John's Statement on Withdrawing from the Gubernatorial Race

Today, John Freeman, former state representative and current Michigan Director of Health Care for America Now, announced his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race, and issued the following statement:

Having consulted with my family and given it serious reflection, I’ve decided to end my campaign for governor of Michigan. Given our state’s economic woes and my obligations to both my family and job, it became clear that the amount of money required to run a viable campaign was out of reach.

For the many Michiganders who welcomed me into their homes and donated their time, energy and resources to this campaign, I will be forever grateful. For the family and friends who offered me their devotion, love, and support, I am fortunate to have people like you in my life. And for all those who dream of a better future for our state, the work continues.

I will work to build a better Michigan by continuing to strive for comprehensive health care reform, so that Michigan’s businesses can compete around the world, working families can be freed from skyrocketing costs, and nobody will die or be forced out of their home simply because they can’t pay their medical bills.

I will continue fight for progressive ideals, just as I always have, and fully expect to support the Democratic nominee for governor.

On a final note, to my supporters and the people of Michigan, I ask that you continue to strive towards a better future. Robert Kennedy said that often in politics, there’s a danger of feeling futile, like there’s nothing you can do against the enormity of the problems we face. Yet, Kennedy said, “each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls...”

Those ripples don’t care if you’re in elected office or just an everyday citizen; we all have the power to stand up for what we believe, and to create those ripples of hope. And eventually, those ripples will build up.

Together, if we all do our part, we can continue to make a wave.

Thank you.

Health Care Reform: Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good

I wanted to send a brief update about where we are in the health care reform process.

As stands now, health care reform is in the hands of the U.S. Senate. The public health insurance option is unlikely to be in the final Senate legislation.

To be sure, the bill is far from perfect. But we can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

The question shouldn't be whether or not the bill is perfect; the question should be: "Will this bill help working Americans?" And the answer is "yes."

The Senate health care legislation will:

• Reform the health insurance market.
  
• Put a cap on out-of-pocket expenses.
  
• End the shameful practice of insurance denial due to pre-existing conditions.
• Expand Medicaid, lengthen the life of the Medicare trust fund, and increase reimbursement rates for primary-care physicians.
• Invest in wellness and prevention programs.
  
• Give a tax credit to small businesses trying to keep up with burdensome health care costs.

These are changes people have been advocating for years -- in some cases, even decades. And we shouldn't turn back now. An "all or nothing" approach may very well leave us with nothing -- and if that happens, you can bet that in the future, no president will be willing to pick up this banner.

After the Senate passes a reform bill, the legislation will move to a House-Senate conference committee, which will reconcile the differences between the pieces of legislation passed by both chambers. Seeing as the House passed a reform bill with a robust public option, it is likely that the product of the reconciliation process will be even better than what the Senate alone passes.

We should not turn back now. Please call your Congressperson and Senator, and tell them to get the job done. Together, we can finally reform health care.

Got Leadership?

Yesterday, the Detroit News highlighted the ongoing gridlock in Lansing over K-12 school funding cuts. It's a must-read for anyone concerned about our state's future.

Two excerpts (in particular) caught my eye. First:

"The leadership is playing a blame game," said Bill Rustem, president of the Lansing policy think tank Public Sector Consultants. "Rather than sitting down and reaching an accord, they're arguing with each other through the press.

This is what we've come to expect from Lansing. Rather than get the job done, Lansing has taken to using the same old paralyzing political games.

But perhaps even worse is that while we're amidst this crisis, many in Lansing are turning a deaf ear to the problem, and not even showing up to the Capitol to try and reach an agreement. (Today, incidentally, is expected to be the last time the State Senate will be in session until December.)

There's a complete lack of leadership. Which brings up the next excerpt from the article:

Granholm has been encouraging the public to protest the cuts. ... "I don't know that everybody understands it fully," Granholm said.

If people don't understand the cuts, it is the fault of the state's leadership.

The essence of leadership is the ability to lead. It means you have to engage with people, have a real conversation with them -- a back-and-forth talk, not just one-way. And underlying most of the struggles of this administration is this failure to lead.

What has stopped the governor from travelling around the state and having town hall forums and presentations about the state's fiscal crisis? For months and months, Lansing has seen a storm coming, and while they may not have known the final depth of the problem, a conversation with the people of the state should have started before this week.

I'm reminded of the job former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner did. Taking office after the 2001 elections, Warner faced similar circumstances to those Michigan suffers -- a bad economy and huge budget deficits -- but Warner handled it completely differently than our state's leadership.

He took the opportunity to leave the echo chambers and inside baseball of the state capital behind. Mark Warner chose to travel around and speak all over Virginia, talking with everyday citizens about the budget problems, and making his case for serious reform. People understood the choice: they could either pay slightly higher taxes, or they would have to make huge cuts to schools, public security, and the social safety net.

And you know what happened? The public understood the issue fully and chose to fund their priorities. But, what’s more, they overwhelmingly supported Mark Warner because they appreciated the real leadership he offered.

That’s the kind of change we need right here in Michigan: leaders who aren’t afraid to lead. I will be that leader.

Expanding Equality for Michiganders with Disabilities

Far too often, people with disabilities are relegated to a second class status -- treated as unequal members of the Michigan community on issues ranging from employment to personal autonomy to housing and educational access.

But beyond these failures of policy and government is the broader, more basic failure that too many fall trap to; oftentimes, people with disabilities become victims of what has been called “the soft bigotry of low expectations,” and are treated differently -- as if their disabilities define them as individuals.

Here's what I think needs to be done differently to expand opportunity to Michiganders with disabilities:

1. Reform and strengthen healthcare and long-term care.

It’s important that people with disabilities have choice in where they receive healthcare & long-term support and care. As governor, I will:

• Increase access to healthcare. People with disabilities, contrary to popular misconceptions, generally have less access to health care than people without disabilities.
• Support full mental health parity in healthcare reform, and focus on person-centered management for people with severe mental illnesses.
• Expand eligibility for Michigan’s “Freedom to Work” Medicaid buy-in program to allow persons with disabilities to maintain their Medicaid as they increase their work and earned assets.
• Allocate funds to Home and Community-Based Services allowing people to remain in their homes if they so desire.
• Ensure that individuals (and families with loved ones) who live in nursing homes know that they can choose to transition back to their home or to a other community-supported living.
• Push for national healthcare reform to include long-term care, support the Community Choice Act (CCA), and person-centered planning -- including adoption of Community First provisions.
• Create an independent accountability system (e.g. an ombudsman) for community services, similar to the accountability systems we’ve put in place for nursing homes.

2. Expand opportunity, access, and civil rights.

Fundamental in enabling every Michigander to live independently is access to opportunity -- be it employment, transportation, or housing. I will increase such opportunities, fully enforce civil rights laws on the books, and if those laws are found to be inadequate, I’ll expand them. As Governor, I will:

• Strengthen public transportation access. Public transit is the single largest factor in allowing people with disabilities to live full lives in the community day-to-day. I will demand MDOT and local transit boards to consult with people with disabilities and elders about routes and hours.
• Develop accessible versions of the Michigan.gov website and all associated websites for people with disabilities. This includes having alternatives to pdf files, which are often inaccessible.
• End the shame of employment discrimination and expand eligibility in Michigan’s Freedom to Work Medicaid buy-in program.
• Enact anti-bullying legislation to protect children from the scourge of harassment and degradation at school.

As Governor, I will treat people with disabilities fairly and equally, because in order to get Michigan working again, we must make sure that it works for everyone.

Call Congress Today to Support Health Care Reform

Health care reform is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

We're expecting the U.S. House of Representatives to pick up HR 3962 for consideration tomorrow, and to vote some time over this coming weekend.

It has never been more important to contact your member of Congress. Please call your member today, and tell them to support HR 3962.

HR 3962 will do the things we've been pushing for for so long: insure every American, increase competition, reduce costs, maintain quality, and regulate the insurance industry. Read more about it here.

Here's a list of the members of Congress from Michigan and their phone numbers:

• Dave Camp (R-4th) - 202-225-3561
• John Conyers (D-14th) - 202-225-5126
• John Dingell (D-15th) - 202-225-4071
• Vernon Ehlers (R-3rd) - 202-225-3831
• Pete Hoekstra (R-2nd) - 202-225-4401
• Dale Kildee (D-5th) - 202-225-3611
• Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick (D-13th) - 202-225-2261
• Sander Levin (D-12th) - 888-810-3880
• Thaddeus McCotter (R-11th) - 202-225-8171
• Candice Miller (R-10th) - 202-225-2106
• Gary Peters (D-9th) - 202-225-5802
• Mike Rogers (R-8th) - 202-225-4872
• Mark Schauer (D-7th) - 202-225-6276
• Bart Stupak (D-1st) - 202-225-4735
• Fred Upton (R-6th) - 202-225-3761

Health care reform is closer than ever. But it will not happen without you.

Call Congress, and tell them to support HR 3962.