05-20-08 Item 5I
2 RESOLUTION NO.
3
4 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
5 OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, RELATING TO HEALTH CARE; JOINING IN
6 A NATIONWIDE HEALTH CARE REFORM CAMPAIGN TO BUILD SUPPORT
7 FOR ENACTMENT OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION CONSISTENT WITH THE
8 PRINCIPLES FOR REFORM ADOPTED BY THE AFL -CIO EXECUTIVE
9 COUNCIL; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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11 WHEREAS, the standard of comprehensive, affordable health care coverage tied to work that
12 unions built over five decades is being eroded by rapidly rising health care costs; and
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14 WHEREAS, children and pre- Medicare retirees are at high risk of losing employer - provided
15 health benefits; and
16 WHEREAS, health expenditures per person in the United States are twice those of the average
17 other industrialized nation; and
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19 WHEREAS, a major factor in high U.S. health expenses is the exorbitant administrative fees
20 associated with private insurance, which average six times higher than administrative costs in Medicare;
21 and
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23 WHEREAS, excessively high health care costs are putting private- sector employers that provide
24 good health benefits at a disadvantage to competitors both internationally and domestically; and
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26 WHEREAS, excessive costs also are threatening the health benefits of public- sector workers;
27 and
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29 WHEREAS, the ranks of uninsured Americans jumped 22 percent from 2000 to 2006 and now
30 number 47 million people, including 8.7 million children; and
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32 WHEREAS, authoritative studies show that Americans receive the right care only half of the
33 time when we take ill; and
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35 WHEREAS, people of color have lower coverage rates, higher mortality rates in many disease
36 categories and poorer quality of care overall; and
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38 WHEREAS, women are less likely to be eligible for or able to afford their part of employer -
39 sponsored health care, and
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41 WHEREAS, the Executive Council of the national AFL -CIO voted to launch a renewed effort to
42 win comprehensive health care reform for all Americans at its August 2007 meeting; and
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44 WHEREAS, the national AFL -CIO has called on all its affiliated bodies to support this effort by
45 joining in a nationwide health care reform campaign to build support for enactment of federal legislation
46 consistent with the principles for reform adopted by the Executive Council in March 2007, as outlined on
47 the attached Exhibit A and made part of this resolution.
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49 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
50 OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, THAT:
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Section 1. The City Commission of the City of South Miami endorses the health care
reform principles of the national AFL -CIO as outlined on the attached Exhibit A and made part of this
resolution.
Section 2. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon approval.
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS DAY OF 12008.
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM:
CITY ATTORNEY
W:\My Documents resolutions \Resolution AFL- CIO.Feliu.doe
APPROVED:
MAYOR
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Feliu:
Vice Mayor Beasley:
Commissioner Wiscombe:
Commissioner Palmer:
Commissioner Beckman:
Exhibit A
AFL -CIO principles for health care reform adopted by the
Executive Council in March 2007:
• Controls rising and irrational costs;
• Provides comprehensive, high - quality health care to all;
• Gives every family the opportunity and responsibility for preventive care;
• Preserves the right to choose and use your own doctor;
• Allows our government to play a strong role in restoring balance to the system —
curbing greed and incompetence and ensuring more fairness and efficiency;
• Lowers employer costs and, in return, asks them to pay their fair share, along with
government and individuals; and
• Builds on what's best about American health care while drawing from what works
in other countries.
State and Local. Elected Officials' Letter in
Support of Secure, High- Quality Health Care for
All by 2009
Dear Legislator:
In America- no one should go without health care.
The fact is that America isn't working the way it should. Middle -class living standards
are eroding, and working Americans need good .jobs, the freedom to improve their lives
through unions and secure, high - quality hcalth care. Rising, irrational health costs arc
crippling families, companies and communities, while drug and insurance company
CEOs are raking in money as never before.
We urge you. to fight for and pass a unique American plan for health care we can count
on, a plan that:
• Builds on what's best about American health care:
• Controls costs,
Makes sure everyone gets high - quality health care as good as or better
than they have now:
+ Covers preventive care;
Lets people choose their own doctors and other providers:
• Makes government the watchdog on costs, quality and fairness and offers
the choice of a public alternative to private insurance: and
• Divides responsibility among employers. government and individuals.
In our cities and states, we see and hear from scores of the 47 million Americans who are
uninsured, as well as from those iviih coverage who face rising co- payments, deductibles
and premiums year after year. And while we are working hard to identify solutions at the
state Icvcl, it's time —past time - -for a real national health care policy.
As elected leaders, we are fighting every day to make America work the way it should
and to fight the erosion of middle -class living standards. We are fighting every day to
create and keep good jobs in our country. We are fighting every day to restore workers'
freedom to join and form unions —which is the straightest path to the middle class. And
as the cost of health care drags down our economy —for workers and businesses alike, we
will be fighting every day to help tix our broken health care system.
We hope you will stand with us —and more importantly, with workers around the
country—in the fight to make sure no American is :forced to go without health care.
Sincere]},