Sacramento-- At a Statehouse press conference today SEIU member Martha Vasquez delivered the following statement in response to the recent court ruling against cutting healthcare in California and in support of a compromise budget that both restores withheld state funding to hospitals and clinics and protects against future cuts. Vasquez spoke on behalf of SEIU, California's largest healthcare union:

"SEIU's 700,000 healthcare workers agree with the court's decision that cuts to California's healthcare system will cause ‘irreparable harm’ to the healthcare safety net California families rely on.

"I am a radiology technician at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, and I can tell you first hand our healthcare system has already been cut to the bone. And now it has been cut off of state funding because of partisan posturing and procrastination here in Sacramento.

"Across California, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other health and human services are doing without a half a billion dollars in state funding, money the state does not have because of the ongoing budget gridlock.

"As a result local healthcare officials have been left to scramble for high interest loans, cut back services or turn away patients because Sacramento officials refuse to work together and pass a responsible,balanced budget.

"And now the governor wants to cut healthcare further, causing a dangerous ripple effect across our healthcare system and communities as employers, families, schools grapple with a loss of home care services for seniors and disabled, emergency care for all, health care for children and rising insurance premiums. All of this as families go through the worst economic downturn in years.

"Our leaders in Sacramento must get back to the table and pass a responsible compromise budget that protects our communities from future cuts, and restores needed healthcare funding now."