A peaceful health care reform rally

More than 100 people assembled on the front lawn of a Congress member’s district office Tuesday and petitioned for health care reform without shouts, threats or belligerence.

Of course, everyone paying a visit to the office of U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat representing San Jose, Calif., was in favor of health care reform legislation pending in Congress; rumors of counter-demonstrators showing up never materialized. But amid all the media coverage of anti-reform protesters shouting down their representatives, screaming “socialism” and spouting nonsense about government “death panels,” the hour-long event in San Jose focused on a key argument for reform: People who had health insurance but lost it and can’t afford it on their own.

The rally, one of 50 held today in 45 cities across the country, was organized by PACT, People Acting in Community Together, a multiethnic interfaith grassroots organization determined to create a more just community. So, you know where they’re coming from. But voices of the community advocates for health care reform have been drowned out by the shouting by protesters at town hall meetings various Congress members are holding in their districts during the August Congressional recess.

A protester holds a sign urging Congress to pass health care reform

The theme of the event was “No Recess for Health Reform,” as supporters used the recess to “strengthen [Lofgren] in her resolve to pass health care reform when she returns to Washington,” as one of the speakers put it.

Lofgren emerged from her office to address the rally, noting that at another event earlier in Silicon Valley, she was booed by health care reform opponents.

“We as Americans have to talk to each other,” she said, but quickly added, “We have to stand up for the truth.”

Several people followed Lofgren at the podium giving testimonials of how they have been treated by a health insurance system that charges too much, buries them in debt with uncovered expenses, denies them coverage or excludes them from coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

Ellen and Ray Turner told their story of the retirement insurance he had after retiring from the Silicon Valley software company Cadence that started off good. After a few years, though, their annual deductible rose to $10,000. Over a three-year period, their out-of-pocket costs for health care jumped to $71 a day, from $30. Eventually they switched to a Kaiser Permanente plan that carried only a $500 deductible and out-of-pocket averages out to $42 a day.

Sheila Dowd spoke with her two young children beside her and told the story of her and her husband trying to start their own business, likening their ambition to that of the founders of Google and HP, two legendary Silicon Valley companies.

But their plan was thwarted by the cost of ensuring their small family, Dowd said. Insurers considered to be disqualifying “pre-existing conditions” her daughter’s ear infections and her husband’s pollen allergy. The Dowds are going to have to abandon their startup dream and either she or her husband will have to go get a job that provides employer-sponsored health insurance, Mrs. Dowd said.

A minister leads the group in prayer for health care reform

The program also featured comments from Chris Wilder, CEO of the Valley Medical Center Foundation. Valley Medical Center treats a high number of patients without insurance in its emergency room, he said.

Five years ago, Valley Medical Center saw an average of 170 people per day in its emergency room. By January of this year, it had days when the number of visits reached 400 a day and in April it saw some 525 patient days, Wilder said.

Another woman told of losing her job and her employer-paid health insurance, continuing her coverage under COBRA, but when that ran out, going onto a HIPAA insurance program whose premiums were so high and coverage so limited, “my medical insurance was unusable,” she said.

“I thought of my lack of insurance as a personal failure, but I no longer see it as my fault,” the woman told the crowd. “It is the health care system that is a failure.”

What GOP Congress members should say to "birthers" at their next town hall meeting

I know I posted last week that the media should stop doing stories on the "birthers," those wingnuts who insist that Pres. Obama is not an American, but they wouldn't listen to me.
Today, Politico posted a story about the dilemna the "birthers" movement (such as it is) poses for Republican Congress members who don't believe what the birthers claim but don't want to see a video of them getting heckled posted on You Tube. Here's the comment I wrote when the story was reposted on Huffington Post:


What Congressmen should say to birther hecklers at their next town hall meeting:

"While I respect your right of free speech and recognize the passion with which you hold your beliefs on this issue, there is considerable and unequivocal evidence that President Barack Obama is an American citizen."

(Boos, hisses, name calling)

"While you feel strongly to the contrary, you are, with all due respect, deluding yourself on this issue because you cling to your belief that the president is not an American citizen despite all evidence to the contrary."

(More heckling, flag-waving, "He"s a Kenyan!")

"There are many important issues we face in this country on which I as your Republican Congressman/woman disagree with President Obama -- increased federal spending, higher taxes and the dangers of government-run health care -- but our party will not have credibility to debate the president on these matters if we remain distracted by a completely discredited conspiracy theory about his citizenship."

(Tomatoes, eggs, chairs thrown)

"I will work passionately for you on these issues of the economy, jobs and lower taxes because these are the issues that are most critical to you, the people of my district. But on the issue of the president"s citizenship, please understand this: Barack Obama is the President of the United States. Deal with it."

[If none of this works, use this closer:]

"Shut the f**k up! You"re idiots!"

[Exit, rapidly, stage right]

Another Obama Victory Party

Last night, a number of us who worked at the San Jose Obama office during the campaign gathered to celebrate our success. Nancy Jennings, who managed the phone bank at San Jose, was in Washington for the inaugural so invited us to her home Jan. 31 to share our stories and thoughts on the inauguration and the victory we helped make happen.
Nancy showed us the digital photographs she took while there, including one taken at the moment Obama put his hand on Lincoln's bible. Another showed the helicopter taking George and Laura Bush out of Washington...for good, we hope. Nancy said people on the ground were waving at the helicopter and singing, "Sha na na na, Sha na na na, Hey-hey, Good-bye!"
Here's a photo of Nancy (r) with another volunteer, Shalini Venkatesh
Pictured here (l-r) are Nancy, Me, Noha Ragab and Kit Reed. Noha and Kit worked the reception desk and I was a phone bank supervisor.
Galen Swain (r) was a big part of the campaign effort, making several trips to Nevada and other states. On the left is Abdel Houssni.
Another shot of Nancy, Noha and Kit, who is also Nancy's neighbor.
Nancy told us that when she and her boyfriend, Kelly, first got to Washington they were walking near 17th & Pennsylvania Ave., heard police motorcycles rev up and escort two black limousines. Seated in the back seat of the second lino was President-elect Obama. How cool is that 30 minutes after coming to Washington? He was going to the concert at the Lincoln Memorial Sunday featuring Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and Mary J. Blige, among others.
Kelly photoshoped a picture made to look like President Obama is body-surfing in the ocean and put it on buttons given to everyone at the party. The caption: "Barack Obama. Coolest President Ever!"