Fair Share for Health Care launches in Albany

We have liftoff! At a press conference today in the State Capitol, the newly-named Fair Share for Health Care Act launched.

Working Families Party state co-chairs Bertha Lewis and Bob Master, SEIU/1199 Executive VP Jennifer Cunningham, and WFP Executive Committee members Peter Colavito, Patrick Gaspard, Pat Purcell, Richard Kirsch, Jane Thompson, Dwight Loines and George Albro joined Assemblymember Richard Gottfried and Senator Nick Spano, who are the bill's prime sponsors, and a number of other legislators to show their support for Fair Share Health Care.

Everyone listened to Mike Kellogg, the CEO of Century Direct, a printing and mail services firm, talk about why his high-road business provides decent health care for his employees and to Sharlett Cummings, who works at a senior living facility, and Joseph Schiraldi, a security guard at the Empire State Building, talk about how they've both had to sign up for Medicaid because their low-road employers refuse to provide decent benefits.

Wal-Mart also sent a lobbyist to speak out against solving the problem represent the company, and they've hired Albany powerbroker Pat Lynch to make sure Wal-Mart keeps an unfair advantage over local businesses protect the company's bottom line.

After the press conference we went to ask legislators to sign up as cosponsors - more on that soon.