Governors appalled by Bush health policies

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Five Democratic governors on Friday said President Bush’s health care and economic policies have endangered the economies in their states.

The governors said their states would be better under a John Kerry presidency.

“President Bush has an extraordinary record of failure in this area,” said Democratic Governors’ Association Chairman Tom Vilsack, the governor of Iowa. “This is a major, major issue in terms of jobs.”

Vilsack was joined by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Maine Gov. John Baldacci. They were attending a DGA policy conference on the connection between the cost of health care and its effect on the economy.

All five governors agreed soaring health care costs are burdening employers, leaving more people uninsured and increasing pressure to move U.S. jobs overseas.

They said Kerry’s health care plan would cover 27 million of the 45 million uninsured Americans, give small businesses tax incentives to offer health care coverage to their workers and reduce health care costs for individuals and employers.

“I find it outrageous” that Bush is running ads saying he has a health care plan that’s better, Rendell said. “He’s had a Republican Senate, a Republican House, and he’s done nothing.”

The governors held their forum on the same day that the Bush campaign began running ads in Michigan that say the president’s policies would help the state’s economy by simplifying the tax code and promoting new worker skills through education.

The advertisement also says Kerry’s plan would raise taxes on small-business owners, a charge Granholm denied.