JACKSON, Mich. -- State Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) joined AARP, local residents and community leaders for a town hall meeting in Jackson last night to help raise awareness of health care and financial security concerns and also discuss his recent efforts to support “Divided We Fail” and solve the ongoing health care crisis.

“Continued inaction on our health care crisis and financial security concerns will only worsen Michigan's economic troubles,” said Schauer. “I support an approach that puts our partisan differences aside and allows us to work together toward a comprehensive solution.”

According to a recent report by the Michigan Department of Community Health, the percentage of adults without health insurance in Michigan has increased to 12 percent. This data is from 2006, the most recent year available and does not even factor in any impact from the job losses Michigan experienced in the past year.

Schauer recently sponsored a bipartisan resolution calling for Democrats and Republicans to work together on solving the health care and financial security crisis facing the nation. Senate Resolution 160 supports the “Divided We Fail” campaign to make improving health care accessibility and achieving greater financial security top priorities.

Included in the “Divided We Fail” platform are the goals that:

• All Americans should have access to affordable health care, including prescription drugs, and these costs should not burden future generations.

• Wellness and prevention efforts, including changes in personal behavior such as diet and exercise, should be top national priorities.

• Our children and grandchildren should have an adequate quality of life when they retire. Social Security must be strengthened without burdening future generations.

• Workers should be provided with financial incentives to save, should have access to effective retirement plans, and should be able to keep working and contributing to society regardless of age.

The AARP, Service Employees International Union, Business Roundtable, and National Federation of Independent Businesses are among the dozens of organizations supporting the campaign. For more details, visit www.dividedwefail.org.

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