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Thursday, May 18, 2017

Montana and nurses.

The Nurses Union was instrumental as a part of the Ellison DNC chairmanship effort; their position on single payer being unequivocal; e.g., this link.

Rob Quist has the AFL-CIO endorsement.

The Montana AFL-CIO website has a left sidebar link to the Montana Nurses Association website. They do not endorse in the Congressional Special Election. Perhaps they are 501(c)(3) and are constrained by that.

This item, published online within a news outlet's op-ed publishing and not the nurses, per se, and offered under signature of the executive director of the Nurses Association is unequivocal. Please read it. It is unclear whether it is a statement of an individual, with a title, or an authorized statement on behalf of an association, so presume the first because the latter would be expected to be explicitly stated.

The implication is that Montana nurses parallel the national organization in support of single payer.

Rob Quist is the candidate embracing that aim.

This is important in my view because the nurses, more than any other healthcare professionals, are in direct daily contact with patients and see their situations and needs face-to-face. They, as the professionals they are being dedicated to healing that way, are uniquely positioned to know, collectively, what would be best for patients, as a class.

And they back single payer. Unequivocally so.

They know what's best, and are reported as active in advancement of single payer at the state level in California, which has a population and economy equivalent to that of all of Canada.

The California Single Payer effort is of great national importance. While not posted of much here, expect it.

For now, the parallel in nurse recognition and support of single payer, and Quist support for the same, should carry much weight in thinking nationwide, and specifically in the next few days in Montana.

These professionals are without any ax to grind. They are not like a pharmaceuticals industry trade association. They have consciences. They are not a money-grubbing force caring primarily for their profits and pay and privilege. They face sacrifice and hard work daily, and are dedicated, it being a service of conscience and not a privilege.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE NURSES.