The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Cordray energizes Democrats at picnic
Ohio Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Richard Cordray made his pitch to Lorain County Democrats on July 24.
Appearing the Avon Lake Democrats Summer Picnic at the Lake House, Cordray spoke before a crowd of approximately 200 people.
“We really feel the energy and the support in this room,” Cordray said. “And when we come here it is rejuvenating, it is motivating, it is inspiring and it’s how we know we are going to win the state of Ohio in 2018.”
Fresh off the release of their healthcare platform in Cleveland and scoring an endorsement from the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, Cordray laid out his healthcare priorities
“It focuses on reducing costs and extending coverage to more Ohioans. And that’s the goal here. That people have access to healthcare and that it’s more affordable. This is an important thing for people. People see this all over the state,” Cordray said.
The plan aims to protect and maintain the Medicaid expansion to keep insurance premiums low for middle-class Ohioans in addition to incentivizing preventive care which would include emphasis on immunizations, more help for pregnant mothers, more emphasis on telehealth, and reforming the insurance exchanges.
“It’s not just about the 700,000 Ohioans who are on Medicaid and their extended families. It’s about all the rest of us,” Cordray said. “If they don’t have access to healthcare, if they’re shoved back outside the system what would happen.
They will not see the doctor, they will not get preventive care, they will fester, their problems would become more serious, more severe and more costly and then they will find their way into the emergency rooms,” Cordray added. “That’s very expensive. We will not fail to treat them and we will all pay in our premiums for that uncompensated care.”
Cordray continued attacks on Mike DeWine’s healthcare proposals accusing him of inconsistency on the Medicaid expansion.
“One of the things we have seen so far in this campaign and very recently is you cannot trust Mike DeWine with your healthcare because he has been all over the map on this issue and I don’t yet know where he’s landed,” Cordray said.
He continued, noting DeWine’s criticisms of ObamaCare and his criticisms of Mary Taylor in the Republican gubernatorial primary for her support of Medicaid expansion.
“And now he tells us he’s for the Medicaid expansion and he’s been for it all along. Baloney. What we know is, he will say anything in order to get votes. He is a political animal of 42 years gestation. And he’s been doing this over and over again,” Cordray stated.
In a statement from the DeWine-Husted campaign, spokesperson Joshua Eck reiterated the DeWine campaign’s position on Medicaid and their healthcare philosophy.
“All Richard Cordray did today was read a list of problems facing Ohio without offering any real solutions, Eck said. “Mike DeWine has laid out specific plans for improving Medicaid in Ohio, improving health outcomes and I already taking steps to stop pharmacy middlemen from ripping off taxpayers.”
“The Difference between Richard Cordray and Mike DeWine is the difference between talk and action,” Eck added.
“We really feel the energy and the support in this room. And when we come here it is rejuvenating, it is motivating, it is inspiring and it’s how we know we are going to win the state of Ohio in 2018.”
— Ohio Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Richard Cordray