The two spoke on issues regarding public healthcare and education, as well as their opposition to a liquefied natural gas facility being located off the coast of Malibu.
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
Sen. Sheila Kuehl, 23rd District, and freshman Assemblymember Julia Brownley, 41st District, discussed healthcare, education and the proposed liquefied natural gas facility for the Malibu/Oxnard coastline at the Malibu Democratic Club’s meeting on Saturday. In addition, outgoing club President Ralph Erickson installed the new directors and officers of the club, including incoming president, Jean Goodman.
But the day’s events were centered on Malibu’s district representatives and their legislative goals for this session.
“For me, it’s all about health care,” Kuehl said.
A ’78 graduate of Harvard Law School, Kuehl is in her twelfth year in Sacramento and has been notable for her successful legislation relating to families and women.
She has re-introduced this session her bill SB 840, which would provide affordable healthcare for all Californians.
“Currently, we are in a race to the bottom for adequate healthcare coverage for our citizens, while basic healthcare costs are rising,” she said. “Insurance premiums and deductibles are up by double digits in each of the past five years while benefits have been reduced. And if you seek private insurance, you’re in a tough spot.”
Kuehl said that much of the rate increase is due to the high administrative costs inherent in private insurer systems.
“In both insurance and doctor’s offices, over 30 percent of the cost is administrative. Companies’ participation in health plans is costing them 10 to 20 percent of their payroll. My bill will reduce that to 7 percent or less.”
Under SB 840, healthcare eligibility is based on residency, not employment or income, and all Californians will be covered. The system will be paid for by federal, state and county monies already being spent on healthcare and by affordable insurance that will replace premiums, deductibles and co-pays now being paid by employers and consumers.
Kuehl criticized the governor’s counter-healthcare reform proposal: “Under his proposal, only about 20 percent of California’s businesses would pay into the system and they would end up paying in less than they do now. And it does nothing to regulate what the insurance companies charge. Many individuals just won’t be able to afford it.”
LNG and public services
When asked about BHP Billiton’s proposed Cabrillo Port LNG terminal, Kuehl was matter-of-fact. “The future of LNG is not looking good in California,” she said. “All along the coast, the uniform consensus is that we don’t want it.”
Kuehl said she’s not so much against the idea of LNG but that she would ask the administration to quantify California’s actual needs for foreign-produced LNG and said she believes the Coastal Commission should be required to approve any projects.
Assemblymember Brownley said regarding the proposed Cabrillo Port terminal: “I believe that Cabrillo is the beginning of a slippery slope in importing other energy sources. My interest is getting cars off the road and funding public transit. I’m open to any idea to reducing traffic on PCH.” (See page A4 for Brownley’s letter on the subject.)
However, Brownley said her first priority, and first piece of legislation, concerned public funding of services.
“California ranks about 40th in the country in our nation’s student achievement,” she said. “That is unacceptable. The legislative analysts’ office put out their proposal this week and the majority of the budget cuts are in education. We can’t balance our budget on the backs of the poor, but we also can’t let education go.”
Brownley served on the board of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District for 12 years.
“I am now the chair of the budget sub-committee on education and we vet the governor’s budget proposals for K through 12 and higher education,” she said. “But I’m also a member of the Educational Committee on policy. The bottom line is that quality education is a right and we’re going to see that our priority is funded.”