a bill protecting celebrities’ right to
health care privacy while vetoing every bill that would made health care more
affordable for working families. Despite desperate need for relief from the foreclosure
crisis, Schwarzenegger again failed to support Californians in financial distress by
vetoing AB 1830, a key bill to set safeguards in the mortgage lending industry. After
slashing workers’ comp benefits to lower costs, he rejected measures that would
have lowered costs by preventing workplace injuries and stopping fraud.
“These important proposals would protected workers suffering in a declining
economy. Yet Schwarzenegger continued his pattern and practice of bowing to
corporate pressure. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proven again that he is what he
claims to oppose – politics as usual.
“We are deeply disappointed by these vetoes, but remain committed to the issues
the governor has refused to address. From the financial crisis and foreclosures to
workers’ comp and health care, we’ll keep coming back until the governor support
the needs of working families.”
The list below is a sample of key bills for working families that were vetoed by
Governor Schwarzenegger:
AB 13 (Brownley) – Would have required hospitals to develop a staffing plan for
health care workers to ensure adequate patient care and reduce workplace injuries.
AB 507 (De La Torre) – Would have created a publicly searchable database of
employers and their workers’ compensation carriers to discourage fraud and ensure
workers have access to care.
AB 1830 (Lieu) – Would have banned some of the most abusive lending practices
that directly contributed to the foreclosure freefall.
AB 2878 (Anderson) – Would have increased the homestead exemption to keep
working families from losing their homes in bankruptcy proceedings.
SB 191 (Padilla) – Would have imposed a fee on certain public works projects to go
into the State Public Works Enforcement Fund for the enforcement of prevailing
wage and apprenticeship requirements on bond projects.
SB 840 (Kuehl) –Would have created a universal, single-payer health care system in
California, guaranteeing that all Californians will receive comprehensive health care
coverage and maintain the ability to choose their own physician.
SB 973 (Simitian) –Would have built upon California’s successful local initiatives and
county organized health systems to create the framework for a public alternative for
health insurance.
SB 981 (Perata) –Would have taken patients out of the middle of billing disputes
between insurers and emergency room physicians by prohibiting emergency room
doctors from directly billing patients who have emergency coverage.
SB 1151 (Perata) – Would have protected patient care and reduced workplace injury
by requiring the use of a lift team or the use of specialized equipment to lift,
reposition, or transfer a patient so identified.
SB 1338 (Migden) – Would have maintained workers’ right to pre-designate their
own doctor for workers’ compensation purposes.
SB 1583 (Corbett) – Would have held third-party consultants liable when they
knowingly advise employers to misclassify workers as independent contractors.
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