By LILLIAN ROBERTS
Executive Director
District Council 37, AFSCME

The battle to bring 4 million needy children under the health care safety net explains in a nutshell the opportunity we have in the presidential election of 2008.

In the 1990s, Hillary Clinton helped start the federally funded State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides medical care for millions of children in families with no employer benefits and helps states cut health costs and use the savings for other public services.

But under the Bush administration, the number of American children with no health coverage has been rising. Hillary and the Democrats worked out a plan for SCHIP to cover 4 million more children. With jobs shrinking and the costs of gasoline, heating oil, food and medical care all rising, the proposal would have helped families and pumped $35 billion into health care jobs and facilities.

George W. Bush vetoed it.

The election of 2008 is our chance to take back the White House by electing a proven leader who has been with us all along, fighting hard for health care and public sector jobs — Hillary Clinton.

I know Hillary Clinton. I know what she cares about. And I know that when she is president, we will expand SCHIP, we will cover those children and we will bring needed funds to the Health and Hospitals Corp. and the city Health Dept.

So I’m ready to stand up and yell, “Go, Hillary!”

Hillary Clinton has supported public employees, working people and our communities on the issues that matter to us. She has stood at our side from the beginning in the fight to fund medical monitoring and care for the heroic first responders and cleanup crews of 9/11, and she just led the way in providing another $108 million for their medical needs (see page 4).

She is standing with us again as we fight to save members from the wave of foreclosures that is driving tens of thousands of families from their homes. Hillary is pressing for a moratorium on sub-prime foreclosures, a mortgage rate freeze to keep costs affordable for working families, and emergency energy aid for those facing skyrocketing heating bills.

She’s been with us all along, so I say, “Go, Hillary!”

The excellent field of Democratic candidates has energized a new generation of young voters and political activists who will strengthen the progressive forces in this and future elections. Any of them would be a better president than Bush, and the three frontrunners — Hillary, Barack Obama and John Edwards — could make great presidents. But of them all, only Hillary has a proven record of standing with us and fighting for our members’ needs.

Our national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, reached out to its 1.4-million members by polling and holding town hall meetings. We looked for the candidate who inspired members, supported our issues and had the ability to win. I was proud to serve on the national Search Committee that recommended Hillary Clinton, and in the end, she won overwhelming support from the AFSCME Executive Board and DC 37’s Executive Board and Delegates Council.

The danger of four more years of right-wing rule is very real. We have seen Bush stand by approvingly as three Republican governors canceled collective bargaining and ripped up union contracts. We have suffered as he turned back the clock on civil rights, women’s rights, labor’s right to organize and laws protecting clean air and drinkable water. Our members have been among the victims as Bush handed the country to the wealthy and left only crumbs for working people.

There is too much at stake for us to take any chances this year. The other Democrats are quite impressive, but with Hillary we have the advantage of knowing, not guessing. We know she has stood with us as our senator, we know she will be a great fighter as a candidate, and we know that as president she will continue to stand at the side of America’s working families.

I hope you will join me and shout, “Go Hillary!”as we get out the vote on Primary Day, Feb. 5.