America In Solidarity sponsored a community forum called “Health Care and the Economic Crisis” on March 2nd at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. The forum looked at proposed health care cuts, asked for input from attendees, and concluded with a community vote on the importance of each program.
There were approximately 25 attendees and represented a variety of ages from college students to retirees; also present were nearly a dozen people who work in the health care industry as either providers, advocates or management. We provided a list of 11 potential cuts as stated by Governor Gregoire’s proposed budget. When asked to vote upon programs to cut, there was much resistance as one person proclaimed “Who am I throwing out of the lifeboat?” Several attendees refused to vote on a cut, instead writing on the side: No cuts to health care.
After a few short presentations, a lively discussion followed with many participants agreeing with the comment, “It is a shame we are looking at a list like this.” Some of the discussion points and anecdotes include:

• Vaccines should not be cut as it would create more problems for kids and communities.
• The topic of a single-payer system came up and most felt that this is the direction our state has to move.At one point the discussion turned to the collection of taxes and overwhelmingly the attendees stated that the time is past due for a state income tax that would replace the regressive and volatile system of tax collection we currently have. Many attendees wrote a comment asking for a progressive state income tax.
• Many spoke they were in favor of raising taxes only for health care purposes.
• Several people said we must get rid of insurance companies and reign in the runaway profits for pharmaceuticals. One gentleman summed up the sentiment best: “Insurance companies should be thrown out of the room.”
• The suggestion was made that perhaps money for children’s vaccination could come out of the education budget because the health of children is so vital to their education.

What probably cannot be summed up in this report is that the attendees were angry, passionate and quite knowledgeable about the dire straits that our health care system is in. Most know that cuts to Basic Health and Community Health Care will only result in further costs to the state as people will be forced to go to the Emergency Room. The census was that major reform is needed, but in the short-term there has to be more funding for health care in the upcoming biennium budget.