Fwd from HealthForAllHumanBeings: NEW STRATEGY for Single Payer Reform -- **PLEASE READ**

Dear Single Payer Activists and Supporters,

 

Here's another strategy to help with the Single Payer reform movement.

It's time to take further action.  A single payer activist has suggested that we organize against Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) -- a terrific idea!

"Organizing against Dodd on single payer would be more impactful since he is up for re-election next year and behind in the polls because of his obvious corruption around the bailout, especially AIG where it was his amendment that allowed the bonuses to AIG executives to go through after the bailout.  In fact, if the single payer movement made it clear that they were going to work against Dodd and beat him (maybe in the primary with a single payer candidate)  it would send a message that Congress would hear. They would all be talking about it.  It would make them take single payer advocates more seriously because they all run scared.  And, an organized, angry middle class group of voters refusing to vote for non-single payer supporters would be big."

  

We think it's a great idea to target Dodd for the reasons noted above. Also, Dodd seems to be taking over and 'speaking for' Ted Kennedy, so his visibility is important in this fight.  Dodd, a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, is leading the mark-up of the healthcare reform bill. Dodd was asked by Chairman Edward Kennedy to serve as his chief deputy for health reform.  Dodd's website

ACTION:

1. It's time for the Single Payer movement to organize  to beat Senator Dodd in the next election, and to make it clear in the media and to the public exactly why, in order to send a message to ALL of our legislators. Dodd:

• is violating our human rights by keeping Single Payer reform off of the table, especially when it is clear that Single Payer is what a majority of Americans want
• is not allowing the Congressional Budget Office to compare the costs of single payer to other reform bills
• has sold out to corporate interests
• BTW, he was the key player in the AIG bonuses scandal noted above

Are there single payer groups in Connecticut and/or national groups that could help or lead such an effort? 

2. Consider creating a national petition that Americans can sign indicating that they have  'no confidence' in Dodd and will work to defeat him in the upcoming election.  A national, petition (easily accessible on the Internet) could be good for press releases and increasing visibility of the issues, and to let Dodd's constituency know the country has no faith in him. 

Are there  activists among you that could help to organize such a petition against Dodd? 

3. We must demand that the Congressional Budget Office score the single payer plans (HR 676 and S 703). We can include this demand in the actions above.

Our fight for equal access to healthcare for all is about democracy, human rights, civil rights, and basic human decency.

 If any of you can organize, lead, or carry out these actions, please do!

Thank you to you all for the work you do.

For those who would like to read more:

Quoted from: http://www.healthcare-now.org/new-report-casts-exclusion-of-single-payer-option-as-a-question-of-democracy-and-human-rights/

"At a critical moment for health care reform in the United States, The National Economic & Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) has published an in-depth assessment of single payer proposals, finding that a single payer system goes further towards meeting key human rights principles than market-based plans.

"The question of whether national leaders will consider a single payer system as an option for health care reform has become a question of basic democracy. Despite most Americans supporting a single payer solution, the Obama Administration and congressional leaders have denied it consideration. Key stakeholders such as health care professionals, patients and single payer advocates have been excluded from hearings regarding health reform, prompting courageous civil disobedience actions by health care advocates."

 "A Human Rights Assessment of Single Payer Plans" is available for download at www.nesri.org.