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Union Health Care Activists Counter Screams with Civility
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In the past several days, loud, shouting and rowdy mobs have been disrupting congressional town hall meetings across the country. They’re organized by far-right and corporate backed anti-health care reform and anti-government groups. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka says there’s one main reason for the mob action.
“Major health care reform is closer than ever to passage and it is no secret that special interests want to weaken or block it.”
Trumka notes that the America’s politics are “passionate, heartfelt and often loud.”
But that is not what the corporate-funded mobs are engaging in when they show up to disrupt town halls held by members of Congress….Mob rule is not democracy. People have a democratic right to express themselves and our elected leaders have a right to hear from their constituents—not organized thugs whose sole purpose is to shut down the conversation and attempt to scare our leaders into inaction.
What is being lost in this “if it bleeds, it leads” media coverage, is that that the majority of Americans say:
- The U.S. health care system is badly broken and costs too much.
- The health insurance industry has far too much influence on how health care is delivered.
- Too many people have no coverage at all.
At most of these town halls, the large majority want real discussion about health care reform. And union and health care advocates are helping ensure that happens.
For example, yesterday in Indiana, President Obama was scheduled to deliver a talk on the economy, green jobs and health care at a Wakarusa RV plant. Union and health care activists went to work, knowing protestors were set to be bused in to line the streets by the plant and grab headlines. Union members and our allies called, sent e-mail messages and texted local unions and activists with the message “It’s time to fight back for health care reform.” Todd Anderson, AFL-CIO Midwest regional director, reports as many as 1,000 union members showed up, outnumbering the teabaggers by 10 to one.
Our allies at Health Care for America Now! have outlined a simple strategy activists can follow to make sure health care events set for the congressional recess are not hijacked by screaming teabaggers. It includes building turnout, making sure folks know what tactics to expect from the protestors, making contact with the media and more tips.
Throughout the congressional recess—the House is out now and the Senate leaves Washington at the end of the week—the AFL-CIO union movement is working with allies to ensure big turnouts for town hall and community forums with House and Senate lawmakers.
We’ve got to let them know the other side may be loud and angry and obnoxious, but they are not the majority. This is no time to back down key health care reform principles, including:
- A strong public health insurance plan to compete with private insurers and give working families a choice of private or public coverage.
- Shared responsibility, including an employer “play or pay” provision.
- Fair financing that does not tax health benefits.
- Cost savings.
- An end to insurance company abuses.
In Texas this past weekend, Rep. Lloyd Doggett was ambushed at several stops by large groups of shouting and screaming protestors. On Daily Kos, Loblolly writes that one group of about 150, “carrying signs that included one with Rep. Doggett with devil horns and a marble tombstone with his name on it,” stormed an Austin grocery store where Doggett has been holding Saturday morning “office hours” to help constituents with things such as veterans’ benefits.
With a Saturday afternoon town hall scheduled in a nearby suburb, Loblolly reports Doggett staffers and activists went to work to mobilize support and prevent a mob takeover of the meeting. That success
demonstrates why it is so important for us to show up at these events, and how the screamers were prevented from hijacking the event, while freedom of speech was preserved.
Click here to find out how they did it.
We will keep you posted on health care reform actions during the congressional August recess.
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22 Comments
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Please, let me know where I can go around southeastern Michigan to lend my support for health care at any gatherings. I will show up! We all need to stand up against the dumb rethugs…and we need to show up in numbers to let our congress people know how we feel! Are there any of our Senators or congress people having town hall meetings?
Could someone please organize a calender of events throughout the US, for us to show up to?
I would suggest that everyone who wants to show up at one of these events contact the local office of their senator and member of congress. It is listed in the phone book, or you can get it on-line. The office can tell you what events are coming up, and will no doubt be extra helpful if you indicate that you want to counter the screamers. Talk to your steward or union officers about getting a delegation to go. Remember to include your union’s retirees group–they are key because they can be there during working hours and politicians know seniors vote. Contact Jobs with Justice to see if there is a JwJ affiliate in your area. They may be coordinating turnout. Plan to bring family members. Wear your union t-shirt or insignia proudly. Buttonhole the press if they show up and tell them the screamers don’t represent you and people like you.
Jim Cook, SEIU retiree
Ok, here’s what have for a calendar of Town Halls. You need to be signed up with Google to access.
Firedoglake is hosting a calendar of Townhalls:
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/08/05/august-recess-guidebook/
Click on “calendar” and it will take you to a Google page. Fill in your info and you have access to the calendar.
Thanks for asking, Granny and all!
There is an event in Rock Hall, Maryland today where Congressman Frank Kratovil will be meeting residents of Maryland’s 1st Congressional District. It starts at 3pm. The address is 5585 Main Street.
I attended two in the District yesterday. The wing-nuts from the Far Right were at both in mass.
If you are in driving distance, I hope you will join me there.
Here is some Pennsylvania information from a friend of labor:
Here’s the schedule for the Teabaggers bus tour of Pennsylvania:
Their message: “Stop Healthcare Reform”
City:
Time:
Address:
Speakers:
Chambersburg
Monday, August 10, 2009
Southgate Shopping
TBD
8:00 AM EDT
Center
Mechanicsburg
Monday, August 10, 2009
TBD
TBD
10:00 AM EDT
Harrisburg
Monday, August 10, 2009
City Island
TBD
11:30 AM EDT
Carousel Pavilion
York
Monday, August 10, 2009
TBD
TBD
1:45 PM EDT
Lancaster
Monday, August 10, 2009
TBD
TBD
3:30 PM EDT
Reading
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Crowne Plaza
TBD
7:30 AM EDT
1741 Papermill Rd
Lebanon
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
HACC- Lebanon
Senator Spector
9:00 AM EDT
735 E Cumberland St
Town Hall Meeting
Allentown
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cedar Beach Park
TBD
12:00 PM EDT
Rose Garden Pavilions
1 & 2
Scranton/
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
TBD
TBD
Wilkes-Barre
3:00 PM EDT
State College
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The Penn Starter, Hall 4
Senator Spector
8:00 AM EDT
215 Innovation Blvd
Town Hall Meeting
Altoona
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
TBD
TBD
10:30 AM EDT
Indiana
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
TBD
TBD
1:00 PM EDT
Clarion
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
TBD
TBD
4:00 PM EDT
Grove City
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Four Star Pizza
TBD
11:30 AM EDT
126 W. Main Street
Erie
Thursday, August 13, 2009
McKeon Park
TBD
4:00 PM EDT
Michael Morrill
Executive Director
Keystone Progress
mike@keystoneprogress.org
http://www.keystoneprogress.org
Thank you for organizing this response to the mob rule tactics of health care reform. I second the call for a calendar of events so as to counter these “protestors”.
Here’s another link to a calendar of townhall events:
http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org/site/august_events
I agree with Grammy. A calendar would be very very helpful. Maybe an online variety which can be viewed by anyone? I like this as I have many friends around the country who support Healthcare reform, and I would love to send them a calendar link and ask for their help in attending one or more meetings in their local area.
Also, please don’t hesitate to call the GOP leadership and let them know how you feel about having their party members hijack townhalls meetings designed to ‘discuss’ Healthcare reform. It reminds me of seeing those hired mobs attack the canvassing boards down in Florida in 2000. It was wrong then, and it’s wrong now. I called the GOP headquarters yesterday and strongly suggest you do the same as soon as you can. Here’s how:
The offices of the RNC…
202-863-8500.
Then push 9 for additional options.
Then push 4 for Chairman’s Office.
(#3 is the co-chairs office….)
You’ll get a real, and very happy to hear from you GOP’er!
Let’s go show them what a majority really looks like!
i fully support health care reform that will eventually bring us back to preventive medicine and do away with insurance companies. what i do not support is the broad statement in the woman’s sign. we currently have at least 12 million illegal aliens in this country, and i will not support even one of them receiving free anything much less health care. as far as i am concern with the more than 8 million jobs they have stolen it is open season on them. please clarify your stance to exclude illegal aliens. these people do not have any rights in this nation therefore are fair game for anything that happens to them.
Bush & Co., when they held the majority of the House and Senate, drove a stake throught the heart of Immigration Reform sponsored by John McCain and Ted Kennedy. Had that measure not been riddled with holes and unfavorable language from McCain’s side of the aisle, it might would have been endorsed by the AFL-CIO. I agree that Immigration Reform should take place. I share your concerns. It’s just going to have to be in a seperate Bill and debated apart from H.R. 3200, else we run the risk of losing our Health Care Reform initiative, altogether. I am as frustrated as you with the rules of the system, but I’m fighting within its framework to bring much needed CHANGE in multiple areas for the greater good. Historically, Congress does not move to acheive progress in mulitple areas, simultaneously. Their rules are not condusive for such progess. My guess is they will get to it but on a time-frame not until after the mid-term elections, for political reasons relating to realistic hope of passage.
I am not someone whipped up by a right wing group and nobody is driving me to be in a “MOB”. I am however informed and well read. I have read the bill….the president has not. He has lied to us repeatedly but that does not seem to matter to many of you. For example…”I am not in favor of a public option” a public option is in THE BILL! “The bill will be revenue neutral” ….if you have any common at all let me ask you how do you think that we are going to expand healthcare to 47 million people (the true number is 17 million) increase service while lowering cost and rely on the government to do it? There is absolutely no way in H_____ that that is EVER going to happen!!
So you are going to place the cost on the backs of a few millionaires? Give me a break….these people earn the money they do by being smart. Trust me…they are already figuring out ways to keep what they have or some have said they will just stop earning at time the highest tax bracket kicks in. So where will the money come from? You and I because the cost will still need to be covered!
I agree that Americans (citizens only) should have access to healthcare but this bill is NOT the answer. I can tell you that if this thing is enacted in it’s present form….it will devastate this country like nothing you have ever seen before. The New York Times called it the WORST written piece of legislation that they have EVER seen.
Lastly, I hear you are instructed to run interfernce at town hall meetings ….bring it on because my voice will be heard. My father flew 33 dangerous missions in WWII and my son is a Marine now. This is not the America my Dad fought for and my son is fighting for. Foreign countries are laughing at us because they have the policies we are trying to enact and know how bad they are.
Wake up America!
Truly feel sorry for you!! I guess you are one of the folks who likes the health care you have, that is good, but remember you are only one major illness away from being like many others, bankrupt. As a nurse, I know that true reform is needed. The gods help us all!!
Thanks for your “unbiased” input stopobamacare. A few things I would like to point out.
While you may not be part of an organized ‘MOB’, my reference above was to the 2000 election and the assault on local canvassing boards. It was later discovered that the majority of them were GOP staffers flown in from Washington DC for the sole purpose to disrupt and intimidate the counting process. Also, with the recently unveiled ‘suggested’ townhall tactics, it is clear that while you yourself may not be orchestrated, the other rude and unruly (ie disturbing the peace) crowd around you is.
Obama has long supported a public option, but has said he will consider insurance coops instead in a effort to reflect others’ views. This is called an attempt at cooperation and consensus building. Look it up, it’s a concept you may be unaware of. With that said, I personally feel any plan without a strong public option isn’t going to lead to real change in our healthcare status quo.
Not all Millionaires made their money by being smart. Some did it by other means. Either way, they can afford to contribute more to their country, and they should. Those bonus checks for bankers and investment bankers sure don’t seem to have even slowed down, even though we are all contributing to save their industry. As for limiting their earnings to just below the threshold so they don’t have to pay more, well so be it. I’m sure there are lot’s of people, myself included, who will happily raise my earnings to the highest tax bracket for a chance to have that overall wealth. Let them sit on thier hands, others will use it as an opportunity to surpass their earnings and raise their own standards of living. Please provide a specific citation where the New York times said “it the WORST written piece of legislation that they have EVER seen.” Until you do, I believe this particular claim to be total and utter bunk.
Thanks to your Son for being a Marine. I am glad his healthcare is fully covered. He deserves that at a minimum. I too deserve healthcare however, and I am willing to contribute an affordable monthly premium for it too.
I appreciate you have a differing view, however I find your arguments weak in the face of reality. See you at a townhall near me soon.
Real health care reform would focus on:
-encouraging people to have living wills when they are healthy so their family doesn’t do everything to keep them alive out of guilt when they are unconscious.
- setting malpractice caps and go to a loser pays system. Doctors shouldn’t do unnecessary tests.
- making sure everyone pays even a small portion of each health bill so everyone is a good consumer
- taxing platinum health care plans (except for police and firemen) to encourage wise health care purchasing.
- looking at why Americans pay the most in the world for drugs
-asking those with unhealthy lifestyles to pay more for health insurance (why should smokers, drinkers, and grossly overweight people be the source of the excessive costs?)
If we do these things we can afford great heath insurance ofr thioe that are now uninsured.
What do you thinnk?
Hi Gary…It’s been a while. I’ve been a little busy, lately, and haven’t been surfing the Net too much. Good to see a Corporate CEO like yourself still follows our Blog. How are you doing? I trust your insurance is keeping you healthy?
Listen, if the blue-dog’s main reservation concerning the current version of H.R. 3200 centers around cost…that America can’t afford to provide healthcare for all; then, my response is: America can’t afford not to! Deficit-neutral healthcare reform will not be achieved utilizing deceit-surplus logic. Half measures and whole lies are as big of a recipe for disaster as doing nothing at all to the current system, which you and the opposition seem to believe works so well. (else you would have changed it already)
http://www.youtube.com/v/Vq9TJo7otPw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1%22%3E%3C/param%3E%3Cparam
When you’re on a sinking ship (like our current healthcare system) where there are only enough lifeboats for just over half the passengers and the ones allowed in them are determined by wealth or lack thereof; then, the only ones with a problem will be the minority, mainly consisting of the middle to lower working class. (Numerically unable to democratically change a system rigged against them)
I suppose the excuse for not purchasing enough lifeboats from the beginning, is; the cruise-line wanted to hold down ticket prices for the consumers sake by skimping on the operational expense of providing sufficient emergency equipment. Also, the stockholders expect management to maximize profits on their investments. Lifeboats for everyone would simply cost too much. It is a deficit-neutral decision, don’t ‘cha know. Women, children, elderly, and the rich; into the boats, life perseveres to the spouses of lifeboat passengers, and the best of luck for the rest of you. America deserves better than the current system Gingrich, Bush & Co. not merely neglected to even attempt reforming for 14 years, but RESISTED! You and your ilk squandered your chance, now it’s our turn.
Un-socialized medicine is un-civilized medicine and is tantamount to social Darwinism, devoid of any humane compassion. (You can quote me on that!)
I’m worried that you’re losing focus! I never agreed to help support health insurance reform as your comments suggest. I signed on to support HEALTH CARE Reform and I’m sensitive toward any attempt to re-frame the debate. Any measure coming out of the House that excludes a “robust” public option will result in many blue-dogs going the way of Lieberman and republicans going into retirement, and they know it! Your side of the aisle should just be glad the single payer option was nicked. Get over it already…elections have consequences, remember?
I have attended many of these Town-HELL meetings. It kills me to hear those on the side of the opposition (especially when they go off-script) demand that big-government stay out of their medicare and rail against socialized medicine all in the same breath. Apparently, not realizing their big-government healthcare program is the same sort of socialized medicine that H.R. 3200 proposes. It’s hypocrisy for those that know better and ignorance for those that don’t. Which category would you consider yourself a member?
Take care of yourself Gary…to hell with everyone else, is that about right?
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So, when will the AFL-CIO stop lying about the town hall protesters? When did senior citizens become thugs and a mob. The AFL-CIO has a history of thuggery. They don’t mind pistol whipping people they disagree with.
About the US health care system; it’s the best in the world, just not to Marxist thugs like the AFL-CIO.
I agree with Gary Shipiro’s post that there are many things we could do to reform healthcare that doesn’t include giving big government more control over a huge chunk of our economy! Why is it that this seems to be the main option that will be pushed – i.e., socialized medicine?
And I think we may all be a little guilty of a knee-jerk reaction in believing these “mobs” are the result of some organized GOP/healthcare insurance conspiracy. Where is the proof to this – or is it just something our leadership is trotting out to get us all fired up?
Lstly ditto on not insuring people who are in the country illegally. Period. We will become a magnet for even more if this happens.
I think, in all the hub bub about health care reform, what is forgotten is that Medicare is not mismanaged, nor is the Governtmet involvement to blame for the projected date of Medicare insolvency. What most reporters and blogers seem to forget is that the number of workers paying into Social Security and Medicare is declining while the number of recipiants is increasing. I feel that retirees are neglected in the negotiations about health care reform.
Also, the Radio talkshow host Mush Limburger has his mind scrambled. He compares President Obama and the Democratic leadership to the Nazi Movement in Germany. The simple facts he has neglected to report seem to actually more acurately resemble the last 8 years of Republican rule. ie, Warrentless wiretaps, suppression of civil rights and torture of political prisoners and POW’s. along with doctored intellegence reports to justify agressive actions against soverign nations. He, along with Fixed News Network’s Glen Beck need to re-read some History books.
Support this administration’s efforts to make our America once again the greatest most tollerant and once again able to say One Nation Under God, not many factions in a disfunctional country
Townhall meeting on healthcare reform in Western New York:
Let this “fence sitting” Democrat know that we want A Public Option ,Real Health Care Reform and UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE NOW!!!
Eric Massa, Olean, NY
WhenSun, August 16, 5pm – 7pm
Where Ash Community Center, 112 N. Barry Street, Olean, NY 14760
Eric Massa, Fairport, NY
WhenWed, August 26, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
WherePerinton Community Center, 1350 Turk Hill Road, Fairport, NY 14450
Townhall meeting on healthcare reform
I do not have a side of the aisle. Those that oppose the health care proposals because they are “forcing grandma’s suicide” when the proposal is simply reimbursing doctors for counseling on options are simply wrong. I think we should encourage living wills when you get your drivers license or other government benefit when you are sane. My father in law cardiologist had to perform life saving intrusive and expensive heart intervention on two different patients this year – both over 90 years of age with terminal Alzheimers, because their family insisted on keeping them alive – because the family was guilty and did not know the patient’s desires. This has to end!