That's right -- the health insurance premiums paid by Markos Moulitsas may skyrocket next year.
The same is true for Meteor Blades, for Susan Gardner, for Hunter, for Steve Singiser, for Kaili Joy Gray.
The same is true for jpmassar, for Jill Richardson, for both Atkins brothers, for me.
You know us. We're all real people. We're all Californians.
Unlike those in 34 other states, there is no law requiring that increases in our health insurance increases be reasonable. There is no law against them being excessive. Almost doubling them in one year, as Blue Cross tried to do this year but was shamed into stopping, is perfectly fine. There's no real working "market" to say otherwise.
It's not just that our health insurance premiums might increase unreasonably; that would be bad enough. It's that they "may." They are permitted to. Nothing stops it from happening. We don't stop it from happening.
As early as tomorrow, a bill called AB 52 -- which would give the Insurance Commissioner (currently the spectabulous Dave Jones) the ability to block unreasonable and excessive health insurance rate increases -- may come up for a vote in the Senate. We would not have gotten this bill past Gov. Schwarzenegger anyway, but we didn't even get to try: this is where the bill foundered last year.
Today -- T O D A Y -- is when we have to act to get this bill past the Senate. Tomorrow may be too late.
My DKos colleague-in-activism jpmassar and I have been writing a lot about this lately. I won't recap everything, though I'll link you to some diaries if you want background information.
My diary of a week ago, when AB 52 cleared the Appropriations Committee.
jpmassar's diary celebrating the success of our political action last week.
My diary passing along Dave Jones's letter calling supporters to action.
My diary offering, among other things, explaining why the "unaffordability" argument against AB-52 is absurd.
jpmassar's diary pointing out that the road to state single payer goes through our ability to pass AB 52.
All you really need to know about AB 52 for today is either in those diaries or linked to within them.
The main things you have to know, if you're from California, are this:
(1) You need to call your own State Senator, especially if it's a Democrat.
(2) You need to call the other Democratic State Senators, especially these most likely (in my opinion) swing votes: Calderon, Correa, Hernandez, Lieu, Negrete-McCloud, Rubio, and Vargas. (Next most important after that: Evans, Liu, Lowenthal, Padilla, Simitian, and Wright, as well as President Pro Tem Steinberg.)
(3) If you can call all of the other Democratic State Senators, please do.
(4) If you can call the 15 Republican State Senators too, why not? Let them hear our footsteps!
(5) A Republican staffer has confirmed: these calls DO MATTER.
(6) You can look up your own State Senator here.
(7) The list of all State Senators (with Democrats in bold) follows:
California's State Senators, Their District, Party, and Phone
Alquist, Elaine 13 (Dem) (916) 651-4013
Anderson, Joel 36 (Rep) (916) 651-4036
Berryhill, Tom 14 (Rep) (916) 651-4014
Blakeslee, Sam 15 (Rep) (916) 651-4015
Calderon, Ron 30 (Dem) (916) 651-4030
Cannella, Anthony 12 (Rep) (916) 651-4012
Corbett, Ellen 10 (Dem) (916) 651-4010
Correa, Lou 34 (Dem) (916) 651-4034
De León, Kevin 22 (Dem) (916) 651-4022
DeSaulnier, Mark 07 (Dem) (916) 651-4007 * Co-author
Dutton, Bob 31 (Rep) (916) 651-4031
Emmerson, Bill 37 (Rep) (916) 651-4037
Evans, Noreen 02 (Dem) (916) 651-4002
Fuller, Jean 18 (Rep) (916) 651-4018
Gaines, Ted 01 (Rep) (916) 783-8232
Hancock, Loni 09 (Dem) (916) 651-4009
Harman, Tom 35 (Rep) (916) 651-4035
Hernandez, Ed 24 (Dem) (916) 651-4024
Huff, Bob 29 (Rep) (916) 651-4029
Kehoe, Christine 39 (Dem) (916) 651-4039
La Malfa , Doug (Rep) (916) 435-0744
Leno, Mark 03 (Dem) (916) 651-4003 * Principal Co-author
Lieu, W . Ted (Dem) (916) 651-4028
Liu, Carol 21 (Dem) (916) 651-4021
Lowenthal, Alan 27 (Dem) (916) 651-4027
Negrete-McLeod, Gloria 32 (Dem) (916) 651-4032
Padilla, Alex 20 (Dem) (916) 651-4020
Pavley, Fran 23 (Dem) (916) 651-4023
Price, Curren D (Dem) (916) 651-4026
Rubio, Michael 16 (Dem) (916) 651-4016
Runner, Sharon 17 (Rep) (916) 651-4017
Simitian, S . Joseph 11 (Dem) (916) 651-4011
Steinberg, Darrell 06 (Dem) (916) 651-1529
Strickland, Tony 19 (Rep) (916) 651-4019
Vargas, Juan 40 (Dem) (916) 651-4040
Walters, Mimi 33 (Rep) (916) 651-4033
Wolk, Lois 05 (Dem) (916) 651-1511
Wright, Rod 25 (Dem) (916) 651-4025
Wyland, Mark 38 (Rep) (916) 651-4038
Yee, Leland 08 (Dem) (916) 651-4008
Some notes on the above Democrats:
Alquist has voted for the bill in two committees. Thank her!
Calderon is running for Congress. His Assemblyman brother Charles spoke against the bill, then ended up voting for it. Remind him that his brother voted for it in its present form.
Corbett is a party leader and presumably an "aye."
Correa is from Orange County and tends to be conservative, but some people here think that he'll be OK because his wife is a nurse. My reply: Assemblyman Pan, a doctor, voted "no." Important call, lean on him hard.
De León voted "aye" in committee.
DeSaulnier is a co-author. Thank him.
Evans is usually a good vote.
Hancock -- is, per jpmassar's call to her office, for it!
Hernandez expressed reservations as Chair of Senate Health Committee, but voted yes. He'll probably be quite influential on the vote. Many expect him to run for Congress; you might want to let him know how important this vote is to activists. Very important call.
Kehoe supported us as Chair of Appropriations. Thank her.
Leno is the principal co-author. Thank him profusely.
Lieu is a very important call. Last week, someone in his office was giving out the "oh, but this is so expensive!" line of argument, which I criticize down at the bottom. We "targeted him" (that's the nice way of putting it.) Because or despite or unrelated to that -- and one can say the same about what may be a tough re-election campaign in a very different district (including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and North Hollywood -- he supported the bill in Appropriations, but we don't know whether he's one of those holding out for changes. Especially if you live in his district, let him know that you want the bill as it is. I'd love to get that as a public commitment from him.
Liu (Carol, not Ted Lieu) seems fine.
Lowenthal should be fine. If you are from southwest Orange County, Cypress to the shore then in through Little Saigon, you will be in the new district where he is running for Congress. This is a great time to call the office and get to know him. He's an influential guy; other Senators might want to know that he's already getting calls from his new constituents-to-be (we hope!)
Negrete-McLeod is also expected to try to move up. Let her know we're taking notes.
Padilla should, I think, be fine.
Pavley supported us on Appropriations and will be facing a tough race in a swing district. Thank her! If you're in the new SD-27, where she'll be running against Ted Strickland, this is a great time get to know her!
Price supported us in committee. Thank him!
Rubio did not vote on the bill in the Health Committee! I don't know why; his vote wasn't necessary, but still! VERY IMPORTANT CALL!
Simitian should be OK.
Steinberg supported us on Appropriations -- thank him! He is the influential President Pro-Tem and is VERY IMPORTANT! Tell him we care deeply about this vote and want to see people whipped into supporting consumers!
Vargas is a bit on the conservative side and it running for Congress from San Diego. To be safe, everyone in the new CD 51 (much like Bob Filner's current district) should call him. Get to know him! Express your views!
Wolk supported us in committee. Thank her!
Wright should be fine.
Yee is running for Mayor of San Francisco. Need I say more? Give him a howdy!
All of us who live in California -- including you, if you live here -- need for you to call.
We need for you to call TODAY!
9:07 AM PT: It's past 9 a.m. PT! Start calling! Report your results in comments.
10:59 AM PT: Here's my report on my first five calls. (I started with Kehoe.)
Kehoe: staffer says he believes she's in favor as is.
Leno: staffer thrilled to be thanked profusely; he's in.
Lieu (Ted): staffer doesn't know how he's voting. "There are a lot of bills."
Liu (Carol): brusque staffer can't help me, nor can anyone else available today. (I'm downgrading her.)
Lowenthal: Staffer doesn't know. Disappointing.
11:13 AM PT: Negrete-McLeod: staffer doesn't know, passed me to legislative director's voicemail. Had to call back to say that I favor it.
Padilla: staffer just took my position and zip code. They've been inundated with calls about many bills.
Pavley: staffer accepted thanks blandly; doesn't know her position.
Price: low-level staffer doesn't seem to know.
Rubio: staffer says that last she heard he was listening to both sides and has not made up his mind. SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO CALL HIM
(You'll note, by the way, that my results may differ from those of others. Who answers the call and how much they know can lead to varying answers.)
11:49 AM PT: Simitian: Staffer doesn't know his position. Sounds like a flood of calls.
Steinberg: Staffer looked up his position. He supports it. That is how it's done!
Vargas: Staffer doesn't know.
Wolk: Staffer accepts thanks for committee vote; doesn't know more.
Wright: Staffer doesn't know.
12:10 PM PT: Yee: Staffer doesn't know. They're getting lots of calls on it.
Alquist -- no one's home!
Calderon: Staffers says that they're receiving a lot of calls on AB 52. "Are you in opposition or support?" "Support." "I don't know if he's taken a position on the bill. I won't know until he votes." "Really? Is there anyone else there who will know before he votes?" "They're all out on the floor. I'll just convey to him your opposition to the bill." "SUPPORT!" "All right." I have a bad feeling about this. Do call him and make it harder for him to vote "no"!
Corbett: Effusive staffer. When I said I supported it he said "Great!" When I asked if that meant that she supported the bill, he said "it's great that you have an opinion and are calling us!" She doesn't take a position until she votes. Hmph.
I'm skipping Correa until after lunch.
DeLeon: staffer went and looked it up! He's an "aye." Is that so hard?
1:29 PM PT: Correa: staffer didn't know anything. Not getting many calls (!) Wanted my first name, last name, city, phone number, and address. I decided not to cooperate. Is this happening to other people?
DeSaulnier: Thanks!
Evans: No position. Not getting all that many calls on it. (!)
Hancock: Staffer says that they're recommending an "aye" vote to her.
Hernandez: Don't know where he stands, will pass along message.
6:07 PM PT: I called republican Bob Huff, from my district. His staffer did not know his position either; I was the first or second call received on AB 52 today. I told him where I was from and he said that that was very important to the Senator, because I am a constituent and I can vote for him, whereas they get calls about legislation from Canada and those people cannot vote for him. I feel smarter.