Host Arnulfo De La Cruz talks with SEIU 2015 member Bonnie Lopez and Political Director Hugo Romero about Proposition 50 and what it means for caregivers. From wages and healthcare to protecting our communities, they break down why voting YES this November is essential for care workers and families.
Transcript
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Welcome back to Who Cares!, a podcast by SEIU 2015, the largest union of long term care workers in the United States. I’m your host. Arnold Cruz, President of SEIU 2015. Every episode, we lift up the voices of caregivers and the people they support when we talk about the policies that shape our lives.
Today, we’re digging in on an important issue, California’s Proposition 50. What it is, why it matters for care and what’s at stake for care workers, their patients, families and communities. We’re joined by two special guests today, SEIU 2015 member leader Bonnie Lopez and our own political director, Hugo Romero, Bonnie and Hugo. Thanks for joining us today.
Hugo Romero: Awesome to be here.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Before we dive into Proposition 50, we’d like to start Who Cares! with a care story. Because caregiving is something that’s not abstract, right? It deals with people every single day, both recipients and caregivers themselves. It’s personal. It’s done through the love of a caregiver. And so Bonnie, we’re really glad you can join us. Could you share with us your path to becoming a caregiver?
Bonnie Lopez: Yes, the reason I became a caregiver is because of my son. He had Down syndrome. When I found out I will be able to take care of him and he could continue living in the home with me, I went and applied to do it for me, being a care provider is being able to be there for my son as its mother. I am there to provide a motherly love for Him, to help him, support him, and have him in the home with me, and that’s extremely important to me.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Thank you. Miss Bonnie, and there’s nothing like the love of a mother for a son, and he’s so lucky to have you. You’re so lucky to have each other. And really thank you for sharing that powerful story. Hugo, if you have a caregiving story, maybe a time when you provided care for someone or someone close to you was a caregiver.
Hugo Romero: Yeah, thanks Arnulfo. That was powerful, to hear about Bonnie’s story. You know, I I shared during my interview process, the care giving story that my grandpa received by my grandma. You know, my grandpa growing up was always like the strongest person I knew in terms of providing strength and support and backbone of the family. And always a worker in Mexico. He went merchant across the country, and he would set up his puestos. They call it, selling revolsos and all kinds of just Mexican art artisanry in different ferias across the country. So, always very strong person.
But when he got sick, as it tends to happen to a lot of folks, life happens either by aging or a situation in life, as we talk about all the time with folks. Life happens, and he did require care, and so it was quite a shock to see when care was needed. How my grandma became the strongest person I know and would care for him, and, you know, it was very powerful to see it was just that reverse on the role, but it was also just in terms of the toll it took on her over time, where the until he eventually passed, just the toll, the physical and emotional toll it took on her was really, you know, heavy to watch, I think, for me and for the family. And at that it was also a collective effort. We were fortunate that other folks, other family members, were there to help my grandma, but my grandma was the primary caregiver, and it took a heavy toll on her to be able to do so and provide that care for my grandpa for years.
So it’s something that’s always stuck with me. There’s so much vulnerability involved, both for the person receiving care and for the person giving care on just many different things that are required in it. And so just that whole experience has always stuck with me, especially because it involves people you love deeply.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Yeah, absolutely. Hugo, thank you for sharing that. I imagine folks listening to both your and Bonnie’s story can really relate, right? Miss Bonnie, a mother, a caregiver who cares for her son out of the love of her heart. And then Hugo, you seeing up close the love that your grandparents had for each other. Your father working really hard until he was no longer able to and like so many of the caregivers listening, your grandmother, a woman, so much of the work of caregiving is done by women who are having to balance the, you know, the caregiving of loved ones, in this case, her spouse, and then also kind of keep the family afloat, paying the bills, being the breadwinner, really, I’m sure resonates with so many people listening. You know, they say everyone has a care story, or is going to have a care story.
So now to shift gears a little bit, we’re diving into a really important topic today. Many of you might have heard about something called Proposition 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act. It’s on the ballot for a special election on November 4 of this year, right around the corner, and it’s a big deal for all of us here in California.
Now you might be thinking, why should I care about some law about congressional districts, right? How does that affect me? The politics is crazy in this country. I don’t trust either party. We need people to stand up for union members and the things that we care about, and I don’t care what party it is, as long as someone does it, right? So how does this impact us? And that’s a great question, and that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about.
The thing is that’s important to mention is that the jobs of caregivers and long term care workers that many Californians rely on, such as IHHS and also our nursing homes. The vast majority of that funding comes from both our state and the federal government. And so when congressional representatives meet in Washington and they make decisions around the resources for long term care that has a direct impact right back here in California, if a significant amount of the money that funds home care and skilled care in California is coming from the taxes that we send to Washington, but those are decisions that are being made by Congress in Washington.
Then that’s why 2015 has always paid very close attention. What are these decision makers across both parties, including independence making around issues related to long term care? So we’ve seen proposals that have been very impactful this legislative cycle, right? Devastating to long term care. We saw one that would limit the overtime pay for caregivers, proposals that would impact the safe staffing in our nursing homes, and then also proposals that make big cuts to the money and the resources that Californians need to access long term care and for caregivers to take care of their own families and their clients. So these are really, really important decisions that are being made.
This is all before we even talk about how the impact of this really aggressive immigration enforcement, how immigrants are being treated not based on the country that they come from, but more and more likely, the color of their skin, whether they have an accent or the language that they speak, and we’re seeing the impact that has on a workforce that is driven, like a lot of sectors in California, in a big part, by immigrant labor, Right? And in California, we respect the contributions of immigrants, not not criminals, but hard working immigrants who have been paying taxes and contributing. Many of them never see those taxes back, including those who are legally able to work in this country who are immigrants, including, you know, people who become citizens, legal permanent residents.
But again, these decisions coming out of Washington have a big impact on the care sector, not to even mention affordable housing, the cost of groceries and the increased cost of everything that seems to be rising every day. So what’s happening in other states, like Texas, Florida, Indiana and Missouri and others that are changing their election maps to get an advantage. I think in California, we were perfectly fine with going into the next congressional election, lifting up our voices, as we always do. There’s a democratic process in place. But here you have a situation where there’s folks who are looking to gerrymander maps, to go search for additional congressional seats, to try to create an unfair advantage, and that’s a direct threat to the power we have to elect leaders who stand up for working people, who stand up for poor people, who protect our jobs, our clients, our neighbors and our values.
So I think to make something very clear, this is not about politics. This is making sure that we have enough resources to pay our bills, that our members are able to get the health care that they need, and that work as caregivers is respected, and that people are able to do care giving with dignity, including the people that they care for. That’s the whole point of home care and skilled care that our consumers and patients are also able to live with dignity and respect, and that’s why this is an issue that’s so important. So let’s get to what’s at stake here, not just for this year, but in the long run.
Miss Bonnie, can you explain, in your own words, as a caregiver, why does this issue matter to you? What does rigging the election in Texas mean for someone like you here in California?
Bonnie Lopez: This special election is extremely important for all caregivers. We’re at a stage right now in life where everything we work so hard for to be taken away from us. It’s critical that we be able to support Proposition 50. If we don’t support Proposition 50, right now, things could get so much work for us as caregivers. We can’t let Texas rig the election. We as Californians, we need to fight and vote and be there. We can’t let this happen.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Thank you, Miss Bonnie, that’s exactly right. And this is, you know, this is not about politics. It’s about what’s fair. And having a fair landscape, having a democratic process that exists that allows us to vote for our congressional representatives is a fundamental American right, and if people are looking to cheat the system or try to steal the election, it’s important that California also stands up, right? And makes and protects the democratic process of Californians and Americans being able to vote.
Hugo, the term gerrymandering gets thrown around a lot. Can you break it down for our listeners? Think of it like you’re explaining it to a neighbor: how does it work and why is what’s happening in other states a big enough deal that California even needs to respond?
Hugo Romero: House of Representatives is like, they normally do this every 10 years. And so why it’s a big deal is that Texas is doing this in the middle of a census, of when they’re supposed to do it. So if folks remember our members listening, we were very involved in the census in 2020 and it’s very important that everybody counts you for folks that have been around you always hear about the “make sure you get counted.” Because the more population you have, the more resources that come your way, right, and the seats that are allocated.
And so when you think about these counts, and why they’re done every 10 years, is to get an accurate Census count. And so the fact that Texas is doing it in 2025 is a direct result of something that’s very unprecedented, because Trump has called on his puppets and Governor Abbott in Texas to find him five new seats in the middle of a district to gerrymander, using that term, to find them five new seats.
Because they know what they did in the big billionaire budget deal where they transferred the largest amount of transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich as people literally were sleeping, And when they took that vote is deeply unpopular, and parts of the reason it’s unpopular is because, you know, they ripped away healthcare from 15 million Americans. They cut programs like Head Start and making childcare affordable. They raised taxes for working families. We’re now paying those through tariffs and so everything that he promised, you know, is reneging on, and the people paying are workers and working families.
So they know the writing on the wall, because people feel lied and betrayed by the things he promised. And so he wants those seats. So it’s very important we respond, because we can’t allow one state to do it off cycle, and we don’t have the ability to respond the way Texas is doing it, they’re stripping away seats from folks of color, whereas the way California and Prop 50 is doing it, they are making sure that communities of color are still retaining representation and that this is only on a one time basis in terms of the power of independent redistricting, so this is only as a response to what Texas is doing.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: That’s exactly right. Thank you, Hugo. It’s so important that we reiterate that we have to be able to have a level playing field, right? We’re not looking to do more than someone else. We want to make sure that this process that’s in place, that is a cherished right in America, the right to vote, that the institution is strong right, not for a certain party or a candidate, but these are about our congressional representatives. And it seems like it does seem like this is more than just about politics and voting. This is about things that affect our daily lives, wages, health care, the issue of immigration, the contribution of immigrants, how they’re treated, and you know, affordable housing, right?
Miss Bonnie, can you help us to connect the dots even more? How does a group of politicians drawing a new line of congressional maps in Texas? And kind of a back room, how does that end up affecting the amount of resources or money that you have in your paycheck, or the cost of your health care?
Bonnie Lopez: Drawing the line in Texas could take away our health care and our income because of what those lines represent. Seats in Congress. The House of Representatives has a lot of power in terms of federal funding and creating health care laws. If Texas is able to draw a line and get an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives, that makes it even harder for us as Democrats and as caregivers to make the future of our care a reality.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Thank you, Miss Bonnie. prop 50 would temporarily change the way that we are very proud to have in California, which is an independent commission to draw our districts that’s passed by the voters. And Hugo, can you explain why that is necessary to move and how it’s different? How is what California is doing different than the process that was used in Texas?
Hugo Romero: Yeah. Well, one, we’re taking it to the voters in California. They they are not taking it to the voters. This is ultimately in the hands of the voters, and that’s why we’re taking the time to talk to voters about Prop 50 and it’s going to the ballot, because they know they can’t win in the ballot. That’s why they’re rigging the system. And so those five seats, they never earned them, and so they’re trying to cheat. Unlike in California, this is a fully democratic process that’s gone before the voters.
And what’s worse is what they’re trying to do with that stolen power. I think there’s a very distinct difference between what Texas and Trump want to do with that stolen power and what California intends to do with if it’s successful with Prop 50, and then that’s to protect the rights of immigrants. That’s push for healthcare, the same healthcare and Medicaid that Trump and billionaires and the Republicans in Congress cut via Medicaid and other forms of healthcare that impacted 15 million Americans.
They’re also going to continue to push for separating families through ICE raids through now, targeting folks that may speak Spanish or look a certain way. That’s what they’re really looking to do with that stolen power.
And so we are not the same at all in terms of what folks do with success, if, if they’re successful in their vision of the future, I think Texas and Trump and Republicans have a very different vision of the future. And Prop 50 and the folks that support it have a very different vision of the future. Similarly, this levels the playing field. I think in 2026 you know, the midterms will be conducted on a level playing field, without the unfair advantage that Republicans are seeking, right?
I think a lot of folks that were involved in trying to protect Medicaid because they knew what it meant. It literally meant saving lives. It meant giving care. For a lot of those folks, they want accountability, and the best accountability is at the ballot box. You know, Trump and billionaires have never been fond of accountability, and so that’s why they’re trying to make it unfair. They do not want to be held accountable for the largest transfer of wealth from the poor and working class to millionaires in California as well. You know, if anything, of affirmation to the commitment to fair redistricting, because it’s there and calls on all states to commit on fair and impartial marks. So there is a reaffirmation that it’s fair and proportional. This is only in response, and it’s temporary, as I mentioned earlier, and this only goes until the next census in 2030.
And so this was done in a way that still gives voices and representation of communities of color, communities of interest. It wasn’t done by stripping power away from communities of color, such as the way Texas did. But you know, I think a lot of us, and a lot of the members and a lot of community members are grounded in the fact that ultimately, this is a lot about the issues and about not continuing to give full power in the three branches of government to Trump and billionaires, because they, you know, they’re hell bent on continuing to advance their agenda for the next for his full term, and so the way to prevent that is by having that level playing field and taking back one branch of Congress.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Thank you so much, Hugo, for that insight. And you know, another thing I just wanted to make clear too is like, this is not a fight between California and Texas. I want to say for those folks listening, who may have family members or you lived in Texas, or you’re from Texas. I had the honor and privilege of being able to work and live in Texas for several years with union members across the state of Texas, some of the most wonderful people that you’re ever going to meet, right? Strong people, caring. They welcome you with open doors and feed you just an incredible group of people in Texas, and so we stand in solidarity with workers in Texas, right caregivers.
What this is about is a group of elected officials, a small group, not even all of the Texas representatives. It’s a very small group of elected officials in Texas that decided to not even take this issue to the voters in Texas, but just to make a decision in a back room, and we know that that’s not fair, that’s not right. It’s not a reflection of the people of Texas, and so California, in doing its part, just wants to make sure that we have a level playing field. A big shout out to all of our sisters and brothers and siblings in Texas. We stand in solidarity with you and understand this was not something that the Texas voters decided. It was something that was decided in a back room.
Hugo Romero: Yeah. And I think that’s right. I mean, to your point, the legislature fought hard and they risked a lot of Texas legislators when they flew out, and were very brave and trying to protect their own democracy and integrity of their elections when they flew out. So I think that’s an excellent point you raise in terms of a lot of folks bravely risking arrest and fighting till the very last chance they could in taking every measure.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Yeah, they literally, that’s right, I remember that was all over the news. They literally went to another state to try to prevent this backdoor vote from happening.
So Miss Bonnie, a lot of caregivers hear about big political fights and think, “what can I do as just one person? How is my voice gonna matter if I’m just one person?” And as you, as you all know, we’re encouraging our members. We’ve endorsed Proposition 50. We’re voting yes, right? That’s the position that we’ve taken understanding what’s at stake and why this is so important. Miss Bonnie, what does voting yes on this measure really mean for our power as a union? How does that action make our voices stronger?
Bonnie Lopez: Voting Yes means that as Democrats, we have more of a say in the House of Representatives. It means getting the chance to save Medicare and Medicaid. It means getting to push back on Trump. Big, bad bill. This could be our chance to fix so much of what the Trump administration has broken over the last year, we’re all working so hard to get things like Medicaid, Medicare and Medicaid. That’s how important it is to me.
Arnulfo De La Cruz: Great. Thank you. Miss Bonnie. We’re so grateful to have you join us as a caregiver. Send a big hug to your wonderful son. We appreciate your leadership and you sharing your stories and your insight. Hugo, as always, we appreciate your stories and your insight and your leadership, and appreciate your work that you do on behalf of our members every single day, and appreciate you joining us today.
To our folks listening: Proposition 50 is not really just about lines on a map. It’s about making sure that California caregivers, the patients in our communities, have a fair voice when really important national decisions are made around Medicaid, wages and dignity. We wouldn’t be getting involved in this if it wasn’t of direct impact to the standard of living and the type of lives that our members and those whom they care for stand to benefit or are negatively impacted by that’s what this is about.
It’s about overtime protections and protecting long term caregivers as workers rights. It’s about how community based services are funded. It’s about our clients and consumers and patients receiving quality care and being able to live with dignity, which is an American right. It’s about our immigrant siblings feeling valued and safe right in their own homes, at work, in their communities, and respecting the contributions and recognizing that America has always been a land of immigrants. And that the decisions that we make around how we welcome or treat immigrants is really a moral question and a moral issue, and that we believe as caregivers, that we have to love thy neighbor, right, that we care for each other.
So your vote this November can help balance the scales and protect our values. To find out more about Proposition 50 and how to get involved, please go to SEIU2015.org, that’s the union’s website. You can find out more about Proposition 50 on the website.
And again, my name is Arnulfo De La Cruz, this has been a Who Cares! podcast from SEIU 2015. If you found this helpful, please share it with the caregiver in your life, or a community member or a friend or loved one, and do not forget to get out and vote. Ballots are going to be mailed starting the week of October 6, and the election is right around the corner here on November 4. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other and thanks for joining.