Thousands hit Seattle streets seeking changes to health care

[snowdays]

Source: nwsourse.com





http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009282093_healthmarch31m.html

ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES






A banner leads the way Saturday after a big crowd calling for changes to the health-care system marches down South Jackson Street after a rally at Pratt Park. The march was endorsed by more than 150 organizations, and people from all over the state attended.
Enlarge this photo

ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES

A banner leads the way Saturday after a big crowd calling for changes to the health-care system marches down South Jackson Street after a rally at Pratt Park. The march was endorsed by more than 150 organizations, and people from all over the state attended.

Related

* Lottery may be used to cut 36,000 from state health plan



The crowd was mostly Democratic, but that didn't stop them from shouting down Sen. Patty Murray's general remarks about the need for health-care reform with a more specific call for a single-payer health-insurance system.

Thousands joined a health-care rally and later a mellow, slow-moving parade in downtown Seattle, complete with belly dancers, drums, air horns, children, bicycles and lots of signs, both mass-produced and hand-drawn.

Many said they wanted a single-payer national health-insurance system — the type of insurance that's widely used in Europe and Canada.

Organizers put the crowd size at 3,500. Seattle police gave an estimate of 2,500 as of 1 p.m. — although the crowd seemed to grow as the day wore on.

More than 190 organizations endorsed the rally, including dozens of unions, women's organizations, health-care workers and churches....................

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009282093_healthmarch31m.html

---

****
Way to go Seattle. Is the WH and Congress listening yet??




http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009282093_healthmarch31m.html

Thousands hit Seattle streets seeking changes to health care

Thousands joined a health-care rally and later a mellow, slow-moving parade in downtown Seattle, complete with belly dancers, drums, air horns, children, bicycles and lots of signs, both mass-produced and hand-drawn. Many said they wanted a single-payer national health-insurance system — the type of insurance that's widely used in Europe and Canada.

By Katherine Long

Seattle Times staff reporter

PREV 1 of 2 NEXT




xxxxoooooxxxxxx

[imdjh]

1. bump

[snowdays]

4. The Million Letters for Single Payer Health Care---Just DO IT.....

have you seen this?
thanks for the bump


Forum Name General Discussion
Topic subject The Million Letters for Single Payer Health Care---Just DO IT
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5753470#5753470
5753470, The Million Letters for Single Payer Health Care---Just DO IT
Posted by snowdays on Sun May-31-09 01:04 PM




The Million Letters for Single Payer Health Care


Pass this around to all you know please.

I just sent my letter—it was quick and easy and space for adding your own comments.


And in the process, I went to my US Representatives website and discovered he had a poll up about satisfaction relating to health care plan.
-Poll results at this time said 62% did NOT like their current health care plan.



http://www.1payer.net/blog.html


As a result of receiving your questions and suggestions about the Million Letters for Health Care campaign, I am providing more information.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE of the campaign (embedded links):

The Million Letters for Health Care campaign's primary objective is to get solid support from the U.S. Congress for single-payer by Americans communicating to their U.S. Representatives. The communications are achieved by getting a million Americans to sign up to receive monthly reminders to print a prepared, pre-addressed letter to their U.S. Representative .... signing it and sending it to create an unbelievable flood of envelopes every month through the U.S. Mail to the U.S. Congress in Washington D.C. This activity will get much media attention ... which will help maximize the awareness of Americans and the support from the Congress.

BASIS of the campaign
Read here about the solid basis of the campaign ... which is not only a guaranteed way to get the necessary strong support in the U.S. Congress, but also is guaranteed to get the support of President Obama. The campaign happens to satisfy President Obama's recommendation to write letters in every U.S. Congressional District ... which satisfies the mandate that he communicagted on 4/3/2007 that he said he MUST have in order to support us.


Here is the Web link for your letter………..***




http://www.medicareforall.org/pages/Home


There are also valuable links on the Left side:

Medicare for All

Know the benefits of single-payer and sign up to help get it
Know the Congress' plan and sign up to help stop it
1 letter to 1 person 1 time per month by 1 million Americans
… each getting a reminder at the 1st-of-the-month
to print a prepared, pre-addressed letter to Washington DC and
to consider the reminder's fresh list of suggestions for adding value to the letter
…………………

[Mythsaje]

2. Huh... Had I known about it, and hadn't had to work

I would have gone. Even though I hate going into Seattle.

[snowdays]

5. Perhaps your spirit attended??

just kidding. thanks for the post.

[eridani]

8. There was a rally in Tacoma too

Check out the Washington State subgroup of DU more often.

[snowdays]

3. And the demonstrators shouted down Patty Murray!!.....chants of "Single payer, single payer!"

Past time to listen up Patty!!


And the demonstrators shouted down Patty Murray!!.....chants of "Single payer, single payer!"


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009282093_healthmarch31m.html


...........The demonstrators shouted down Murray as she concluded her pro-health-coverage remarks at Pratt Park in Central Seattle, where the march began.

"I am heading back to Washington," Murray started, and was drowned out by chants of "Single payer, single payer!"




Protesters said they were disappointed that Murray hasn't said anything in support of the single-payer option.

"Did you see Patty Murray shouted down?" asked Stuart Ferguson, a Democratic precinct committee chairman for the 46th District. "I hope she took notice. The more people that do it, the more successful we'll be."

Ferguson said he voted for President Obama, but he's disappointed the administration has invited insurance companies to the negotiating table.

He and many other protesters said they fear the administration's efforts at change won't go far enough.

But when they chanted for Obama to pay attention to their concerns, the crowd did it in Spanish, not English. The chant, "Obama, escucha, estamos en la lucha," means, "Obama, listen, we are in the fight.".................

[depakid]

11. Methinks Patty "usury" Murray may have some trouble finding campaign workers next year...

[BR_Parkway]

6. We need to be at every political event and shout them down with "single payer"

until they just got sick enough of it to actually notice - Reps, Senators, Governors, President - any of them, every single event. Where they can't ignore it

[snowdays]

7. repetition is grand:-)

[eridani]

9. More pix

Tacoma Rally sign-in


Chair of Pierce Co Health Care for All--WA


Stage at Tacoma Rally


Stage at Seattle rally


Belly dancers for single payer


Tandem bikers for single payer


Miss Single Payer


Seattle Health Care for All--WA gathers at the pre-march rally


Citizen Artiste the costume goddess dancing for single payer


The red Health Care For All bandannas were provided by the organizers, and were very popular.

[eridani]

10. SEIU's photo album

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=seattle%20health%20care%20march&w=all

And Post Intelligencer article
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/406728_healthmarch31.html

[DCKit]

12. It's often said that the states will have to lead on this issue.

Too many in DC are wholly owned subsidiaries of Corporate America. The last thing they're going to do is piss off their masters and lose those campaign contributions or the perks of membership.

We're just not turning over the Congress fast enough to affect a substantial and timely change.