Archive for the ‘President Obama’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Final March to Reform – Days 3-5

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Organizing for America, President Obama’s grassroots organization, is entering the next phase of its Final March to Health Insurance Reform. This weekend, we are joining volunteers across the country at phone banks to activate the public in support of HIR.

Check out Organizing for America and plug in your zip code to find a phone bank near you.

Also, plan to take to the streets next week in a final push for strong, quality reform. I’ll be at the San Diego Civic Center on Tuesday at the end of the ALL ABOARD for Health Insurance Reform Rally to encourage Senators Boxer and Feinstein to fight hard for true HIR. Event details:

At 10:30 AM we gather at the south side of Santa Fe Train Depot located at 1050 Kettner Blvd. We will march as a group, proceeding south on Kettner, turning left on W. Broadway and proceeding for 8 block along Broadway,and turning left (north) on 3rd Ave for 2 blocks, to 1100 3rd, the entrance to Civic Center Plaza Concourse. Throughout the march, please carry your home-made sign in support of Health Insurance Reform. 

At 11:00, we will arrive at the Plaza Concourse, to hear the speakers in support health insurance reform.

After the speaking program, we will march back to Santa Fe Depot. If you are not taking the train, there is ample paid parking near the Depot at 1050 Kettner. If the walk is not convenient for you, there is ample paid parking next to the Plaza Concourse at the Civic Center.

The Tea Partiers did their part to sabotage Health Care Reform the first time around, and now its on us to do our part to fix it. Its not enough to criticize our politicians after the fact for things not going our way, especially if they are in conservative districts. We need to take action to make it politically viable for our representatives to vote the way they should.

So check out Organizing for America to find a phone bank or visibility event near you!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Action Alert, Activism, Community Organizing, Health Care, Politics, President Obama, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Join the Health Care Truth Squad!

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

From Organizing for America:

Starting today, we’re launching an unprecedented week-long campaign sprint — our “Final March for Reform.” Each day until the vote, we’ll feature a powerful new way for OFA supporters to speak out in our communities and weigh in directly with Congress.

Today, we’ll start by spreading the facts about reform in our communities

You can download fact sheets and print out flyers in support of health care reform here.

Facts about Obama’s Health Care Reform Plan:

  • If you have health insurance through you’re employer, you can keep your coverage if you want
  • Small business owners will receive new tax credits for providing coverage to their employees
  • Medicare benefits will not be cut and the Medicare Trust Fund will be extended for 9+ years
  • Bans coverage denial based on pre-existing conditions
  • Bans arbitrary premium hikes

The Plan does NOT:

  • Establish Death Panels
  • Force you to change your plan
  • Cut Medicare benefits
  • Allow federal tax dollars to cover undocumented immigrants

While that last bullet is true, i think its bullshit. Its beyond disgusting to claim that health insurance is a right and then deny access to people that need it. The underlying racism and xenophobia behind this provision is a terrifying threat to the moral authority of this country and a stain on the conscience of each and every citizen.

And this is precisely why we must take action to pass health care reform. Because it is morally right to extend heath care access to anyone and everyone who needs it. And most importantly because it establishes a moral principle that health care is a fundamental human right. Once health care becomes a question of morality, it will be more difficult to justify the exclusion of people based on membership in any particular group. [Check out these immigrant-solidarity resources]

Crunch time has arrived. If we don’t push health care reform through now, we won’t have another chance for a long time.

So lets spread the word, call out the lies and get movin’ with the Final March For Reform!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Action Alert, Activism, Health Care, Immigration, Liberalism, Politics, President Obama, social justice | No Comments »

You Fight, We’ll Fight

Monday, March 8th, 2010

I went to an Organizing for America 2010 Strategy Session yesterday and was psyched to learn about the “You Fight, We’ll Fight” campaign. From OFA’s website:

COMMIT YOUR TIME TO BACK UP CANDIDATES WHO FIGHT HARD FOR HEALTH REFORM

We must show every member of Congress that if they fight for real health reform now, we’ll be there to back them up this election season.

We’re shooting for 10,000,000 hours pledged to spread the word to fellow voters. And we’ll publish the total hours pledged in USA Today, so there will be no doubt that health reform is both good policy and good politics.

Wow. Voting. Not exactly a new idea, right? (In fact, its one that many people consider worthless in our current political climate.) But, its campaigns like this one that aim to increase the power of the political voices of everyday citizens and to pass ground-breaking social justice legislation that have the potential to change this political climate.

Sometimes its damn hard to tell Democrats and Republicans apart. As Talib Kweli says:

You try to vote and participate in the government
And the m**f** Democrats is actin’ like Republicans

If President Obama’s message of change has a chance of materializing into something worth the enormous struggles ahead of us, it will depend in large part upon Democratic politicians legitimately working in service of the people. And this means challenging the staggering influence that corporate lobbyists have on our politicians. We will never come close to outspending the bloodsucking insurance lobbyists, so we have to maximize the power of the tools we do have.

The You Fight, We’ll Fight approach inserts you and me into the equation by pre-emptively strengthening our bargaining power. By identifying ourselves as potential supporters, we are a force to be reckoned with and voters potentially to be lost instead of a disengaged, disempowered public. Plus, it sends a clear message to the Democrats that Health Insurance Reform in 2010 is a deal-breaker for their constituents.

In short, the You Fight, We’ll Fight campaign is one worthy of your consideration. Organizing for America has declared March 8 – March 14 the Week of Health Insurance Reform Action, so now is the perfect time to get involved. Check out Organizing for America to pledge your support and find an event near you. And check out the President’s message to his supporters below:

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Action Alert, Community Organizing, Health Care, Politics, President Obama, Uncategorized, economic justice, social justice | No Comments »

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →