From the Central Valley Healthcare Reform Coalition -- comprised of we at Volunteers For Change-Fresno, HCAN, several trade unions and other healthcare-reform supporters -- comes this Call to Action:
If you support meaningful healthcare reform, we need your help now.
Beginning now until his vote is cast, call Congressman Jim Costa to ask if he plans to vote YES on healthcare reform.
Voting YES on the House version of the Senate Health Reform Bill plus the Reconciliation Bill would mean more affordable coverage options, would end discrimination for preexisting conditions, and would bring greater accountability to the prevention of insurance industry abuses.
With Volunteers For Change-Fresno members working to gather signatures needed to get the California Democracy Act (a.k.a. the 'Lakoff Petition' or the 'Majority Rule' initiative) on the ballot this November, we thought we'd share this update from Californians For Democracy, the organization coordinating these efforts:
The California Democracy Act is a simple, 14-word initiative that would end the 2/3 rule that has left the state in the hands of a minority of legislators who have prevented the government from doing what it was created to do: protecting and empowering its residents:
"All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote."
Want to help? Californians for Democracy will now accept what they call 'single-signature petitions.' What this means is people interested in supporting this initiative can now print, sign and mail the petition from their own homes. Here's how:
Sign the petition and mail it to the campaign. Mailing instructions are included on the petition document itself.
Why is this important? Because we believe the 2/3 rule is largely responsible for the deterioration of California—K-12 education, the state colleges and universities, the state parks, the social service net, the transportation infrastructure—the list of essential services that are not getting adequate funding goes on. California could raise money by taxing oil extraction (as they do in Texas and Alaska), taxing the super-rich (the state has more than its share) and other measures that would not burden most of us. But as few as 14 people in the State Senate can stop any of these progressive actions—and they do, over and over again.
Time is of the essence. After April 5, it will be too late to get on the November ballot and we will need to start all over again. And California just can't wait.
A lot is happening in the Fresno community, and with March finally upon us, it's time once again to gather our group and find our common direction.
In that spirit, we invite you to attend our next Volunteers For Change-Fresno general meeting, scheduled 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, in the large community 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.
Our meeting agenda includes:
A wrap-up of last month's 'Taking Stock' conversation;
An array of possible community service projects, including those from the Community Food Bank and from Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life;
A variety of possible 'issues actions,' including actions in support of public education, the Peace and Justice Festival, and the California Majority petition campaign; and
An opportunity to meet at least one candidate running for Fresno City Council.
As always, we'll follow our meeting with some quality 'networking time.' All members and their guests are welcome to attend... and we hope to see you there!
(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!
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.
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.
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!
Volunteers for Change-Fresno is a diverse group of progressive volunteers who:
• Work to create a government that protects equal opportunity for all • Organize to impact local, regional and national issues • Participate in community service
We value and act in support of:
• Individual and mutual responsibility and respect • A civil, inclusive and transparent democracy • Economic and social justice • Preservation of the environment and a clean energy future • Education and ongoing learning • Meeting the needs of the vulnerable and marginalized • Effective use of taxes for the common good.
From the Central Valley Healthcare Reform Coalition -- comprised of we at Volunteers For Change-Fresno, HCAN, several trade unions and other healthcare-reform supporters -- comes this Call to Action:
Rep. Costa's Fresno office: (559) 495-1620 
