V4CF's Dr. Bob Merrill discusses water issues on Valley Public Radio

From our member Patience Milrod comes this:

(V4CF Water Team leader) Bob Merrill was on KVPR's Quality of Life program this morning, speaking quite knowledgeably and compellingly about water issues. If someone can send him a high five, I'd appreciate it--he did a great job!

From all of us at V4CF, a high-five to you, Dr. Bob! If anyone missed the show, you can hear it in its entirety as an MP3 file available on the KVPR website.

Healthcare reform: President Obama calls upon Congress to get it done

From our friends at Whitehouse.gov, published March 3:

Today the President made it clear that he intends to move forward on reform to put Americans in control of their health care, and explained once again why:

Democrats and Republicans agree that this is a serious problem for America. And we agree that if we do nothing -– if we throw up our hands and walk away -– it’s a problem that will only grow worse.

The President also confronted the fact that there is a fundamental disagreement on how to deal with some core elements of the problem. Explaining that just as he has rejected one extreme of the spectrum that calls for an actual government takeover of health care, so too does he disagree with the other side:

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those, and this includes most Republicans in Congress, who believe the answer is to loosen regulations on the insurance industry -- whether it's state consumer protections or minimum standards for the kind of insurance they can sell. The argument is, is that that will somehow lower costs. I disagree with that approach. I'm concerned that this would only give the insurance industry even freer rein to raise premiums and deny care.

So I don't believe we should give government bureaucrats or insurance company bureaucrats more control over health care in America. I believe it's time to give the American people more control over their health care and their health insurance. I don't believe we can afford to leave life-and-death decisions about health care to the discretion of insurance company executives alone. I believe that doctors and nurses and physician assistants like the ones in this room should be free to decide what's best for their patients.

The President spoke at length about the merits of his proposal, from ending insurance company abuses, to the fact that it is paid for will reduce the deficit (concepts largely abandoned in recent years), to the fact that 30 million people will be covered and millions of middle class families will be able to afford the peace of mind of quality insurance for the first time.

He also called for an up or down vote in the next few weeks just as has been given to many health care bills before and to the Bush tax cuts, pledging that “from now until then, I will do everything in my power to make the case for reform.”

He closed with an explanation of what is motivating him:

So at stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem. The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. They are waiting for us to act. They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership. I do not know how this plays politically, but I know it's right. And so I ask Congress to finish its work, and I look forward to signing this reform into law.

For details, read the full article at Whitehouse.gov, or watch President Obama's remarks on video below. If the viewscreen below is not visible, the video is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/03/moving-forward-put-american-people-ahead-insurance-companies.

Save the Date: Next V4CF general meeting scheduled Tuesday, March 9

Just a quick update: Our next Volunteers For Change-Fresno general meeting is scheduled 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, in the large meeting room of the Fig Garden Library, 3071 W. Bullard Ave., in Fresno. The library is on the southwest corner of Bullard and Marks, in the shopping center.

Stay tuned for our agenda!

Volunteers needed to staff V4CF booth at 'Peace and Justice Festival' March 21

Volunteers For Change-Fresno will indeed have a booth at PeaceFresno's 'Peace and Justice Festival,' scheduled 12:30-5 p.m. Sunday, March 21, at the Fresno Fairgrounds.

At our booth, we plan to tell visitors about V4CF's mission and vision, all while seeking to meet like-minded people who are open to working for the Change we seek. We'll also offer Festival visitors the chance to sign the 'Restore Democracy to California' petition.

To be an effective presence there, we need another five to ten volunteers to staff the booth during the Festival. We also need volunteers to help with booth set-up and teardown.

Want to help? Contact V4CF via e-mail at v4cfresno@yahoo.com. In your message, please specify whether you prefer to assist earlier or later in the day. We look forward to seeing you there!

Register now for the 'Central Valley Water Forum,' scheduled Saturday, March 13

At our January meeting, Volunteers For Change-Fresno's Water Issues team leader Dr. Bob Merrill described some of the issues surrounding water here in the Central Valley.

With those issues so numerous and complex, Dr. Merrill encouraged V4CF members to learn more at the 'Central Valley Water Forum: Facts vs. Fictions,' an event scheduled 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at Forum Hall in the Social Science Building of the Fresno City College campus.

With more than a dozen presenters, the Central Valley Water Forum promises a 'home-grown gathering that will provide residents a space to understand the issues and prepare for the tough decisions ahead that will define our Valley’s future.' Admission is free, box lunches will be available for $6, but prospective attendees must register to reserve their space.

Want to learn more? Full details including the schedule of presentations are available through the Community Alliance website and through our friends at RevivetheSanJoaquin.com. To ensure your seat, download and complete the registration form as soon as possible.

On behalf of V4CF, thanks again to Dr. Bob Merrill for keeping us informed about this set of issues!

V4CF members helping to circulate 'Restore Democracy to California' petition

Volunteers For Change-Fresno members are helping to circulate a petition to restore democracy to the way the California legislature votes on the budget.

The California Democracy Act, which will be an initiative on the November ballot, states 'All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by majority vote.' By changing two words in the State Constitution from the current "two thirds" vote requirement to a "majority," this reform will stop gridlock in the legislature, where for many years a small minority has held the majority hostage over the budget -- with disastrous consequences for the state. For more information, see http://www.californiansfordemocracy.com/

A statewide petition drive is seeking one million signatures by mid-April. If you would like to sign the petition, contact V4CF members Ruth Afifi or Nancy Griesser via e-mail. To help circulate the petition, please contact Gary Lasky via e-mail.

'Taking Stock' the topic of our next V4CF general meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9

A 'Taking Stock' discussion will be the main topic at our next Volunteers For Change-Fresno meeting, scheduled 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the large meeting room of the Fig Garden Library, 3071 W. Bullard Ave., in Fresno. The library is on the southwest corner of Bullard and Marks, in the shopping center.

After more than a year of hard work on the part of our Volunteers, and in the wake of President Obama's recent 'State of the Union' address, it's time for V4CF to take stock of where we've been, to examine what's on our agenda, and to determine we go from here. Shall we reaffirm our priorities? What additional tasks should we take on this year? And how can we keep working on those goals not yet fully realized? With your help, all can be decided at our Tuesday meeting.

Can't make it? Drop us a line at v4cfresno@yahoo.com, and let us know what you think should be a V4CF priority this year. We hope to see you there Tuesday!