Gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides told more than 50 people gathered Wednesday afternoon at the Visalia Senior Center that differences couldn't be more obvious between the two major-party candidates running for governor of California.
The Democratic challenger described his opponent, incumbent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, as a "a failed photo-opportunity governor" who has consistently sided with the health-care and pharmaceutical industries as well as other big-business interests.
Angelides, California's state treasurer and the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 7 election, described himself a man willing to roll up his sleeves to address the state's problems, "who will be on the side of working families."
And his priorities include reining in rising health-care costs in the state as well as to make health-care coverage available to all children in the state.
"We're traveling up and down the Valley to talk about the issue of health care," said Angelides, who began Wednesday in Bakersfield, then came to the Visalia Senior Center and ended the day in Fresno. "On this issue, there couldn't be a clearer contrast on this issue than Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and me."
Health-care initiative
In fact, he accused the governor of suddenly jumping on the health-care reform bandwagon as the election gets into full swing.
Angelides said that if he's elected, he plans to implement major health-care reform in his first 100 days in office, including sponsoring legislation to give health insurance to all children in the state and compel employers with more than 200 workers to offer health plans to employees.
In addition, he said, "When I'm governor, I'll really regulate the HMOs" to try to compel them to direct more money toward patient care and less toward lining the pockets of executives.
"I'm going to work hard to make prescription drugs more affordable," which would include compelling pharmaceutical companies to offer discounted rates for "working-class people" making less than $65,000 a year and establishing a Web site that would allow Californians to shop for the lowest-priced medications, even from Canada and other countries.
Medicare plan flawed
Angelides had harsh wards not only for the governor, whom he accused of supporting big business interests on health-care issues, but also for the President and federal legislators who created the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that took effect in January.
Yvonne Hull, 83, of Visalia, a retired administrative secretary, agreed, telling Angelides during a question-and-answer session that she is paying more than $300 a month for her Plan D premiums and prescription co-payments, about double what she paid when she got state discounts for her medications that were eliminated by the new Medicare plan.
"I've already had a heart attack," she said. "Don't give me another one."
In fact, Angelides said, about 1 million people 65 and older in California pay more for prescriptions under Part D then they did last year before the plan started. And about 15,000 of them are in Tulare County.
`Not a performer'
Rosalinda Avitia, a regional coordinator of the University of California's California-Mexico health initiative, said she came to hear about Angelides' stand on immigration, while Chaumonde Porterfield-Pyatt, a College of the Sequoias music instructor and a California Teachers Association representative, said she was interested in hearing about education.
But while Angelides did discuss some of those issues briefly, health care was his primary focus Wednesday.
"Let me make it clear. I'm not a performer. I want to be governor," said Angelides, as the challenger started his speech with a swipe at Schwarzenegger, a major film actor before he became governor.
Although Wednesday's event was held at a senior center, those in attendance ran the age gamut from those who appeared to be in their 20s to some people in their 80s.
They crowded into a small meeting room with chairs lined in a semi-circle around Angelides and a "ANGELIDES, A GOVERNOR WE CAN COUNT ON" banner strung along one wall.
Heated gathering
While most in attendance appeared to be Democrats in support of Angelides - along with a few people who heard about his appearance and came to hear him out - it wasn't exactly a comfortable gathering.
The size of the crowd, combined with about 20 journalists and campaign staff crammed into the small meeting room with them and the triple-digit temperatures Wednesday left many waiting for Angelides - who started his comments about a half hour later than scheduled - having to fan themselves to try to cool down while campaign and senior center staff passed out glasses of ice water.
"When are we gonna get this show on the road?" Hull asked shortly before Angelides' arrival.
Angelides even played on the heat, telling the crowd, "Hey, this campaign is hot in more ways than one."
