June 2009 Labor Party General Meeting
by Ann | June 25, 2009 | No Comments
Pressuring Senator Nelson on single-payer health care reform
After getting a recap of where the U.S. Senate health care debate is we’ll discuss how to apply pressure to Sen. Nelson. Some of the ideas we’ll be discussing: launching a 500-call campaign, exposing Nelson’s insurance company campaign donations, demanding public hearings in Florida.
Tuesday June 24, 2009 at 6:30 PM at the ACEA Union Hall, 618 NW 13th Ave.
Statement at Blue Cross Blue Shield May 28th
by Jenny | June 4, 2009 | No Comments
This week in over 50 cities, protestors fed up with insurance company interference in democracy are demonstrating outside insurance companies and their lobbying groups. This weekend in San Diego, nurses, patients, doctors will protest outside the annual convention of the lobbying group America’s Health Insurance Plans, AHIP.
We’re protesting the stranglehold that private health insurance companies have on the current health care reform debate. Specifically, they are using our premium money to manipulate the discussion–to make sure the U.S. Senate does not even consider a “single payer” system. There’s a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives with over 75 co-sponsors called HR 676, but you wouldn’t know it from the debate in the Senate.
Democratic Senator Max Baucus has said any plan like this is “off the table.” No wonder, the table is surrounded by insurance company and drug company executives who pay millions to buy the loyalty of people like Max Baucus. Doctors and nurses were so outraged at the exclusion of a discussion of single payer that they disrupted Senate Finance Committee hearings on health care reform a couple of weeks ago. Dozens were arrested for speaking out.
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Events for May Nationwide Week of Action in support of H.R. 676
by Ann | May 14, 2009 | No Comments
Thursday May 28th: Protest at BlueCross/BlueShield and March to Solantic urgent care center, 4:30 PM - Join us in spreading the “Healthcare YES! Insurance Companies NO!” message at our protest outside BC/BS on NW 39th Ave., 1 block east of NW 43rd St. Then march with us half a block to Solantic urgent care center owned by millionaire health reform enemy Rick Scott. Park at Pine Grove Baptist Church, 4200 NW 39th Ave.
Saturday May 30th: Report on the state of the Single-payer movement in the U.S. and showing of ‘Frontline: Sick Around the World’ at 6 PM at the Civic Media Center, 433 S. Main St. This film examines health care systems in 5 other industrialized countries and discusses what the U.S. can learn from them. Pizza and refreshments provided.
April 2009 Labor Party General Meeting
by Ann | March 31, 2009 | No Comments
April 28th at 6:30 PM at the ACEA Hall.
At this month’s General Meeting we will discuss important elements in the developing health care debate: the public plan option, mandates, “choice”….who’s framing the debate and what is the Labor Party’s response to these developments.
We’ll also continue our planning and preparation for May’s National Day of Action.
March 24, 2009 General Meeting
by Ann | March 5, 2009 | No Comments
At the March general meeting we’ll begin planning for the May 30th National Day of Action in support of H.R. 676.
We’ll also write individual letters to Rep. Corrine Brown thanking her for signing on to H.R. 676 again and to President Obama, asking him to support single-payer health care reform.
February 2009 General Meeting (Feb. 24)
by Mark | February 11, 2009 | No Comments
The Alachua County Labor Party’s February general meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 24 at 6:30 pm.
We will be going over the 2009 organizing plan that was developed at last month’s strategy meeting. After an overview by LP co-chair Mark Piotrowski, ACLP members will give brief presentations on the 2 work-tracks that we agreed on.
This month’s meeting will be held at the Alachua County Education Association (ACEA) Union Hall, 618 NW 13th Ave., Gainesville, FL (map to the ACEA Hall).
December 2008 meeting: Holiday Potluck & Report Back from Healthcare NOW Strategy Meeting
by Mark | December 13, 2008 | No Comments
In addition to celebrating the last year of organizing at our annual holiday potluck, Ann Murray and Mark Piotrowski will give a report about their experiences at the Healthcare NOW strategy meeting last month in Chicago.
Rep. John Conyers (left) and Physicians for a National Health Program’s Dr. Quentin Young (right), the elder statesmen of the single-payer movement, spoke to the 100+ attendees from across the country. (Photo: Ann Murray)
November 2008 meeting: Panel on Economic Crisis
by Ann | November 26, 2008 | No Comments
Labor Party members Jenny Brown and Alan Geering spoke at the November Labor Party meeting about the economic crisis and its impact on working people.
Two of Jenny’s articles about the economic crisis are available online:
Instead of pay, we got loans and credit cards
“Health Care for America Now”: Which Side Are They On?
by Mark | June 3, 2008 | No Comments
Alachua County Labor Party co-chair Jenny Brown wrote a critique of the new national coalition “Health Care for America Now” and their failure to support single-payer, national health insurance while using the rhetoric of the single-payer movement. The article first appeared in The Gainesville Iguana.
This new group should not be confused with the six-year-old Healthcare-NOW! coalition which is working at the grassroots for H.R. 676 and of which the ACLP is a proud, longstanding member. ACLP co-chair Mark Piotrowski also serves on the Heatlcare-NOW Board of Directors.