Green Party of California

 

 

You have reached the Website for

Bill Balderston

Green Party Candidate for Insurance Commissioner

for the State of California

 

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     William Balderston on your ballot, universally known as “Bill”,is a long-time political activist in the East Bay. He taught high school English and social studies over two decades in East Oakland and served in the political leadership of the teachers’ union (the Oakland Education Association) for over a dozen years, as well as representing Oakland teachers at the state (CTA) and national (NEA) levels. Further, he continues to be a key organizer for the OEA and for the CTA & NEA Peace and Justice Caucuses (he is active as well in the CTA Green Caucus). His labor work also involves writing for and supporting Labor Notes.
      Bill currently serves on the steering committees of Labor 4 Peace & Justice, the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, and Vote Health and recently participated in national conferences of US Labor Against the War and the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer. He has been involved in international solidarity work around Haiti and Iran, especially the labor movement there.
      Finally, his involvement with teachers and youth led Bill to prioritize organizing around the March 4th Day of Action and he’s an ongoing participant in the fight against privatization and the neo-liberal program applied to the public sector, especially public education.
      As a socialist and committed believer in independent working class politics, Bill has been an active supporter of the Green Party and campaigned for many state Green candidates. In line with not only his commitment to a single-payer health care system, but also his anger and frustration at the corporate exploitation of basic needs for working people, Bill has decided to run for the Green Party nomination for California Insurance Commissioner.
      Bill’s program begins with a total rejection of the current commissioner’s practice in hiring former insurance corporation employees/executives as ‘investigators’ of the doings of their former employers.
      As regards health care, there is a limitation legally in powers of this office, especially in regards to people in health maintenance organizations. Nonetheless, there are key demands and proposed legislation that must be highlighted in this campaign, including:

  • altering existing legislation from a 70 percent requirement to 95 percent as to the amount of premiums devoted to patient care;

  • a graduating taxation of insurance companies’ profits made from the time premiums are paid until when the monies are used to pay health care providers; and

  • expanding requirements to OPEN THE FINANCIAL BOOKS of ALL INSURANCE COMPANIES doing business in California.

      More important is to use this campaign to demand that insurance companies should have no role in the health care system in California and nationally. Not only must we continue to expose the exploitative profits ($11.7 billion for the top five insurance firms this year), but the whole narrowing of options for patients. This requires not only advocating for a single-payer health insurance approach (specifically supporting SB 810 and preparing for an initiative campaign), but in educating around the long-term need for a national health system.
      As regards other forms of insurance, we should also advocate for a single-payer auto insurance and flexibility for how to access this insurance. For more immediate issues, we can call for:

  • legislation limiting an insurance premium increase to COLA and exemptions for the unemployed;

  • assessing insurance companies to pay for expanded driver education programs, linked to safety issues around teenage drivers;

  • advocating the need for driver licences for undocumented residents, which would help expand immigrant rights and make the roads safer for all; and

  • reorganizing DMV procedures around threats to revoke licences for lack of insurance.

              We can also address home insurance, proposing:

  • regulating home insurance payments linked to mortgage status and subsidizing the home insurance for owners facing foreclosure; and

  • state-run earthquake insurance.

      Two final points are worth mentioning. First, Mr. Poizner, the current commissioner, has proposed divestment from insurance companies doing business in Iran. We should advocate removing funds from ANY insurance company doing business with ANY nation (including Israel) in that region that has a nuclear weapons arsenal. Second, the Democrats’ nominee will likely be Dave Jones, a left-liberal politician with a good labor record. The critical focus must not be on him as an individual, but on his party, which has continually served corporate interests.

Bill can be contacted by email: bbalderston@earthlink.net, or through the Alameda Green Party:

      2022 Blake Street
      Berkeley, CA 94704-2604
      (510) 644-2293
      www.acgreens.org