06/05/2001 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 6/5/2001 guard present. Further with the idea that we have a question now that has been raised, a fair question: can a child leave school during hhch? I think that's something that this Council needs to look into before we would ever proceed with something that, even without that issue, is a bad idea. I vote no." The motion passed with four yeas and three nays. Ordinance No. 2001-55 adopted. (The emergency clause is not in effect as the ordinance was not passed with atwo-thirds vote.) Resolution No. 2001-69 introduced by Councilman McKay on behalf of the entire Council and the Mayor was given its second reading. A resolution supporting the Cleveland AFL-CIO Federation of Labor and A.F.S.C.M.E. Ohio Council 8's call for a non-profit national health care insurance plan which is publicly financed and guarantees comprehensive and lifetime coverage for all and declaring an emergency. Mr. McKay moved for suspension of the rule requiring three readings; second by Mr. O'Grady; motion passed unanimously. Mr. McKay moved for adoption; second by Mr. O'Grady. Roll call: McKay, yes; O'Grady, yes; Nashar, yes; Dailey, yes; Kasler, yes; Limpert, no, with comment. "It is with some regret I must vote no on Resolution 2001-69. No one wants to see anyone suffer. The current health care system in the United States is not perfect, but I believe it's leading the world in innovation and advancing technology and that's good for every person on this planet and, better yet, for the United States consumer. It is man's God-given right to complain. People all over the world do it. But here in the United States, we not only can complain but we have the freedom to do something about it if we want to. Where did we ever come up with the notion that, if government is doing it, it must be better. Every day I hear people complaining about the way government is doing things. I hear about the waste, the inefficiency, the cost and all too often about the quality. To turn a phrase out of an advertising slogan, `With health care, quality should be job 1.' Today, with health care, I am always hearing how this plan is more costly than that one, but this one will let me choose my own doctor or allow more tests. I hear, my old HMO is better than the new one or vice-versa. I hear, we changed back away from the HMO to the more expensive plan or that we're trying an HMO to save money. Thank God we have the right to choose. If our employer changes plans and we don't like it, we can complain. But if our employer doesn't want to make a change, we have the right to buy our own health care. I don't want to have to make a choice on whether to leave my native country because I don't like the heahh care system that the government is going to start providing. In the future under government plans, we may not be guaranteed that right. In fact, in the recent plan that was proposed a few years ago, we wouldn't have had that right. At least with the variety of plans, there is competition. And for that, we consumers are better off. Competition is what has made this country great. Now you'll argue, but this resolution doesn't stop companies from continuing to provide employee health care. But health care is a big expense, not only for us but for companies. If companies believe we can get it through the government, why should they want to continue to provide it. They'll say, let the government pay for it. Remember, government doesn't pay for anything-we do, we pay for it with or without choices. But government can hold down costs and cut profits, that's argued. But cutting costs means giving up services that we may want or need. Cutting profits means that we may not be attracting the best and the brightest into the field. When it comes to my family's health care, I want all the services they need, and I truly want the best and the brightest providing those 10