Hospitals are the largest employers in most cities and create thousands of good jobs, and Issue 9 has built-in rules that will make them even better. Issue 9 requires the Dayton Public Hospital use Project Labor Agreements and respect organized labor with a card check system to recognize employee unions. Issue 9 also mandates that workers have multiple seats on the Dayton Public Hospital’s governing board. It’s not just doctors and nurses who work in hospitals, but also administrative support staff, social workers, cleaners, maintenance engineers, healthcare technicians, landscapers, and much more. Vote YES on Issue 9 to create thousands of these good jobs in Dayton.
In addition to the benefits to our local economy, there’s also the healthcare impact. West Dayton does not have a maternity ward or an emergency room, and Issue 9 mandates that these be part of the Dayton Public Hospital. Issue 9 also proactively protects reproductive rights and freedoms of Dayton residents by requiring a Dayton Public Hospital provide abortion services. There are now zero abortion clinics in Dayton – and Issue 9 can help make those services available to Dayton residents. Vote YES on Issue 9 to support access to critical healthcare services in Dayton.
Unlike most laws, Issue 9 came directly from the people, and got on the ballot after residents gathered thousands of signatures from fellow Dayton voters. We believe the first step of making healthcare about improving health instead of maximizing profit is by building public institutions with a mission of serving every resident regardless of health insurance status. The Dayton Public Hospital will also be required by state law to provide the transparency and accountability that private hospitals simply refuse to have. Vote YES on Issue 9 to put Daytonians healthcare needs above corporate profits.
An important part of the conversation around Issue 9 is cost and feasibility. Issue 9 assesses only $35 per year in new property taxes for each $100,000 of appraised value – which is less than the cost of one cup of coffee per month for most Dayton residents. Issue 9 will generate about $20 million in new revenue over its lifetime, which will act as seed funding to attract additional investment from federal, state, and county government sources, universities, and private philanthropic donors. Issue 9 is just the first step, but it signals to the world that Dayton residents are serious about investing in our healthcare future. Vote YES on issue 9 to start securing the future of healthcare in Dayton.
Please join the thousands of Dayton residents who signed these petitions by voting YES on Issue 9 to start funding the Dayton Public Hospital.
Eric Moyer has lived most of his life in Dayton. A biomedical scientist by day, he has also been involved in local politics for the last seven years.
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