No on 1033 Releases first TV Ads

Press release today from No on 1033 Campaign.

No on 1033 releases first ads of general election
Ads highlight how I-1033 would impact seniors, classrooms, students

(Seattle, WA) – The No on 1033 campaign today released the first two television ads of the state’s 2009 general election. The ads highlight how I-1033 would worsen the health care crisis for Washington’s seniors and damage its schools. The ads also highlight how a very similar Colorado law, suspended by voters in 2005, resulted in crowded classrooms, underfunded schools and reduced health care for kids and seniors.

You can view the ads here:

Ad #1 – I-1033 worsens health care crisis:

Ad #2 – I-1033 hurts Washington’s classrooms and kids:

Both ads show how I-1033 would cause today’s tough times to become even worse, especially for seniors and students. The initiative’s limits on spending and revenue would lock in this year’s budget, making recessionary cuts permanent, and force even deeper cuts in the future.

“Seniors would be among those hardest hit by Initiative 1033,” said Doug Shadel, state director of AARP Washington. “Initiative 1033 would worsen our health care crisis and make it harder to dig out of this recession.”

This year’s budget forced the state to drop approximately 35,000 people from Basic Health, make deep cuts to hospitals and community health clinics, and slash support for seniors and people with disabilities.

“With our aging population, we need more health caregivers in hospitals and nursing homes, not less,” said Leo Greenawalt, president of the Washington State Hospital Association. “But the cuts from Initiative 1033 would result in losing these valuable caregiver jobs, something our seniors and local economies can’t afford.”

Hundreds of millions were cut from public schools and an additional $500 million was cut from higher education. As a result, as many as 3,000 teachers, librarians and other educational employees are facing layoffs while districts are cutting programs, like art, music and sports, and bus routes. Colleges are reducing staff and course offerings while increasing tuition by nearly 30 percent over two years.

I-1033 would make these recessionary holes impossible to fill and guarantee more cuts in the future, even as the economy recovers. The nonpartisan Office of Financial Management estimates that I-1033 would reduce revenues that support education, health care and other services by $5.9 billion over the next five years.

“Initiative 1033 would jeopardize our classrooms and students,” said Mary Lindquist, president of the Washington Education Association. “Initiative 1033 will make it harder for our students to receive a quality education and succeed in school.”

Both ads show how I-1033 is a proven failure and illustrate some of the damages a very similar law did to Colorado’s seniors and students. Under the law, Colorado fell to 49th in K-12 spending, and, as a result, ranks near last among states in high school graduation rates. Colorado suspended the requirement that children be fully-immunized before being enrolled in school, because there were not enough state funds to buy vaccines. Colorado’s proportion of low-income children without health insurance doubled, even as more children in other states got health insurance.

Both ads will run on cable and network television in Spokane and Seattle media markets, and on cable in the Vancouver media market.
For immediate release
Scott Whiteaker (No on 1033), 206-303-9716

The following are available to comment on I-1033’s impacts to health care, seniors and education:

Cassie Sauer (WSHA), 206-216-2538

Jason Erskine (AARP WA), 1-866-227-7457

Rich Wood (WEA), 253-765-7042

Go to the No on 1033 campaign website to sign up to oppose I-1033, to volunteer to help and to make a donation to help get the TV ads out.