BALCONY Supports Governor Spitzer’s Affordable Health Care Initiative

BALCONY SUPPORTS GOVERNOR SPITZER’S AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE, SUNY BUFFALO MOVE AND INVESTMENT IN UPSTATE ECONOMY

For Immediate Release: January 9, 2008

BALCONY, the Business and Labor Coalition of New York, co-chaired by Alan Lubin and Bruce Ventimiglia, today applauds Governor Eliot Spitzer for focusing upon the fight for universal and affordable health care in his State of the State address.

“By recognizing that the 2.6 million uninsured New Yorkers are a drain on the entire medical economy of the state, by highlighting the 400,000 children that lack coverage, and by acknowledging that preventive medicine must be a key part of the solution, Governor Spitzer has provided a blueprint that should guide the state legislature and the Departments of Health and Insurance to a rapid solution that will benefit all New Yorkers. Small Businesses and Union members of BALCONY further appreciate the Governor’s support of several of the key BALCONY principles of Affordable Health Care for All including affordability, access, universality and quality of care as well as the adoption of electronic health records, and preventative medicine.

At the same time, BALCONY also supports the Governor’s desire to relocate the campus of State University of New York at Buffalo to downtown Buffalo, which will create jobs, housing and needed economic development.

Finally, we agree with the Governors intent to create a $1 billion revitalization fund for Upstate New York and an ongoing commitment to investing in New York’s Infrastructure.

BALCONY represents more than 500 New York businesses, labor unions, and trade associations. BALCONY seeks common ground in the public policy debate in New York to spur economic development through the adoption of business/union friendly, socially responsible common sense laws that maintain and improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers.

Read the release:
Initiative

Social Security Inequity Borne by Elderly Women

The Heinz Family Philanthropies are key supporters of the BALCONY Affordable Health Care Initiative. The following article, written by the Foundation’s Chairman, Teresa Heinz Kerry and president Jeffrey Lewis, appeared on January 6th in the Boston Herald.

Read the release: Social Security Inequity