We had a wonderful National Health Care Service Day together, raised $105 plus a waist-high box full of precious supplies for Casa De Los Ninos (a local children's transitional crisis housing center with a warm, supportive environment), saw adorable dogs sporting their Obama gear and shared from the heart about our health care stories and why we care so much!
Bo, the President's new furry companion, would have been proud of his canine brothers in Reid park!
Great job everyone! I cannot thank you enough for making this a wonderful event!
Wow, I cannot tell you how good it feels to be back doing the grass roots action thing again, trying to make the most positive difference possible!
Me and my friend Valerie went out for our first time to discuss health care reform with our neighbors. We weren't completely sure how things would go--how receptive people would be, what kinds of questions and opinions they would have, etc.
We had an INCREDIBLY positive morning! We spent two hours out together, and people really wanted to talk with us...to hear what we were saying and be listened to as well. Many people said they didn't really know what was going on with health care reform right now, but they were curious.
When we explained what we were doing, they were positive and supportive about President Obama's three main goals (reducing cost, providing choice, and assuring quality, affordable healthcare for all). Some people expressed that they had no idea what needed to be done to fix our system, just that it was evident SOMETHING had to be done quickly. Others had informed opinions about plans and approaches they wanted to see happen for meaningful health care reform, and regardless of the specifics, they did feel they could support the President in his three main goals to help make health care reform happen.
We handed out some printed host guide materials left over from my health care kickoff house party and we directed people to the health care reform action center at barckobama.com , where they can learn how to contact their representatives and get more involved in our grass roots movement!
It sincerely felt wonderful to be out doing this, and people were gracious and receptive! This was a fantastic way to spend our Saturday morning!
Last weekend, we held a community house meeting for the Economic Recovery Plan. This is the second event I've done like this--the first was a Health Care Discussion house meeting.
I was reassured and inspired to see that the passion is not dwindling. People come to and continue to request more of these meetings. They participate with intensity and intelligence. I wanted to post this to share what our 18 attendees shared with everyone, and also to show others what house meetings look like/feel like and how powerful they can be.
It isn't hard to do these. The first time around I knocked on doors in my neighborhood to get attendance up as it was during the holidays--we still had 15 wonderful and enthusiastic people come. This time, I only used my posting on this website to drive attendance and did nothing else. The amount of work for me was very doable and a joy--this sight provides you with video clips and signing forms, plus a place to submit a final summary of what was shared. These events quickly take on a life of their own and help build the energy of action and grass roots change in our country. It does people's heart good. If you are on the fence about hosting an event or have any questions for me about my experience doing it, feel free to contact me!
The following is the text summary of our meeting that I submitted to our President's administration in answer to their call for personal stories about how the economy is affecting us (names have been changed out of respect for privacy). There are also pictures of this diverse and enthusiastic group!
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Economic Recovery House Meeting
3001 East Lester Street, Tucson AZ 85716
February 8, 2009
President Obama, Congressmen/women, Senators and fellow concerned Americans,
On February 8th, we held a community meeting in a Tucson Arizona neighborhood to watch our President and Governor Kaine discuss the Economic Recovery Plan on video. Then we discussed and shared amongst ourselves. There were 18 of us in attendance. My name is Marjorie, and I organized/moderated this gathering.
We spent the majority of our time asking, what has happened to us personally because of this economy and what might we share with others that will reach people deeply? Participants were open and giving with their perspectives, which I will explain in a moment.We also had some discussion regarding people’s concerns for what is happening with this plan. Not surprisingly, there was frustration expressed about the lack of bipartisan support we had hoped for. But people also worried that what started out as a bold, effective plan was going to be watered down to something that did not meet their ideals or ultimately obtain our goals for recovery here. Specific concerns were expressed regarding education and social support programs being inadequately funded as compromise for this plan continues to evolve in Washington. One member of our group pointed out that she felt she was not getting the transparency she had been promised about this process as she obtains her information mostly from TV news and has found the coverage lacking. People shared internet resources that they have found valuable for providing clear information, but she made the point that she should be able to have transparency available to her through the TV media. Another participant shared that she wished she could forego her tax cut so that the clients she works with as a government legal services attorney could have improvement in their rapidly declining and desperate situations. There was passion present in our group for more discussion of specific adjustments/improvements to the economic recovery plan, but time did not allow us to continue this path as a group and people were directed to www.whitehouse.gov to offer their ideas.
How has rapidly changing economy affected us? What have we thought or felt or seen because of it?
Jim is a college junior at University of Arizona, majoring in music with a specialty of classical guitar. He also works part time as a computer programmer, having learned these skills in his family growing up. When I asked Jim if he was worried for his future, he explained that he was worried for his future in music. He explained that there used to be employment available for music majors to help run afterschool arts programs at charter schools—he has worked with elementary and high school aged students in the past at these programs. In September of 2008, he started noticing that these jobs were no longer available, because the programs weren’t being offered anymore. At the same time, he has seen a flurry of debate unfold at the University and State level regarding budget cuts. His friend who was revising her dissertation is now unable to complete her degree because the only professor qualified to review it (a saxophonist) has been let go due to the cuts. Jim feels it is a real possibility that the School of Music at University of Arizona could one day soon be forced to close, having huge impact on his own life.
Rebecca seemed to echo Jim’s education concerns with more alarming details to share. She is a young middle school teacher in a part of Tucson that struggles economically. She explained to us that all after school sports have been cut at her middle school, along with full-day kindergarten and field trips. She states the only new purchasing for the school consists of paper and custodial supplies. There is talk that janitors may soon be let go as well. She helps us understand that this is an already struggling school district where it is not unusual for an 8th grader to have a 3rd or 4th grade reading level. Rebecca was open and honest when she shared with us that she is not happy or fulfilled trying to teach children at this level under these conditions. She is trying to find employment elsewhere that can provide a level of academic performance that she can work with.
Linda is a legal services attorney who shares that she doesn’t want tax cuts for herself when she’s overwhelmed with worry about the cases coming into her office. She has seen the applications and appeals for social service aid increase at alarming rates in the past few months, making the flurry of headlines real for her—real people, real names. Linda also shared as many others did that they have not seen this spark of hope in people’s eyes since the days of Kennedy. When I listen to her I hear powerful hope on one hand, and frustrated compassion for those she is trying to help on the other.
Kate works with our veterans through the local VA hospital. What she has seen sparked frustration in many who were listening. As our emotionally wounded/scarred veterans return from war to rebuild their lives, they find themselves struggling to find employment. This situation reminds many of what happened in Vietnam but with the added strain of a failing economy, she asked…what chance do these guys have?
One participant who came from Globe, Arizona said that the mine layoffs are having severe impact on her town. She cannot understand why these layed off peopled are not being put to work immediately, generating wind and solar power.
Mary told us that at the age of 60, she has found herself without employment as of two months ago. She is currently using Cobra for insurance provisions, which is costly and will not be offered beyond a bridge period. She wonders how employable she is, being in her age group and an extremely competitive situation where people will be clawing for the available jobs.
I wanted to tell you Karen’s story last, because it seems to illustrate what is wrong with our current system on so many levels. Karen is a young woman who works in construction for her mother’s company. The company saw the green trend coming and invested in LEED training for its small staff (maybe 7 or 8 employees). Over the past year, Karen has watched her mother be forced to let go of people who had been part of their close work-family for several years. Only Karen remains as an employee now. All of the people she used to work with, who had the LEED training and passion for green construction for our future were forced to seek available employment where they could, abandoning work in their area of passion (at least for now). While Karen does not express fear for her own situation, she expresses the fear and pain on a community level and explains that it was an incredibly painful process to watch her mother let all of her coworkers go. She remains in touch with them.
And my story? I want to use these words to help you understand what my eyes see and my heart feels. I was walking downtown a few days ago and I looked at our homeless. I REALLY LOOKED, not the way some people do where it is so frightening and painful that they can’t let it in. I let if fully register, the image of the hunched over, dirty, bearded man with his shopping cart greedily eating the sandwich someone had bought him in the cold morning. He doesn’t have a safe place to go to in this world right now—he doesn’t know for how long he will have to be hungry next time. Behind that dirty beard…he may look like you and may even have a mind as sharp as you reading this, but perhaps life took him down another path. What I want to ask is this—Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters—how is this reality tolerable to any of us? How is it that I live in a world where it is acceptable for me to see that and continue home to my safety along with thousands of others who pass him each day? When did we become so numb and why can’t we do better? I feel that what is at stake right now is the revamping of our whole society and the homeless man, who I will see on more and more street corners as these days progress, demonstrates that CHANGE no matter how big and unnerving is the only alternative. It is time for us to reach up and evolve.
Thank you for listening and caring.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Alexander and concerned members of our Tucson Community
I watched the noon news today. What I see happening right now is fascinating. I guess it was to be expected...President Obama is sharp enough that he certainly must have expected some of this.
Let me explain. I was a little disheartened to see tax issues come out about two people that we had hoped to have on our team of change. They graciously stepped away to keep things on track. And Barack, AS HE PROMISED in his campaign said ....you know what, I screwed up here, and we'll fix it. I like that. Its new and its honest and I'm comfortable with it and even inspired by it. The people from old schools of thought in government and media are dwelling on this and trying to make it sensational and embarrassing when we've got some more important stuff to be focusing on. But this has been politics for a long time....its shifting but it won't shift overnight.
BUT NOW, NOW they are picking on what Barack wears. He dresses too casual they say. He is not displaying proper respect for the office they say. My translation? "We are very old white men who have always controlled things and this younger black man is doing lots of things differently including dressing more like everyone else does, not like a stuffy old white man. This makes us really scared so we are going to condemn him for it." Too funny and quite transparent. These guys are withering away before my eyes. There was so much symbolism for me at the inauguration with Cheney in his wheelchair...the Universe is speaking loudly. Let them throw all the tantrums they want.
Get out there and voice your support for our wonderful president, beautiful of spirit and mind. If you are proud of him and support him, let someone know it today! I stand with you and your team President Obama. I do not expect you to be perfect. I expect you to listen, admit mistakes and keep doing what you are doing. I am with you more than ever. And I LOVE that you dress like an approachable, authentic person! It is just another way of breaking down the imaginary boundary between us and our elected officials!
It does my heart good to say that our community meeting regarding health care reform was a wonderful success! This is the first time I have ever done something like this. I learned that people are passionate and hungry to be heard. We had 14 members participate, full of constructive ideas. It was difficult to keep things to an hour. It is clear that I need to make more of these happen. I received many phone calls and emails the two days after the event from people who could not attend but wished to give input and get involved. Participants of our meeting expressed a strong desire to band together and organize more of these forums, perhaps on a larger level. It is clear that people are ready to be heard and participate in formulating a plan. Thank you everyone, for standing up and taking responsibility for change!
I am posting my report to the Health Care Policy Transition Team, so anyone can see how this went and what we talked about:
January 1, 2009
To Tom Daschle, Secretary-designate of Health and Human Services and The Health Care Policy Transition Team,
Here is a summary of our group’s findings from our December 30th community meeting discussing problems within our health care system and how we might go about making positive changes under our coming administration.
We would like to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to add our voices as we tackle these problems together. Please know that the enthusiasm and passion for giving our input is large, and we are committed to helping you exact effective positive change in the future.
We focused on three main questions as a group:
1.) What is perceived as the biggest problem in the health care system?
2.) Sharing of personal experiences illustrating these problems, and
3.) How can public policy promote healthier lifestyles and preventative medicine?
#1). What do you perceive is the biggest problem in the health system?
Our group was in agreement that the biggest problem is our for-profit corporate health care insurance system. Individuals highlighted many salient points to illustrate this:
a) Our for-profit health insurance system results in lack of universal coverage in our country (with the number of uninsured children being of particular concern).
b) It creates a system where non-health care trained individuals are making bottom line decisions regarding access to testing and treatment.
c) It results in a poor and ineffective approach to preventative care by limiting access to health care execution and limiting time that health care providers are able to spend with their patients thereby eroding trust in the doctor-patient relationship.
d) For-profit insurance also provides inappropriate incentives, for example incentives reducing the time spent with the patient and incentives promoting utilization of prescription medication management for health problems that could be approached in a more preventative life-style/ education manner.
e) It causes severe systemic problems regarding unequal health care provider reimbursement, which leads to further inequity (i.e. some doctors choose not to see Medicare/Medicaid patients as a result).
Our group was in complete agreement that universal coverage and a single-payer system would go a long way towards ameliorating these primary problems.
Concerns were expressed from some participants regarding how a new system would be executed and regulated—specifically will there be adequate reimbursement to health care providers to facilitate universal acceptance of government insurance? Will we see similar problems develop as we have seen in the Medicare/Medicaid system where a financial burden is placed upon providers due to poor reimbursement forcing non-universal acceptance of this means of insurance? Will the quality of care be reduced as we enact a new more universal system with financial constraints? As a group, we felt that these concerns need to be clearly addressed as a single-payer or other universal coverage system is implemented…we did not feel that they are a valid argument to prevent implementation of this change.
#2.) Have you or your family members experienced difficulty paying medical bills?
a.) One participant shared that she was horrified to receive a $16,000 medical bill while still grieving the recent loss of her husband. Litigation ensued.
b.) Another pair of participants who work as Registered Nurses at our local Cancer Clinic shared their frustration that patients cannot afford their oral chemotherapeutic agents as insurance will only cover IV administration of chemotherapy (often the least cost-effective route). As a result, patients there who cannot pay out of pocket go without these life-saving or life-improving medications. These health care providers did not know how to explain this to their patients and felt frustrated and unable to help, rendered powerless by the system.
c.) One participant shared that he considers himself quite fortunate as he has had no major health issues yet and is uninsured. However he pointed out that he lives in a state of fear, knowing that should health care problems surface, it could lead to complete financial ruin and inability to obtain needed care. He also admitted that this results in his putting off prompt treatment of small medical issues as they arise.
d.) Yet another participant shared that her son pays so much for his insurance that it is a great burden financially, AND ironically he lacks coverage for his pre-existing condition of bladder cancer which is the most likely to arise as a major medical concern in his future.
#3.) How can public policy promote healthier lifestyles and preventative medicine?
Our group was in full agreement that implementing prevention and a healthier American lifestyle is KEY to reducing the rising cost of our health care. There was also firm agreement that this area needs massive improvement. Individuals highlighted the following points:
a) Universal Access to health care is a must to implement a healthy America focused on prevention. The uninsured currently have no effective means of obtaining preventative care.
b) There is a strong need for an increased number of small local primary care clinics to implement better prevention.
c) Implementing preventative care as a health care provider means having more time to spend with the patient and repairing the damaged provider-patient trust that currently exists in our system. Physicians and other practitioners are forced to rush through seeing their patients, prohibiting quality communication between provider and patient, prevention education of the patient or adequate time for the patient to bring up all concerns. Patients may no longer feel that their health care providers have their best interest at heart.
d) Incentives are needed to strongly encourage health care providers to focus on primary care (as opposed to existing incentives for treatment with medication, incentives to see largest number of patients in shortest time, etc).
e) Incentives are needed at a local level to promote healthy lifestyles (i.e. The Silver Sneakers Program for seniors which promotes health and fitness for the elderly).
f) Health Care Provider education focused upon prevention needs to be increased and the culture of medicine in our country needs to shift to this approach (less emphasis on pharmaceutical management, more emphasis on lifestyle management).
g) Financial incentives for employers are needed to promote prevention (i.e. Make it cost effective for employers to encourage sick days and days at home to care for sick children preventing spread of disease and resultant costs and decreased productivity).
h) Local access to health care providers needs to be considered (more local clinics and more transportation options to get there).
i) Increased transparency is needed in our health care system so that people are aware of their options for care and are also able to navigate the confusing process of clearing things through insurance, obtaining referrals, etc. This can be confusing to someone in good health with many resources…it is sometimes impossible for an ailing person with limited internet/telephone access to effectively navigate our current system and as a result they go untreated.
j) Consider a tax upon “junk food” as well as increased taxation on tobacco with these funds being directed at public health education and prevention.
k) An educator pointed out that the school needs to change from a place of academic only focus to a community center that fosters healthy living. He indicated a strong need for mandatory Physical Education and after school physical activities in all schools (funded by our government as “pay to play” models are failing). He referred to the large body of well documented studies that correlate obesity with decreased academic performance, depressed quality of life and decreased future success for our children. He suggested increased nutritional education in schools, evaluating schools not just upon academic performance but also level of health, and implementing more programs similar to the School Community Health program instituted by the Centers for Disease Control.
l.) Increase support for and utilization of local agriculture resulting in higher nutritional content of food, as well as environmental benefits (decreased use of fossil fuel transport of produce). Consider decreased government subsidy of corn and wheat agriculture and increased subsidy for more healthy alternatives.
m.) Government programs that provide very strong incentives for Primary Care Medical education and community service need to be increased and utilized (i.e. Loan forgiveness programs or scholarship programs for health care providers with attractive stipulations to practice at a local community level in primary care). While we discussed that these programs do already exist, we agreed that they are obviously too small, unattractive or being underutilized and not producing the desired effect.
These ideas are the result of a community discussion among 14 individuals from various walks of life and age groups. We limited our discussion to one hour. The potential for much more in depth discussion exists. Group members expressed wanting more opportunities like this to share their ideas and more community organization to band together in larger groups and communicate their wishes to legislators. We will be working on better community organization and providing more forums like this in the coming year.
Thank you again for this opportunity.
Marjorie Alexander, meeting organizer
From left to right: Marjorie Alexander, Chet Gardiner, Mary Palma RN, Ann Dichov RN and Kristy Theiler (Tucson ACORN)
From left to right: Irma Perez (Tucson ACORN), Deborah Littman, Sol Littman
Marjorie Alexander next to meeting board
Hi all! I just got off the phone with a wonderful woman who is visiting from Canada...she will be attending our neighborhood meeting tomorrow night.
She wanted to hear more personal stories about this amazing grassroots movement for Obama, as in her country she feels people have a need to understand what this was like for each of us on a local level.
She will be returning to Canada January 3rd and would love to talk with some of us on the phone before then. She is happy to cater to your availability.
If you would like to talk about what this experience has been like for you on a personal and local level, feel free to email me (marjorie_alexander@yahoo.com) or call me (520-240-2978) so I can take your contact info down and connect her with you. She is a delightful person with a sincere desire to bring a better understanding of our Obama movement back to Canada! There is nothing more powerful than our individual stories, emotions and even how we have changed as this grassroots movement has found importance in our lives. Please share yourself and your amazing journey!
Peace,
Marjorie
President-Elect Obama and his team have asked us to gather in our communities and share our ideas, stories and feelings regarding changing our health care system for the better. We are holding a small gathering here in the Blenmann neighborhood in Tucson. Please consider coming out on Tuesday, December 30th if you would like to contribute. Our gathering should only last about an hour and you are welcome to talk to me more afterwards if you have more to share. I will be summarizing and submitting what is shared at our gathering to the Office of the President-Elect. Meetings like this are happening all over our Country up until December 31st. At that time, Barack's team will begin reviewing what America has shared.
During the election, we all held on to our beautiful passion for change and together made an amazing difference. But we all know that the real work is just beginning...we are needed more than ever right now to step up to the plate and take responsibility for what we want to happen next! Can we do this? Yes we can!
Tonight I send this intention out into our universe....a meditation, a prayer, a wish...whatever you want to call it--they are all the same thing to me. I wish for strength and angels to surround the Obama family, the incredible team Barack has assembled, and all the beautiful people connected to this website who are brave enough to believe in hope. I wish for us all to grow closer together and magnify our individual power. May we find strength in each other and build massive waves of positive change around us. May we be our most kind and beautiful selves and lead by a positive example and integrity, in the true spirit of Barack's values. We will bring so much light into the world together!
marjorie
I have been talking to my friends lately. I have been asking them what they think will happen with our failing economy and our failing culture in general...a culture that has become very self-centered when it could be community centered and thriving. (Yes, I am generalizing here I know. And there are always amazing givers and exceptions to this, but when I get honest with myself I see a society more preoccupied with getting/doing for themselves and their immediate circle of family and friends then giving and doing for the community and collective).
My friends have been saying, "Well, I think things will get better when Obama is sworn in". I tell them that one man can't do this nor should he have to even try. I tell them that the whole idea of electing him, this grassroots movement, everything we all believed from the beginning, was that WE were taking back our government and WE could make anything happen that we put our minds to including reshaping our country. I tell them that I get these emails now from the coming administration asking us to step up, start organizing our thoughts, ideas and future plans for mobilizing information and reaching out in our communities when we need to. I tell them how we are being asked to do ANYTHING to shift our climate for the better, even if it is a charity toy drive or a carwash. In short, what I see is that we are being asked to stop thinking the way my friends are thinking. That old stale "Oh, someone else will do it" idea has GOT TO GO for change to happen!
Here is what I think can happen. I think that us doers and givers and organizers out there (and you KNOW if you are one--believe me, by now it will have almost become PROBLEMATIC in your life) have to patiently and joyfully lead by example. We can show people that everything truly HAS changed and this isn't politics as usual! If we really get out there and do the things that President-elect Obama and his highly competent new staff is asking us to do, and we do it with flair, style and JOY then we will be contagious. Soon the people like my friends will get caught up in the power of a movement that clearly shows that this IS up to us....we aren't waiting for our president to "fix" our country, we are participating in every aspect of solving the problem by providing ideas, spreading education, changing community climate to values of support and charity, etc!
OK, now all that being said, here comes a very candid part. I have to admit one of my biggest shortcomings and fears here. When I feel strong and motivated, I am unstoppable at organizing, bringing people together and inspiring them! When I am overwhelmed by things in my life I start to resent that there are so few of us doing all the work and everyone else in our society just seems to stand around waiting for things to happen. It can make a girl quite angry, actually! But anger is a toxic waste of time. I'm betting I'm not alone on this. Those of us who give give give and organize and do as much as we can for our communities to build a better world can sometimes fall victim to feeling unappreciated, feeling alone and without help, feeling burnt out, etc. So this is my big fear as I embark on trying to make my own difference under our new President, because I can already see that some people seriously need to step up to the plate and make things happen. How can I not be one of those people after all that has happened. Of course I will be there. This is too important to not be a part of it!
The best solution is for all of us givers and organizers to find each other and really be there for each other in the coming months. No one understands frustrations and burnout like a fellow giver and organizer. But we are so precious right now....all of us! We are the little seeds that can get this thing going so let's protect and support each other so we can shine, be our best and watch a shift take on a life of its own!
I cannot believe how euphoric I am. Everything has changed and will change. Finally. It's ok if it takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work and sacrifice from everyone. What I care about is that we can move in the right direction now, that there is someone at the helm that speaks about the things I would speak about were I up there.
I believe in you and us Barack. You don't have to be some perfect ideal on a pedestal. I know you are a person like me and my neighbors with your own imperfections. I also know that you are special in that this was supposed to happen and you are helping the world shift. Yes, we did this together but we couldn't have done it without you and your family's courage and sacrifice. You are beautiful people! Thank you for putting yourselves out there for the greater good.
And now for the most important part. Barack, whether you read this or someone who works for you...please pass it on and KNOW THIS. We are so ready to go again for these ideals and change. I am ready to do 100 times what I did at the end of this campaign. I have talked to my friends and neighbors about how you ran your volunteer website...they want to get involved now. People want to help you in your administration through this website. We can build support on difficult issues, explain both sides on hard to understand topics, we can BUILD VALUES OF COMMUNITY, COOPERATION AND VOLUNTEERING/SERVICE, we can help sway public opinion when it is based on fear and old values, we can still help you usher in this change in a big way. I just want you to know that I've been out there talking to people and they want to help...they want to be a part of this with you. You have the charisma and the audiance and the seat at the helm now. Please let us continue to build the waves of change around you because we have the numbers, the manpower and WE STILL HAVE THE SPIRIT, maybe moreso than ever!
You just let us know when you need us. May god and the universe surround you and your family with angels and joy! Oh, and please consider getting a rescue puppy! (There are so many from home foreclosures filling pounds and rescues which are losing donation money to run on....it would send such a cool message if the girls could find one there that they loved!!! Just an thought!)
Marjorie Alexander
