SB 562 Update: Reaction in Garden Grove and Fullerton’s Josh Newman District

Here is Pho Bolsa TV coverage of us in Youtube.

While we were “dying” in front of Senator Nguyen’s office, to show healthcare is a human right, we got the news that the finance study showing the feasibility of SB 562 had been presented in a press conference earlier in Sacramento. The news revived me because I had arrived kind of dead already after hearing that a Senate committee’s analysis projected that the plan would cost $400 billions yearly, requiring a 15 percent payroll tax. Needless to say, the study energized me to enthusiastically wave my “Healthcare is a Human Right” sign in the busy corner of Garden Grove Blvd across Costco.


Some of the organizers of the rally were young Vietnamese Americans, who made sure that the local Vietnamese press covered the event. Former mayor Bao spoke and also Ivan, who organized the rally in Santa Ana when Lou Correa showed up. Ivan mentioned Tom Daly, and when I asked him whether he meant Josh Newman, he explained to me that Daly is in the Insurance Committee, and that he also needed to be contacted.

People in Fullerton love #sb562
(all pics from Medicare for All OC)

Josh Newman had already been visited by a delegation of healthcare advocates, to request his support for this bill, and we had canvassed his district. Newman can not complain that his tenure as State Senator has not been exciting so far, between us and the re-callers…

I ended up “dying” next to a new friend I met there at the rally, Williams. This jolly fellow is a homeless man, making his living cleaning car windshields. He was walking by and decided to join us. We ended up going to the nearby McDonalds for lunch, he was very health conscious, only ordered a side salad and a cup of water. He had heard about Bridges at Kraemer and is going to call them.

Back to SB562:

“Today we released the fiscal analysis for the Healthy California Act – SB 562 (Lara & Atkins) – that shows we can save 74 billion dollars a year while guaranteeing healthcare for all! We also released a recent poll showing SB 562 is wildly popular, with 81% of Californians saying we should ensure healthcare for all and 70% saying that the Healthy California Act is the right way to do it.”

  • Healthy California would save $74 billion on our current healthcare system…and cover everyone!!!
  • Low and middle income households would save almost 10% on healthcare.
  • ALL businesses would save money and small businesses currently paying for healthcare would save up to 22%!

Of course, life is not so simple, and a reminder of the obstacles facing SB562 was presented by this analysis of the study.

UPDATE : The Healthy California Act (SB 562) just passed out of the Senate (23 yes votes) and moves to the Assembly to continue moving forward our goal of saving billions and guaranteeing healthcare for all in California! A YUUUGE thanks to our authors, Senators Ricardo Lara and Toni Atkins, for their bold leadership that has put our communities’ health over politics.

The die-in event was covered by one of the major local Vietnamese newspapers:

Kêu gọi ủng hộ Dự Luật SB-562 trước cửa văn phòng TNS Janet Nguyễn. (Hình: Đằng-Giao/Người Việt)

Little Saigon: Biểu tình đòi TNS Janet Nguyễn bỏ phiếu ủng hộ dự luật y tế
Đằng-Giao/Người Việt
June 1, 2017
GARDEN GROVE, California (NV) – Một nhóm người, cả gốc Việt lẫn da trắng, tập trung trước cửa văn phòng Thượng Nghị Sĩ Janet Nguyễn tại Garden Grove và hô hào khẩu hiệu ủng hộ Dự Luật SB 562, một dự luật y tế toàn tiểu bang, lúc 12 giờ, Thứ Tư, 31 Tháng Năm, và kêu gọi vị nữ dân cử bỏ phiếu”

The main organizer of this event, Jessie Nguyen, sent this note to the other participants:

“Thanks Everyone!
I will need your help now more than ever. We are just at the tip of the iceberg. We are beginning to see supporters but a lot of opposition (e.g. someone has been telling the vietnamese community that this is a government controlled healthcare or it costs too much). The word communism has been used to describe this bill already. We need to dispel this misconceptions asap”

We may have a hard time dispelling this misconception. We may still have a long road to go with an alternative to the inhumane healthcare proposals of the Trump administration, but as the poll below indicates, 70 % of Californians support a medicare for all bill.

Josh Newman supported SB562, and another friend sent this note:

“ I called Newman’s office to thank him this afternoon and left my name with the anti-recall campaign: 714-882-1267. (website link http://dontsignrecall.com/)

“ FYI, Josh Newman won by only 2,498 votes with almost 300,000 votes cast, .08% of the vote!)

“ A friend actually overheard Moorlach, the Senator for the 37th district, my district, talking with some of his friends at the Costa Mesa Memorial Day event. Moorlach said, “Our #1 focus now for the Republican party in the OC has to be recalling Senator Josh Newman.”!)

So now I may be walking the streets of Fullerton again, and I may run into some friends who have made the argument to recall Newman in this blog. This is what a democracy is all about! They may share our same concerns about healthcare.

Don’t wait! Call now…and every day until SB 562 is passed!

 Here are some additional resources.

Also check out our Facebook and Twitter for important updates!


About Ricardo Toro

Anaheim resident for several decades. In addition to political blogging, another area of interest is providing habitats for the Monarch butterfly. http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2013/12/caterpillars-crossing-in-a-city-at-a-crossroads/