NEWS RELEASE
JUST THE FAX, MEDIA: #12
TEAM's "broken Dukakis 'Universal Health Care' promise"?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2000
Contact: Barbara Anderson (508-384-0100) or
Chip Ford (781-631-6842)
The alleged "promise" made by Dukakis on universal health
care in 1988 during his presidential campaign was simply election-year fraud.
Keep in mind that the same administration that "promised" universal health care hadn't been
paying the Medicaid bills for the health care it already had!
This was the reason, you may recall, for the 1989 "temporary" tax hike: to pay off the bonds
that were floated to pay the half-decade of unpaid Medicaid bills!
By the way: there are those who are blaming Gov. Cellucci for the Question 4 drop in the polls.
They do not include us at CLT/Promise. We are still winning; but either way, let us make
four statements here in case you can't reach us during your post-election analysis.
1. Without the Gov, there would be no tax rollback question on the ballot to win or lose. The
CLT staff had no intention of putting our members through another grueling petition drive
just to encourage TEAM and the Mass. Teachers Association to again subpoena and frighten people
who signed the petition with quavery elderly handwriting.
2. Even if CLT members had insisted on giving it another volunteer try, we would not have had
enough extra signatures to avoid again being challenged, then would have either lost the
petition again or spent so much money in court that we would be even deeper in debt today. The Gov's
paid additional signatures discouraged another teachers union challenge.
3. If we did get this far, we wouldn't have much TV presence, unless our few business allies
like the High Tech Council had taken needed resources from Question 5 opposition
to help us instead. Some of the Gov's allies like Dick Egan of EMC would have given to us too, but much
of the business community regularly opposes tax cuts for working people
(eg., opposition to Prop 2½ from MTF, AIM) or are afraid to be seen in public with CLT for fear of the
Legislature -- because of the outspoken statements we have always given to the media
about the Legislature and sometimes, the Boston business community.
4. We refuse to believe there is a voter so dumb that, because he doesn't like Gov.
Cellucci, he will give the governor and the rest of the Beacon Hill crowd $500 more a year
to spend on their priorities while he wonders how to pay his utility bills or pay down his own debt. Take
that, nose! (That will teach my face!)
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If Not Now ... When?