The Resolution passed unanimously at the 3/1/2023 Council Meeting. Our Revolution put out a Press Release on the Resolution.

Good morning. My name is Matt Dragon and I live in West Orange. I’m the Co-Chair of Our Revolution Essex County and a member of the statewide leadership for Our Revolution New Jersey. I’m here today to congratulate you on posting 7R7-a, a resolution in support of Medicare for All. Thank you to Councilman Council and Councilman Ramos for sponsoring.

Our Revolution was founded to continue work on Senator Bernie Sanders’ policy priorities after his 2016 Presidential Campaign. In New Jersey, our work has 4 main pillars:

• Abolishing the County Line.

• Police Accountability.

• Fighting Climate Change.

• And Medicare For All.

We acknowledge your leadership on establishing our first Civilian Complaint Review Board in New Jersey and we’re joining you in the fight to move strong CCRBs with subpoena and concurrent investigatory power through the Legislature.

I don’t have to tell you about the financial strains that our run-away for profit healthcare system can inflict on municipal governments, because you already know. I know that you just moved Newark away from the State Health Plan due to a huge rate hike that followed the Legislature allowing Horizon to shed regulations and assume a for-profit model. Many municipalities are, officially or unofficially, banking on Medicare for All to maintain their fiscal health as workforces age and healthcare costs continue to skyrocket, mostly due to rent-seeking profit extraction by insurance and pharmaceutical companies and the for-profit hospital chains that dominate our healthcare system.

But there’s also an individual cost. Medical debt represents a crushing weight on many families in our community. Deferring or skipping medical care due to the cost exacerbates both the health impacts for individuals, creates higher costs down the road, and in some cases ends in a loved one gone far too soon. Medicare for All also represents a racial justice policy as uninsurance rates in Black and Hispanic communities outpace those of white populations. Here in New Jersey, we have the 47th worst Black maternal mortality rate in the country, despite First Lady Tammy Murphy making the issue one of her priorities over 4 years ago. Medicare for All would facilitate significantly more provider access for Black and low income women, compared to the Medicaid coverage that many are forced to fall back on today.

Medicare for All is smart policy. It enjoys wide support including more than half of those surveyed in recent polling. It would create better health outcomes, at significantly lower costs, resulting in savings for families, communities, and municipal, county, and state governments. So we ask that you vote to support the Medicare for All Resolution. It’s the right thing to do for your workers, your municipality, and your residents.

Thank you.

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