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Indiana Union Members Tell McCain: ‘Don’t Tax Our Health Care’ |
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Charles Clark, Labor 2008 state director for Indiana, reports on union members’ response to a McCain appearance this week.
When John McCain arrived in Indianapolis on Tuesday morning, he was greeted by dozens of union members chanting “Shame on McCain” and “McSame as Bush” in protest of the presidential candidate’s visit to the state capital.
Protesters from AFSCME Local 661, OPEIU Local 1, IUPAT Local 47, UAW Region 3, UFCW Local 700 and USW Locals 1999 and 715 blasted McCain for his plan to tax health care.
Sharon Dunson of AFSCME Local 661, says McCain’s plan will make the problems in our health care system worse than they already are:
McCain’s plan is not going to help the millions of people who don’t have health care now, and it will make it so much more difficult for working families to be able to afford any coverage.
A study released yesterday by the Center for American Progress confirms that McCain’s health care plan could mean a tax increase for working families. The study says:
McCain’s plan would raise taxes on millions of families, falling mainly on the middle class, while failing to make insurance affordable for many others, especially low-income families and people with pre-existing conditions.
Charlie and Debby Odier, USW Local 715 members, drove in Monday night from northeast Indiana to make it to the protest in Indianapolis on time. Having seen many people in their region lose the battle with health care costs, the Odiers couldn’t miss the opportunity to challenge the policy that Charlie describes as “less coverage for more cost.”
Karen Perryman, president of OPEIU Local 1, also attended the protest. Electing McCain for president would have disastrous effects, she says.
We wouldn’t see any pro-worker policies when it comes to trade, taxes, unemployment—let alone health care. With the high cost of gas and food, and job loss, working Hoosiers are struggling to pay for decent health care coverage as it is. Implementing McCain’s plan would cause many working families in Indiana to join the already growing number of families not covered at all.
That’s why Hoosiers like Mike Inabnitt of IUPAT Local 47 are strongly supporting Sen. Barack Obama for president.
Barack Obama cares about working people and plans to create affordable health care for all. It’s time we got someone in the White House who’ll make the changes working families need.
Union members will make the difference in races up and down the ballot this year in Indiana, and when they vote, they’ll be looking for candidates who understand the health care crisis and will fight to make sure everyone has access to affordable, quality health care.
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Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
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wow i am glad i saw this what else would be taxed i would not want my health care taxed thank you to all those who protested