San Mateo Co. Workers and Community Members Say “Cuts Hurt Us All”
Photo above: More than 100 community members and workers, from SEIU and AFSCME, stage a rally June 19 at San Mateo County hospital to oppose cuts.Some wore Band-Aids on their foreheads. Others, on their elbows. A few over their noses. The 100 or so walking-wounded gathered at San Mateo Medical Center on Thursday, June 19, for a noontime rally called: 
No Band-Aids Big Enough: Cuts Hurt Us All. 
The community members and county workers were not really injured. They were making a statement against proposed state and county budget cuts that threaten quality services the community depends on and deserves.
Photo on the right: Louise Alioto-Perez, hospital unit coordinator at San Mateo Medical Center, opposes budget cuts that will diminish patient care.
It's got to stop before they get a foothold, because who is next? Louise Alioto-Perez, a hospital coordinator in the emergency room, told the crowd. When did we go from being valued county employees to a budget deficit?
Photo on the right: Myrna Bravo, a home-care provider, joins the rally to support fellow San Mateo County workers whose jobs are threatened to be out-sourced.
San Mateo County's budget director boasts a "healthy" reserve projected at $209 million. But to save $240,000, the county would turn to an outside contractor to transport patients. The compounding effect of a county-wide hiring freeze, a hospital vacancy rate of over 100 positions, and the elimination of positions jeopardizes the safety of the staff and results in lower-quality care.
The local crisis is further worsened by the governor's attempt at health care reform by discontinuing medical services for adults and adding more paperwork to Medi-Cal enrollment that would result in the loss of health coverage for thousands of Californians. This is a problem for the county, the last stop for care for the uninsured.
These proposals are all being considered at the very time the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors contemplates cuts at the Medical Center. The board of supervisors will hold budget hearings beginning Monday, June 23.
Read and watch videos about the previous event:
"San Mateo Co. Workers Blow the Whistle on Cuts and Outsourcing", June 12, 2008.
More information on California Budget Crisis