Olympia Single Payer Action Update

NEXT MEETING: (Location Change)
Friday, Oct 23, 7 – 8:30 pm

We'll be meeting at the Olympia Center, not the Mixx 96 room:

The Olympia Center, Room 103 -- located at 222 Columbia St. NW in downtown Olympia -- just across from Percival Landing

###

More tablers needed

Last Sunday, when three OSPA members spent 5 hours tabling at the Olympia Farmers Market, the response was truly overwhelming. For much of the day, we were literally unable to engage individually with the number of people gathered around the table.

As a newly-formed group, this was OSPA’s first tabling event and our task was to collect statements on postcards, addressed to our reps in the US House, urging them to support the two single-payer amendments coming up for votes – the Weiner and Kucinich amendments. People saw our signs with the words “single payer,” stepped up, grabbed a pen and asked where to sign. By day’s end it was clear that with enough time and human resources we could easily collect a bushel full of postcards to deliver to the offices of Reps Brian Baird and Adam Smith.

But time is short and we need more people. So, if you can, please attend the OSPA meeting this Friday.

Single Payer amendments to HR 3200

The vote on the Weiner amendment did not happen last week as the Progressive Dems had predicted. Although the vote is not as immanent as it appeared last week, now is the time to put pressure on our members of Congress to support these two amendments.

The toll-free Congressional Switchboard number is 866-338-1015. If you are not sure who your rep in the House is, just give the switchboard operator your address and they will connect you to the right office.

Rep. Weiner’s substitute amendment to the House bill, HR 3200, would delete the language of that bill and substitute the provisions of HR 676, the single-payer, Medicare-for-All bill. Although the amendment is not expected to pass, this is a historic, first-time-ever, opportunity for our representatives in Congress to go on the record in support of single-payer legislation.

Rep. Kucinich’s amendment would allow states to adopt their own single-payer system if they chose to do so.

For emails to your House rep, you can go to this page on the Physicians for a National Health Program website which provides links for sending letters to your rep about both the Weiner and Kucinich amendments. The PNHP website is also an excellent resource for info about single payer.

Civil Disobedience for health care reform

Last Thursday, in nine cities across the country, people engaged in sit-ins putting their bodies on the line for true health care reform: Single Payer, Medicare for All.  In all, 54 people were arrested.  Read all about it at the Mobilization for Health Care for All website: http://mobilizeforhealthcare.org/.

Seattle rally for single payer planned for Wed, Oct 28 at noon: The next wave of nationwide actions is planned for Wed, Oct 28.  There will be a rally at Westlake Mall in Seattle at noon to demonstrate solidarity with those who have put their bodies on the line for health care reform.

In the meantime, please join the effort to build a strong single payer movement here in Olympia.

Hope to see you at this Friday’s meeting!