Notes taken by: lori dye e-mail: lori@pairadyes.com
David Loud - Community Liaison for Healthcare, Office of 7th District Rep Jim McDermott
John Burbank - Executive Director, Economic Opportunity Institute
Lynne Nguyen - Community Organizer, The Washington Community Action Network
David McLanahan - Physicians for a National Health Program
Bev Spears Facilitating - Legislative Director, Washington Community Action Network
David Loud:
• HR2 is a real down payment on our effort towards universal access for all americans
• Now hearings are underway with key interest groups - for example the House Ways and Means Committee - J.McDermott’s Committee
• Groups coalescing outside of Washington - HC for America Now and the Leadership Conference for American Healthcare
• HR676 - medicare for all, J. Conyers, Physicians for National Health & Labor. J.McDermott co-sponsor
• HR1200 - american health security act, J. McDermott. Drives decision making on how each state will deliver the benefit
• B.Sanders will introduce the 1st ever single-payer bill to the Senate
• Opponents maintain that a public option will result in a single-payer system
• It appears the most intense fight over healthcare this year will be over whether there will be a public option at all.
• A public option could move us in the direction of a universal solution in stages
• Advises that single-payer advocates should 1) keep pushing the merits of this approach, 2) shed light on the benefits of this solution, 3) need to achieve unity with public option to pursue common ground.
"Healthcare reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year." - President Obama speaking to the congress, Feb. 24, 2009.
Curious about the different Healthcare options being discussed today?
Wondering what President Obama’s healthcare plan entails?
Interested in supporting legislation to move America toward health care for all?
The following presenters will discuss the different healthcare policy options and answer questions from the audience.
David Loud, Rep. Jim McDermott's Community Liaison for Health Care
John Burbank, Executive Director, Economic Opportunity Institute
Lynne Nguyen, Community Organizer, The WA Community Action Network
David McLanahan, M.D., Physicians for a National Health Program
Facilitator: Bev Spears, Legislative Director, WA CAN
An open mic time will be available for statements and questions from the audience.
A Caesar Salad and Dinner Roll will be provided.
Greenwood Senior Center 7pm 525 N 85th
This meeting is sponsored by the 65th Street Change Gang - A Neighborhood Manifestation of Hope and Change. For more information please contact Richard Hodgin 206-729-8901.
As I read today about how bold and complicated his budget proposals are, it struck me how little information we have heard from the media on the choice of the new Drug Czar and the "drug war" under Obama in general. While the President has made it clear that he does not favor legalizing drugs, it has remained a very low priority issue. My guess is that the last thing he wants is to be ridiculed ealry on (which is the conservative right-wing tactic regarding any pot discussion) for bringing this logical policy change into play while there are so many serious issues involved, the economy, health care, education, the wars etc...Like a Texas Hold-em poker player with two aces he is waiting for the other players to bet and raise the "pot" and pull him into the 'war on drugs' debate, but when it is time to lay the cards out, it will be obvious to all that the drug war has to go, for the sake of the budget and the economy. His advisors will point out what Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman and conservative icon Willliam F. Buckley said - The war on drugs cannot be won and it is hugely damaging to our ECONOMY as well as to the safety and security of the citicizens of our country and other nations! Obama is a brilliant tactician/politician as well as a great communicator, because frankly, I thought he would stop the war in Iraq first, and then stop the drug war, but it looks to me like he will take on the easiest "dumb war" we are in first.
From the time of the Big Bang Freedom is the natural state of things and Freedom can only be restrained by man's greedy desires and his artificial outside intervention. While man's collective efforts to restrain individuals from hurting other individuals or groups is a hallmark of our collective soul and civilization, that is not restraint of Freedom, it is restraint of evil. Restraint of the Freedom of an individual who is not harming others to pursue life, libery and happiness is wasted energy because the impulse and instinct for Freedom will always eventually outlast any efforts at artificial restraint. The human spirit's constant movement towards freedom and away from tyranical government will continue, as will our efforts to restrain evil. The devil is in the details of what is evil and what is just inconvenient for some.
The alcohol companies may need a bailout if pot is legalized. It is a lot cheaper to throw some seeds in the ground and watch the "weed" grow than to pay huge companies for your recreational high.
I am happy to say goodbye to the administration and politics of the last eight years. I hope to remember this election for my life, for I did what I could to talk to all my neighbors, friends, and community about my support for Sen. Obama. I am glad that you all also feel that he is the right person at this time to lead our country into renewable energy, close the war in Iraq, finish the war in Afghanistan, redo the 2000 congress’s failure of legislating Wall Street, and most importantly, end the fear mongering tactics and divisive politics of the last eight years.
“Yes We Can” means that we all must work toward achieving these efforts. In my 37th year of life, I now have fully awoken and feel a responsibility to community and country. For all that our history has done to bring us today, I refuse to let it go to religious idealism over science and facts, corporate over public interest, and carbon emissions over renewable energy.
Join with me in making sure change happens.
Sincerely,
Gary
Have you ever been out canvassing and couldn’t quite figure out where a particular address was? Frustrated by the approximate locations given by Google maps that are never accurate enough? Had to backtrack several times to locate a tricky address?
King County to the rescue! There’s a free online map database that provides the perfect solution to this problem.
It was brought to my attention that here in King County (Washington State), the postage for mailing your ballot might actually be $0.83 to mail it out. I don't know where that person was mailing from or what the deal is, but it alarmed me that people might not be checking that the postage is correct. I always weigh my letters before mailing and highly suggest others should do so especially when mailing in ballots and any other very important documents.
Our ballot's mailing envelope does not state that EXTRA postage is required, in fact it only says "POSTAGE REQUIRED - Affix First Class Stamp." Usually you will notice this on the envelope when you buy a Holiday/Birthday car that is either heavy, thick, and/or large. To be certain whether you have the correct postage stamp, please make sure to check the weight of your ballot before affixing the correct postage. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON!!! Last thing we need are returned ballots that won't make it to the elections offices in time to count towards the general election.
What I have decided to do is not to mail my absentee ballot, instead I am going to one of the 10 ballot drop box locations to turn my ballot in. You should receive an extra piece of paper that will direct you to those locations if you are a King County voter (I'm unsure of other counties & states). King County drop boxes will be open Friday Oct. 17th until 8pm on Election Day (Nov. 4th). If you lost your paper or would like more information, you can see a list of ballot drop box locations online and it has a FAQ column on the right hand side if you have questions about the process of how to do this Go to: http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/ballotdropboxes.aspx
This way you can ensure that your ballot is received. I suggest to educate others on this issue even if they have turned in their ballot. That way we can get the message passed on and so that we can lessen the margin of error. Please make sure to double check that your vote will definately be counted. It's worth it. :)
I got an e-mail that Dems caused the credit crisis. Here is my response that you can use.
Actually, although no one factor solely caused the credit crisis, deregulation and failures to regulate have a central importance.
Remember, only about 6% of all mortgages are in default. 6% of mortgages going into default should not have threatened the entire economy the way it has. It did because of the bets (insurance) against mortgage defaults, i.e., the credit-default swaps, were valued too highly and when the mortgages started to default, the CDSs fell in value. That brought down Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, AIG, etc. Had the CDS’s been regulated or, depending on how you look at it, had the banks not specifically avoided regulation by hiding CDS’s from regulators, their failure wouldn’t have threatened the entire economy.
I know even more regarding mortgage broker and borrow fraud plus lack of FBI enforcement interest that contributed to the issue given my 10 years in the financial and mortgage industry originating consumer loans and managing policies and procedures.
Gary Fancher
I know that some of you will be heading to the rally at Westlake this week. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. However, I did find some time to put together a few signs that I would have taken if I had gone. If you're headed to the rally and don't want to be empty handed, you might find something to bring along here.
http://www.mathpirate.net/RallyPoint/index.html
They're provided in both PDF format and large PNG images. They're designed to be printed out on a standard 8.5x11 sheet of paper, but at the resolution provided (300 dpi), you can probably get them printed out considerably larger and still have them look good.
Of course, it's not like they're going to expire after Wednesday, so if you'd like something to take canvassing or hang in your office or tape in your car window, they're perfect for that, too. Some of the designs are even available as T-Shirts from CafePress. (Although I'd honestly much rather have you donate the money to the campaign than buy one of my shirts. Now, if you've already put in your $2300, then feel free to buy my shirts...) I'll probably be adding more signs there between now and the election, and I'm open to suggestions if you have a sign you'd like to see.
Brief hit: pay attention to this gov't bailout stuff; it's history at warp speed. Now, compare and contrast:
For a ground level understanding of Sarah Palin, watch this video, which is circulating in among right wing evangelicals:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1766638341
I just sent this comment in to the campaign and I want to share it with all of you:
Stay on the high road!
I just got done watching the Republican Convention and it was offensive how nasty and mean-spirited some of their speakers were. Wednesday night in particular had very little redeeming value. Only Gov. Huckabee showed any measure of class and dignity and the Republicans didn't even put him in prime time. I expected to see attacks and disagreements, even an occasional sarcastic jab. I did not expect to see entire half hours devoted to nothing more than snarky comments and taunting insults. The Republican Convention essentially turned out to be a three day commercial dedicated to illustrating why we need the Barack Obama style of campaigning.
Please don't let America down by resorting to their level.
Be on the attack and strongly disagree, yes, but don't get pulled down into the disgusting practice of name calling. By winning this election on ideas and policies over empty jeers and hollow comebacks, this nation will be elevated.
What a fun evening! We watched history and made new friends at our convention watch party last night. Our evening started about an hour before the speech as our guests trickled in after work. Being on the west coast and dealing with rush hour traffic, we decided to have a dinner of chili, beans, cornbread, chips and queso and margaritas ready for everyone so we could be fueled up and ready to go for the big night:
That's Vicki, Linda and Roseanne
Here's Julie and Les
And here's Jerry, Velma and Brett.
We watched the speeches leading up to Barack's and had a great time hearing their unique stories. And we LOVED Barney Smith's zinger! We also got the chance to tell our stories of why we are supporting Barack Obama and how everyone knew how important this election is going to be.
And then the speech. To say the energy in our living room was electric would be an understatement. We were a vocal group and I'm sure our neighbors heard every cheer. :)
We ended our night taking pictures, exchanging numbers and reflecting on the speech. I can't tell you how proud I was last night to watch history being made with all our new friends. Most of us were strangers at the beginning of the night and we came away with the profound responsibility that we, together, have to get this man elected President and it's up to us.
That's Janet, cardboard Barack and Julie!
That's Shawn, Brett, Vicki and Linda
Our group photo with Woody, our dog, wondering if the signs were edible.
Thanks for reading my blog. Hope you enjoyed it and I can't wait for the Debate House Party! Whoo hoo!
In 2006 I stood in a packed room at Bellevue Community College to listen to Obama, Cantwell and Burner. I knew then Obama would be one to reckon with. His entire person emanated change and a new beginning.
In early 2008 I worked for Obama's primary run in Washington, speaking at my precinct caucus on his behalf. I knew then Obama had a real chance to make a difference.
Today, I find myself hoping somehow, something will bring Barack back. Back from his daily slide towards mediocre political maneuvering. Back from non-committal policy statements. Back from caving to the status quo. Back from business as usual. Back from the unsettling misstep of selecting a VP candidate who embodies the old Washington, insider politics, the insidiousness of watered down compromise, and the past. Back from admitting by this selection that he indeed does lack the confidence to forge new ground. Back from the admission that he lacks gravitas. Back from this place of the practical over the promise.
Should the frenzied among you evoke Kennedy's selection of Johnson as a paradigm, consider this: Johnson brought all the electoral votes of Texas to Kennedy in the general election. How practical are Biden's Deleware assets?
Bring Barack back. Maybe the rare air of Denver can help.
Per CNN . . .
(CNN) – It's already happened once before: the person tapped to search for a vice presidential candidate assumes the position instead. Now, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore is pushing for it to happen again — this time with Caroline Kennedy assuming the role of Dick Cheney.In an open letter to the famous political scion Wednesday tapped by Obama to find his No. 2, Moore expresses deep reserve with leading VP candidates Joe Biden and Evan Bayh because of their votes to authorize the Iraq war, and urges Kennedy to float her own name for the position."What Obama needs is a vice presidential candidate who is not a professional politician, but someone who is well-known and beloved by people across the political spectrum; someone who, like Obama, spoke out against the war; someone who has a good and generous heart, who will be cheered by the rest of the world; someone whom we've known and loved and admired all our lives and who has dedicated her life to public service and to the greater good for all," Moore writes in the letter published on his Web site."That person, Caroline, is you."
(CNN) – It's already happened once before: the person tapped to search for a vice presidential candidate assumes the position instead. Now, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore is pushing for it to happen again — this time with Caroline Kennedy assuming the role of Dick Cheney.
In an open letter to the famous political scion Wednesday tapped by Obama to find his No. 2, Moore expresses deep reserve with leading VP candidates Joe Biden and Evan Bayh because of their votes to authorize the Iraq war, and urges Kennedy to float her own name for the position.
"What Obama needs is a vice presidential candidate who is not a professional politician, but someone who is well-known and beloved by people across the political spectrum; someone who, like Obama, spoke out against the war; someone who has a good and generous heart, who will be cheered by the rest of the world; someone whom we've known and loved and admired all our lives and who has dedicated her life to public service and to the greater good for all," Moore writes in the letter published on his Web site.
"That person, Caroline, is you."
Read the full article here.
My thoughts? I couldn't agree more!!!!
Yay! I FINALLY decided to host an event. Brett and I are hosting a convention watching party to watch history being made as Obama accepts the nomination for POTUS.
We're hosting it Texas-style with a pot of chili, margaritas, beer, (softdrinks for the non-drinkers) chips and salsa, etc.
We also have yard signs, buttons, bumperstickers, etc., available and I'll run by the Darcy Burner campaign in Bellevue to see if there are some things I can have if folks would also like to show support for Darcy, too!
We LOVE a big boisterous crowd in our home, so don't be shy! Y'all join us for the fun!
OH! EXTRA BONUS: You get to meet our dog, Woody, a staunch Democrat and proud progressive:
