Thread: Local small businesses come out in support of health care re

Local small businesses come out in support of health care reform

Albor Ruiz - Ny Local

Sunday, September 6th 2009, 4:00 AM

Among the many lies and distortions spread by those intent on derailing health-care reform at any cost, one of the most persistent is that business owners don't want any part of it.

That's why a group of small-business owners gathered in Jackson Heights, Queens, on Friday to set the record straight. Their intention was to let everyone know that they - like the majority of the American people - support real health-care reform.

"We feel health care is a right, not a privilege," said Julie Nymann, the owner of Espresso 77, a Jackson Heights espresso bar where the group met. "Yet, we are a small business and we cannot afford to provide insurance to our employees. Something has to be done."

The merchants urged their elected representatives to go back to Washington and fight for a reform that includes a public plan and includes immigrants.

With President Obama poised to speak Wednesday to a joint session of Congress, speculation about what he will or will not say is running wild. What is not subject to speculation, though, is that the future of a meaningful reform is at a critical juncture.

It has been reported that Obama remains committed to reform that includes a public health insurance option and that he will lay out in his speech a detailed plan to make it a reality.

Yet, it has also been reported that the President is under constant pressure, even from some of his advisers, to drop the public option in favor of a compromised, watered-down version.

This possibility seemed so real to the Congressional Black Caucus that it warned Obama that its 42 members would not back a plan without a public option and a commitment to fund universal coverage.

The moment is critical. This is the time to remind the President of his promises.

That is what the Queens business people, who organized themselves to push for a plan that works for small businesses, did on Friday. And that's what they vowed to continue doing by launching a storefront poster campaign in support of true health-care reform.

The campaign is spearheaded by the 600-member Small Business United for Health Care, a project of the grass-roots community group Make the Road New York. More than 500 stores in Queens and Brooklyn have placed the posters in their windows, demanding "real health-care reform with real coverage, shared commitment, the choice of a public plan and immigrant inclusion."

"We are looking for a level playing field, not for a free ride," said Nymann, who employs five neighborhood people. "We are part of a community and I believe that even those with great insurance plans have a responsibility to make sure that others who don't can also have medical coverage."

At this critical juncture, when the insurance, pharmaceutical, hospital and health-care industries are spending $1.4 million a day lobbying Congress to prevent reform, Obama needs support.

The President needs the backing of the small-business owners, of the millions of Americans who have been pushed into bankruptcy by a family illness despite having medical coverage and of the many millions more - most of them hardworking people - who simply cannot afford the outrageous cost of health insurance.

This is the time to speak up, to make sure that the President, Congress and even the fearmongers hear the voices of those who volunteered, voted for Obama or donated to his campaign, that is, the majority of Americans who want universal health care now.

In the richest country on earth, no longer should anybody be denied coverage or be unable to afford it.

aruiz@nydailynews.com
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What a SURPRISE! NYC is home to probably at least one million IAs. Many who are small business owners. They're for a 'public option' that includes immigrants.

In the richest country on earth, no longer should anybody be denied coverage

Let the fools that want gov't health care sign up for it and pay for it and the rest of us can keep and pay for our own insurance w/out gov't interference. The Gov't said that illegals won't be getting health insurance from this bill so my proposal can be implemented.

I have been reading about States like Georgia that have included in their "States Rights" legislation a section that allows the State to Nullify the health care bill if it is enacted on 10th Amnendment violation grounds.

So, "we the people" can encourage and support our states and/or move to states that have enacted "States Rights" legislation and intend on implementing the legislation. And/or if our states refuse to assert their power as a state, we can relocate to "states rights" states and let our home states suffer the economic loss of our departure to states that actually support us, the American people.

In the richest country on earth, no longer should anybody be denied coverage or be unable to afford it.

Yet, we are a small business and we cannot afford to provide insurance to our employees. Something has to be done."

Duh. Someone has to pay for it. If small business cannot afford it, who do they think can? The US Gov? It's broke. More taxes? From who? If the US government cannot run Medicare and Medicaid without going into bankruptcy; cannot manage the health care of Native Americans on reservations and provide BASIC services; cannot properly care for our wounded veterans, then how in Billy Blue Blazes do these businesses think the government will manage an expanded role. The government already controls over 50% of the US healthcare system, and I believe that is the cause of 90% of the problems we have. We do need reform, but an expanded role for government is not the type of reform that will fix anything; it will make it worse. Congress and the President, if they were truly interested in fixing the problems we have (i.e., high costs of care, high costs of insurance, too many uninsured, etc.) would address those specific issues instead of changing the entire system which for the most part works well. It's like your car needs a tune-up, an oil change, and some new brakes and the service dealer wants to rebuild your engine, replace the transmission, and do a total paint job, and in this case, the service technician has never succeeded in performing any of these tasks.

As for the small businesses in LI, they are just looking for a free ride from the government at the taxpayers expense (and the nations grand children's future). I bet they go big time for cheap labor too. Bet they won't use e-verify either.