A CALL TO ACTION
by Marilyn Clement, September 4, 2007

Right now, as we begin the new season and the continuation of a Congress that has been unable (or unwilling) to overturn Bush’s policies (privatization and domination everyday everywhere), we at Healthcare-NOW are making new plans.

Mr. Bush has unabashedly supported the unconscionable health profits of insurance and pharmaceutical drug pushers – It doesn’t matter how many people they kill as long as their profits continue to roll in.

This is the time to reassess where we are on the national healthcare struggle. One clear and unassailable  truth—we must elect a new progressive Congress in 2008. No ifs, ands or buts about it. We could elect a Super Majority like 1964 when they passed Medicare in 1964.   But it must be a “progressive” Congress willing to lead!>

Michael Moore has made a tremendous difference.His brilliance has helped us build our campaign for national healthcare.The fact that he urged his huge mailing list to join Healthcare-NOW in creating new Healthcare-NOW coalitions, the pre-opening benefit of SiCKO he provided for Healthcare-NOW in Atlanta, and his relentless message about the healthcare system have helped tremendously as we continue to build the campaign to make our nation respond to each other as “we” instead of “me.”. 

The Sickocure website has brought us thousands of new members and potential activists on this issue and we’ve been able to send those names to our organizers in their cities nationwide.  At the same time, the healthcare options are boiling down to two.1.Individual Mandates forcing everybody to purchase insurance from the private insurance companies “You’re on Your Own,” or 2. Single Payer, a much better, publicly-funded healthcare system “All in it Together.”

If you are a new person to this struggle, we urge you to go to www.Healthcare-NOW.org, join Healthcare-NOW, pay some dues, read the website, and be in touch with us about how you can really get involved with the campaign to get a national guaranteed healthcare system for all.

Here are some of our plans for the coming fall and spring, and we hope you will help us succeed:

1. A National Roadshow featuring the DVD of SiCKO, will invite people to caravan with us to the next city and urge people to come to the Road Show, tell their healthcare story on video tape (which we will send to Michael Moore) and to hear about the solution to healthcare in this country – a guaranteed, national, single-payer healthcare system for everyone,  guaranteed – for life.We will also be talking about and demonstrating how we can get from here to there.You are invited to come along with us and even join us as an organizer or a driver, a camera person or a short order cook along the route.We plan to launch the Road Show in November.
2. A SiCKO Action Guide is in the works -- something that you can use in meetings, house parties, your church, your union, your student group , or with business associates, anywhere you interact with other people to discuss the issues raised in “SiCKO” and your own experience with the healthcare system – We’ll also be talking about solutions on this power point/ pamphlet.
3. Our new Washington advocacy office can help you with meetings with your Congressperson in D.C. or at home in your home district. Elyse Seigle can supply information on your Member of Congress and information on how you can help get at least 100 Members of Congress signed onto H.R. 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act. We now have 78 co-signers and we are shooting for 100. Call Elyse Seigle at our D.C. office -- 202-488-5650
4. Truth Hearings in communities nationwide.  Pull together your community. Tell the truth about the system and talk about the solution – everywhere.If you are organizing a Healthcare-NOW truth hearing, be in touch with our office or look at the ACTION pages on our website, and get some organizing help and lists of speakers.
5. Creation of ads for key television markets to help people understand how a national healthcare system would work.

It is entirely possible that we will win a national single payer, guaranteed healthcare system during the next few months.We must work to elect a progressive Congress – a huge majority in 2008 and we must build a huge constituency for single payer guaranteed healthcare during the next 14 months.   That Congress will be expected to lay a single payer health plan, H.R. 676, in front of the newly elected president in order to get it implemented during 2009. 

Since you are a part of Healthcare-NOW, we hope you will pick up a part of this task. Look for progressive candidates.If you have a Member in your District who is supportive of our goals, be sure to get that person elected. 

During the next three months, we must raise the money to continue our offices in Washington and New York, support organizing efforts all over the country, and run the Roadshow – all essential tools if we are to win. In addition, we can place strategic ads in important markets.All you have to do is turn on the TV to understand how important it is to counter the fraudulent healthcare message of the big insurance and pharmaceutical drug pushers and their front groups.

You are one of 50,000 people on this list now – people who see the need for a national healthcare system.We have support from virtually every sector of the society.The people want it.

If every person on this list pledged just $10 per month to Healthcare-NOW (donate NOW right on our website), we would have enough money to do all of the above and, most probably, be able to win guaranteed national healthcare for everybody for life by 2009. 

We know you are supportive and you want to help.  Please send a check or go to the website and make a pledge right now. Go to: www.healthcare-now.org  and click the “Donate NOW” button.It is easy and it will make a huge difference.If you want to volunteer for the Road Show or to do a Truth Hearing in your community, call or write us.That will be a great contribution,  too.

Call me if you want to talk about it.1-800-453-1305..

I want to talk to you.Our sincerest thanks to all of you for your continuing inspiration and support. 

Marilyn Clement, National Coordinator, Healthcare-NOW
339 Lafayette Street, NYC 10012
www.healthcare-now.org  info@healthcare-now.org

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