December 2009 General Meeting and Holiday Potluck
by Ann | December 17, 2009 | 1 Comment
When: Tuesday, December 22nd, at 6:00 pm
Where: The Teachers Union (ACEA) Hall, 618 NW 13th Ave. (Turn west onto 13th Ave. from NW 6th St. - entrance to meeting room is at back of building.)
Why: To review our work of the past year and discuss some new developments for the upcoming year, and to enjoy good food and company….please bring a dish to share.
For more information please call 375-2832.
November General Meeting
by Ann | November 24, 2009 | 2 Comments
When: Tuesday, November 24th, at 6:30 pm (join us for PIZZA at 6 pm)
Where: The Teachers Union (ACEA) Hall, 618 NW 13th Ave. (Turn west onto 13th Ave. from NW 6th St. - entrance to meeting room is at back of building.)
Why: For a report back from the Healthcare-NOW! National strategy conference and discussion of the Labor Party’s next steps.
For more information please call 375-2832.
Let states try Medicare for All (single-payer)
by Jenny | November 16, 2009 | No Comments
The recently-passed House health care bill, in addition to vastly curtailing access to abortion (the Stupak Amendment), also stripped out one good measure, the Kucinich Amendment, that would protect states that institute single-payer health care systems from being sued by insurance companies under an obscure law called ERISA. The Senate now will consider whether to include this provision to allow states to more securely vote in single-payer systems. Tell Senators Nelson and LeMieux we want to see this in the final bill.
Urgent - Save Kucinich Amendment and let Congress vote on HR 676
by Jenny | November 1, 2009 | No Comments
Call Nancy Pelosi!
Ask ask her to keep her promise to allow a vote on single-payer in the House, and to keep the Kucinich Amendment.
The two single-payer amendments to the House healthcare bill that were promised a vote this fall, one introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich allowing states to implement single-payer systems on the state level, the other by Rep. Anthony Weiner to have a vote on national single-payer legislation, are in jeopardy.
We need your voice to get these amendments back on the table.
Let’s get calls into the democratic leadership that is calling the shots and make sure they know that we expect the vote on single-payer this fall.
-Speaker Nancy Pelosi: DC (202) 225.4965 - SF (415) 556.4862
-Rep. George Miller: DC (202) 225.2095 - Concord (925) 602.1880
-Rep. Henry Waxman: DC (202) 225.3976 - LA (323) 651.1040
The message is simple: Keep the Kucinich Amendment to allow states to pass single-payer, and to allow Rep. Anthony Weiner introduce his single-payer amendment!
Thanks for all that you do.
October General Meeting: The Myths and Mysteries of the “No Insurance Company Left Behind” Act
by Ann | October 22, 2009 | 2 Comments
When: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 6:30 pm (join us for pizza at 6)
Where: The Teachers Union (ACEA) Hall, 618 NW 13th Ave. (Turn west onto 13th Ave. from NW 6th St. - entrance to meeting room is at back of building.)
Why: With health care reform looking more and more like a windfall for private insurance companies — through the individual mandate that Americans purchase private insurance — we’ll investigate the current health care reform proposals in the House and Senate and discuss the difference between progressive taxation (which would provide care for all) and “individual mandates” — which do little but guarantee profits for insurance companies and HMO’s. We will also discuss the nationwide sit-in campaign.
The latest run of YES/NO T-shirts have arrived and will be available at the meeting.
Urge your rep to vote Yes for Medicare for All
by Jenny | September 27, 2009 | 1 Comment
This fall presents a historic opportunity for members of Congress to go on the record in support of ’single-payer’ legislation.
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) is introducing a substitute amendment to the House leadership’s bill, H.R. 3200, that would delete the language of that bill and substitute the provisions of H.R. 676, the single-payer, Medicare-for-All bill sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised a full floor vote on Weiner’s amendment in the weeks or months ahead.
The Weiner amendment, unlike the House leadership’s bill, assures universal, comprehensive, and high-quality coverage, free choice of doctor and hospital, and no co-pays or deductibles through a publicly financed system similar to Medicare. Because of the massive savings on private insurance overhead and paperwork, the Weiner amendment would entail no increase in U.S. health spending, in contrast to the House bill’s $1 trillion price tag over 10 years. Write or call your representative today in support of the Weiner amendment: 202-224-3121 (capitol switchboard)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) successfully offered an amendment to the House leadership’s bill that, if incorporated into final legislation passed by the Congress and signed by the president, would allow states to adopt their own single-payer system if they chose to do so. Specifically, Kucinich’s amendment would waive certain ERISA provisions that could be used to obstruct such a move. Write or call your representative today in support of the Kucinich amendment: 202-224-3121.
From Physicians for a National Health Program, www.pnhp.org
Holding signs at Stearns’ town meeting
by Jenny | September 26, 2009 | No Comments
Join us at Rep. Cliff Stearns town hall meeting
by Jenny | September 25, 2009 | No Comments
Saturday, Sept. 26: Join us at Rep. Stearns’ Gainesville town hall meeting which is from noon to 1:30 at the Santa Fe College Gymnasium, Building V, 3000 N. W. 83rd. St. We’re bringing signs and flyers - let us know if you can to meet us there and help pass them out. Thanks!
Saturday, September 26
Gainesville
12:00 - 1:30PM
Santa Fe College
Gymnasium, Building V
*Two protests call for major health care reform, protest private insurance
by Jenny | September 22, 2009 | No Comments
Contrary to many media reports, most people in the U.S. want to see a major health care overhaul, and large majorities want private insurance companies eliminated from our health care system entirely.
Today (Tuesday, September 22) two different protests will take place, both demanding that our political representatives stand up to the insurance companies and represent the majority view.
The Alachua County Labor Party is picketing at University Ave. and 13th St. with Gainesville Veterans for Peace from 4:30pm - 6:30pm. The Labor Party’s referendum on the 2000 ballot showed that Alachua County residents overwhelmingly (64.5%) want a single, simple system that covers everyone, like Medicare for all. On the national level, the Labor Party urges passage of HR 676, a bill which would strengthen Medicare and extend it to everyone in the U.S. We support the Weiner Amendment to House Bill 3200. Veterans for Peace emphasizes that the money currently spent on war should be spent to improve people’s health and lives.
At the same time, MoveOn is holding a press conference and picket at the offices of Blue Cross/Blue Shield starting at 5:00 pm to call on politicians to support the “public option” to create a choice besides private insurance. The Blue Cross office is at NW 39th Ave. a block east of NW 43rd St.
All these organizations want to see much bolder political action on health care. In contrast to the conservative protests that have received so much attention, the groups protesting today represent the broad opinion of the U.S. public, which in poll after poll supports major reform like a Medicare for All system. For example, in an October 20, 2003 ABC News/Washington Post poll, sixty-two percent said they’d prefer a universal insurance program “in which everyone is covered under a program, like Medicare, that’s run by the government and funded by taxpayers.”
Picket Tuesday Sept. 22
by Jenny | September 17, 2009 | No Comments
Health care YES, insurance companies NO
Picket Tuesday, Sept. 22, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
at West University Ave. & 13th St.
On Tuesday, the Alachua County Labor Party is joining forces with Veterans for Peace for a picket to advocate for real health care reform: Everybody in, nobody out!
It’s time for a big public push back against the forces of greed that are blocking our health care. Around the country, people are participating in “Health Care Justice Week” to say we need real health security, not more laws to secure profits for private health insurance companies. We hope you will join us.
We will have signs or you can bring your own. The picket starts at 4:30 p.m. For more info, call our office at 352-375-2832. This event takes the place of our usual Labor Party monthly meeting which is normally the 4th Tuesday. Now is the time to raise our voices. See you there!
Insurance companies are the REAL ‘death panels’