While I’ll have more thoughts about this later, one of the things to keep an eye on in the coming year(s) are advocacy movements seeking major policy changes in areas of obvious national neglect like health care, the environment, energy, water rights/distribution, etc. The reason is that I take (future President) Barack Obama at his word. Real change in the coming years will often require a movement, or as I said before, “Barack’s policy offerings are modest – too modest for his critique of what ails America – but the potential of a progressive movement to change American is the difference [he offers]….”
In this vein it’s worth looking at Health Care For America Now (HCAN), a 501(c)4 issue advocacy organization of over 100 national and local nonprofit, political, faith and labor organizations promoting quality, affordable health care for all Americans through legislative action in 2009. Yesterday they launched their $40 million national campaign in 52 cities including 37 state capitols like Springfield, IL and Madison, WI. In addition to spending millions on advertising, HCAN plans to fund 100 organizers in 45 states. HCAN’s impact alone likely will not change the agenda – one to three organizers in each state isn’t a ton. But when you couple HCAN’s efforts with national efforts, like the health care components of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU’s) major 100,000 volunteer/$85 million general election/$10 million post-election accountability campaign, plus state efforts like the Illinois Single Payer Coalition and local efforts like the Chicago Single Payer Action Network, then HCAN represents a piece of a movement that really is a big deal. It’s worth following – and better than “following,” it’s worth getting actively involved.
You can get involved with HCAN here and donate to HCAN here.
You can join the email list of the Illinois Single Payer Coalition here, and attend monthly meetings every 4th Thursday.
You can join the email list of the Chicago Single-Payer Action Network here, and attend bi-monthly meetings every 2nd and 4th Tuesday.
Change, by itself, is not necessarily good or bad. You can make change for the better.
Comments 6
DEAR READERS-
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT. A MAN WHO “FLIPS/FLOPS” ON WAR FOR EXAMPLE? CAN HE BE TRUSTED OTHERWISE ON OTHER ISSUES?
ROBERT JONES
Posted 10 Jul 2008 at 6:37 pm ¶DEAR READERS-
HOW ABOUT THE FACT HE IS TRYING TO BE A MODERATE IN FAR LEFT CLOTHING? WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?? CAN OR SHOULD WE TRUST HIM?? IS HE NOT SURE OF WHO HE IS OR IS HE HIDING SOMETHING? AT BEST, SEN. MC’CAIN IS MORE FORWARD AT LEAST.
Posted 13 Jul 2008 at 1:39 am ¶-ROBERT JONES
Let’s not confuse genuinely grass roots single payer efforts with HCAN. HCAN, in its statements of principles, takes single payer off the table from the outset. So, while they state the problems correctly, they’re not pushing the one solution that we know can work.
Posted 13 Jul 2008 at 7:15 am ¶See …
http://www.99oh9.org/pages/Alternatives
http://www.99oh9.org/pages/Health_Care_for_America_Proposal
At the first web page you will see TWO RED boxes. At the second web page you will read why there are 2 red boxes.
Summary advice: stay away from support of HCAN.
– Bob the Health and Health Care Advocate
Posted 06 Aug 2008 at 9:58 pm ¶If HCAN is not appropriate, then what action can we take? …
We, too, can GET PEACE OF MIND, like other countries have …
http://www.ninenineohnine.org/pages/Peace_of_Mind
But we need to join thousands of others as part of communicating to each of our U.S. Representatives. For example, we can FOLLOW the schedule …
ttp://www.ninenineohnine.org/pages/Schedule
And GET REMINDERS to act as per the schedule
http://www.ninenineohnine.org/pages/Join
– Bob the Health and Health Care Advocate
Posted 06 Aug 2008 at 10:01 pm ¶If HCAN is not appropriate, then what action can we take? …
We, too, can GET PEACE OF MIND, like other countries have …
But we need to join thousands of others as part of communicating to each of our U.S. Representatives. For example, we can FOLLOW the schedule …
http://www.99oh9.org/pages/Schedule
And GET REMINDERS to act as per the schedule
http://www.99oh9.org/pages/Join
– Bob the Health and Health Care Advocate
Posted 06 Aug 2008 at 10:09 pm ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 2
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