Where Does CMA Stand on Health Care Ballot Initiatives?
Don’t Believe Phone Company Lies:
The Truth About Prop. 67
[Posted 10/21/04]
“No on Prop. 67” advertisements have hit the airwaves in an attempt to defeat this much-needed proposition and deny Californians quality emergency care. The ads are full of lies and misleading propaganda.
The multimillion-dollar campaign to defeat the initiative is being led by SBC, the Texas-based telephone behemoth. The phone companies care only about their bottom line and don’t want 911-surcharge revenue spent to ensure that when Californians dial for help there is a doctor on the other end of the line.
Physicians, we still need your help to raise awareness about the crisis in emergency care and the need for Prop. 67. Talk to your patients, colleagues, neighbors, and families, and tell them the truth about Prop. 67.
| Opponent Claims: |
|
The Truth About Prop. 67: |
|
|
|
| “Supporters claim 67 is a modest increase in phone taxes – it really increases your taxes 400%.” |
|
A typical phone bill has a dozen or more surcharges, fees, and taxes added to the bill, including a federal tax, local utility tax, State Regulatory Fee, Universal Lifeline surcharge, Federal Universal Service Fee, and many others (take a look at your phone bill). Prop. 67 does not raise any of those taxes. Prop. 67 raises only the emergency telephone services surcharge—one of the smallest surcharges currently found on a typical phone bill—by 3 percent.
|
|
|
|
| “Supporters say seniors are exempt, but more than 1 million seniors will pay more.” |
|
Supporters of Prop. 67 have never made such a claim. Rather, supporters have only claimed and Prop. 67 specifically provides that “senior citizens and others on basic lifeline phone rates are completely exempt from the additional cost.”
(See Official Voter Information Guide, p. 52.)
|
|
|
|
| “Supporters say taxes are capped, but there’s no cap on cell phones or small business phone taxes.” |
|
Supporters of Prop. 67 have never made such a claim. What the supporters of Prop. 67 have said is absolutely true: “Prop. 67 caps the amount a phone company can bill residential telephone customers for the new surcharge at 50 cents per month. The new surcharge does not apply to out-of-state long distance calls, and senior citizens and others on basic lifeline phone rates are completely exempt from the additional cost.” (See Official Voter Information Guide, p. 52.)
|
|
|
|
| “Don’t be misled. Vote no on 67: a huge $540 million phone tax we can’t afford.” |
|
The only thing misleading about Prop. 67 is the phone company’s campaign against it. That campaign is putting false words into the mouths of those trying to solve a growing health care crisis and then calling them liars. |
|
|
|
Click here for more information on Prop. 67.
|
