MORNING BUT FIRST TOP STORY HALF
AN HOUR, COST OF HEALTH CARE AND
UNEXPECTED FIRST OBAMACARE
PREMIUMS ARE ACTUALLY ON THE
DECLINE FOR NEXT YEAR, TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION SAYING THAT THE
COST OF A SILVER TIER IS DOWN 1
AND A HALF PERCENT, STILL COMES
AFTER THE COST OF THAT PLAN
SURGED 37% THIS YEAR, JOINING US
RIGHT NOW LONNIE CHAN, HOOVER
INSTITUTION FELLOW, GOOD TO SEE
YOU THIS MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, MARIA.
MARIA: DEMOCRATS ARE FOCUSING ON
HEALTH CARE GOING INTO MIDTERMS,
WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON PREMIUMS
GOING DOWN NEXT YEAR, DOES THIS
MOVE THE NEEDLE FOR THE MIDTERM
ELECTIONS FOR DEMS?
>> I DON'T THINK IT MOVES THE
NEEDLE FOR THEM.
LOOK, THE REALITY IS THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN MAKING
THE ARGUMENT FROM DAY ONE THAT
THEY KNEW HOW TO ADMINISTER THIS
PROGRAM BETTER THAN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION DID AND I THINK
THE EVIDENCE WE HAVE GOING INTO
NEXT YEAR SUGGEST THAT IS THEY
MIGHT BE RIGHT ON THAT, NOW,
PART OF THIS, MARIA, IS BECAUSE
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN EFFORTS TO
GIVE STATES THE FUNDING THEY
NEED TO BRING DOWN SOME OF THESE
COSTS, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SEEING
IN STATES LIKE ALASKA AND
MINNESOTA AND MAINE AND, INDEED,
I THINK IT'S HAD SOME IMPACT.
GOING FORWARD THE BIG QUESTION
IS GOING TO BE WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN TO OBAMACARE IN THE LONG
RUN AND THE STABILITY OF THE
PROGRAM FUNDAMENTALLY IS STILL A
HUGE PROBLEM, SO WE WILL HAVE TO
SEE WHERE THIS GOES IN THE
COMING YEARS, AS FAR AS MIDTERM
ELECTIONS IS CONCERNED, I'M
SIMPLY NOT CONVINCED THAT THIS
IS ENOUGH TO FUNDAMENTALLY
CHANGE PEOPLE'S OPINIONS OF
OBAMACARE.
>> I'M A RESIDENT OF FLORIDA AND
THIS HAS BEEN A CONTENTIOUS RACE
SO FAR WITH ANDREW GILLUM,
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH
THIS, IF HE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT
MEDICARE FOR ALL AND IT SEEMS
THAT A BIG PART OF THE
POPULATION IS ACTUALLY FOR THIS
IN FLORIDA UI PERSONALLY THINK
IT COULD BE A DISASTER, AT WHAT
POINT DO WE REALLY FIND A
SOLUTION ON THE HEALTHCARE SIDE
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK A
LOT OF THE HMO SET-UPS AN A LOT
OF THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN
FLORIDA BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A
BIG SENIOR POPULATION, HOW DOES
THIS RESINATE WITH VOTERS AND
HOW CAN THE REPUBLICAN MESSAGING
CHANGE TO ITS BENEFIT?
>> MEDICARE FOR ALL WOULD BE A
DISASTER FOR SENIORS, IT WOULD
FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE PROGRAM
IN A WAY THAT I THINK WOULD BE
VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR SENIORS,
FLORIDA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF
THIS, YOU HAVE SO MANY SENIORS
THAT DEPEND ON MEDICARE, A
PROGRAM THAT THEY TRUST AND THEY
NEED, IF YOU EXPAND MEDICARE AND
OPEN IT UP TO EVERYBODY, IF YOU
DO WHAT BERNIE SANDERS AND THE
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS WANT TO DO,
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A S A
PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO BE
TREMENDOUSLY STRAIN TO SERVE THE
SENIORS THAT IT WAS CREATED AND
DESIGNED TO SERVE AND HELP, AND
SO THE PROBLEM IS YOU'RE TALKING
A 33 TRILLION-DOLLAR PROGRAM,
THAT'S WHAT BERNIE SANDERS
SINGLE-PAYER PROGRAM, IT'S NOT
GOING TO IMPROVE QUALITY OR MAKE
MORE EFFICIENT OR EFFECTIVE AND
KILL INNOVATION IN OUR
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO
HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, IF THE
DEMOCRATS DECIDE THIS IS THEIR
MEAL TICKET TO SUCCESS I THINK
THEY ARE SORELY MISTAKEN.
MARIA: WHAT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY,
GOING HEAD TO HEAD OVER A BALLOT
MEASURE IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHAT'S
YOUR TAKE ON THIS, LOOKS LIKE TO
TAX LARGE COMPANIES TO HELP FUND
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE HOMELESS
CRISIS, YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> WELL, MARIA, JACK DORSEY HAS
SPOKEN OUT AGAINST THIS AND I
THINK HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THE
LIBERAL MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO
IS AGAINST THIS INITIATIVE IN
SAN FRANCISCO TO TAX BUSINESSES
TO HELP THE HOMELESS.
THE PROBLEM IN SAN FRANCISCO AND
I LIVE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY
AREA, I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES OF
THE AREA, THE PRESIDENT IS NOT
THAT HIGHER TAXES ARE NEEDED,
THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S NOT
ENOUGH HOUSING STOCK BECAUSE THE
REGULATIONS ARE OUT OF CONTROL,
SO YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE
PREDICATE PROBLEM FIRST.
THE ANSWER IS NOT, HEY, LET'S
DRIVE BUSINESS OUT OF SAN
FRANCISCO, LET'S DRIVE BUSINESS
AWAY BECAUSE WE THINK SOMEHOW
THAT'S GOING TO HELP US ADDRESS
THE HOMELESS CRISIS.
THERE IS A HOMELESS CRISIS,
DON'T GET ME WRONG.
THE PROBLEM IS NOT GOING TO BE
ADDRESSED BY ANOTHER TAX HIKE,
WE HAVE SEEN THIS IN CALIFORNIA
BEFORE, IT HASN'T WORKED BEFORE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK THIS
TIME.
MARIA: HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE
PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS IN SAN
FRANCISCO?
>> WELL, I THINK THERE'S A
COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF REGULATORY
RESTRICTION THAT'S RESTRICTING
THE ABILITY OF DEVELOPERS OR
OTHERS TO BUILD HOUSING THAT
WILL HELP LOW-INCOME FOLKS AND
PARTICULARLY THE HOMELESS.
THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO START.
MARIA: REGULATION AND THEN
ATTRACTIVE TAX SITUATION AND
MAYBE NOT BE A SANCTUARY CITY?
>> HOW ABOUT THAT?
MARIA: MAYBE THAT WILL HELP TOO.
>> HOW ABOUT THAT?
MARIA: IMPROVE THE ECONOMY WOULD
BE THE NUMBER ONE THING TO DO
THERE, DON'T YOU THINK?
>> 100%.
MARIA: HOW ABOUT RESTRUCTURING
THE WHOLE ECONOMY, ROLL BAG
REGULATIONS, BETTER TAX BASE AND
-- AND REALLY FOCUS ON JOBS.
>> WORK PROGRAMS, YOU TO TRAIN
PEOPLE HOW TO WORK, YOU CAN'T
JUST ALLOW PEOPLE TO LAY ON YOUR
STREETS.
MARIA: IN ORDER TO FOCUS ON JOBS
YOU ALSO HAVE TO FOCUS ON BEING
SANCTUARY CITY, YOU HAVE TO GET
OUT OF THAT?
>> 100%.
DAGEN: PROBLEM OVER 20 YEARS AND
THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT
AND NOW IT'S COMPLETELY OUT OF
CONTROL AND IT'S THE CITY PEOPLE
DON'T WANT TO VISIT.
MARIA: TYPICAL TO HAVE THAT AS