[Imc-newsroom] [Fwd: Health Care News You Didn't See: Health Care Democracy Brigade Report]]

[Mike Lehman]

I don't know that we can do anything with this story, but it provides an
interesting look at the health care issue. As home of two major HMOs, we
have plenty of material locally to work with.
Mike

"Robert G.Pedersen" wrote:
> 
> Dear S-Fers,
>    This is about the fifth democracy brigade action at the Capital (not
> a typo) building in D.C., organized by the Alliance for Democracy to
> protest "Crimes Against Democracy". An the last one over the summer, the
> John Muir Brigade, Granny D. got arrested along with environmentalist
> Bill McKibben (sp?). It seems speaking out in the Capital building is
> illegal unless you're a duly bought and paid for elected official.
>     In Solidarity and Alliance, Robert Pedersen, Trade and Labor
> coordinator, Indiana Alliance for Democracy
> 
>   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Subject: ANN: Health Care Democracy Brigade Report
> Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 18:08:18 -0800
> From: jamesace at earthlink.net
> To: allianceannounce <the-alliance-announce at igc.topica.com>
> 
> jamesace at earthlink.net
> 
> Campaign Finance Corruption Targeted
> By Health Care Advocates  During Act of Civil Disobedience
> 
> Sixteen Arrests in Capitol Rotunda Mark
> Beginning of Health Care Justice Week
> 
> Health Care Justice Week 2000 began unconventionally on October 14, when
> a group of health care professionals and reform advocates calling
> themselves the "Healthy Democracy Brigade," engaged in a dramatic act of
> civil disobedience in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
> 
> The action illustrated how $250 million in political contributions have
> been used during the last decade by the health care industry to stymie a
> range of health care reforms; from a patients' bill of rights to a
> prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients to universal health
> care coverage.
> 
> Sixteen citizens were arrested in the action, which was the first to
> expressly link the two issues. In addition to doctors, medical students,
> and other health care professionals, participants included small business
> owners, students, a former congressional staffer, senior citizens, and
> community organizers. The event, which was organized by the Alliance for
> Democracy, was cosponsored by the Universal Health Care 2000 (U2K)
> Campaign, a coalition of over 550 state, regional, and national
> organizations.
> 
> As more than 100 tourists watched, the group conducted a "Speak-out on
> Health Care and Democracy" during which participants called for universal
> health care and full public financing of elections (a.k.a. "Clean
> Money/Clean Elections" reform) while unfurling 15-foot banners. One
> read "Big Money, Bad Health Care: Campaign Finance Reform Now", and
> another "Threat to Public Health: Privately Financed Campaigns."
> 
> "The fact that 1/7 of our population lacks health insurance is a moral
> outrage and a national disgrace," said Ken Frisof, MD, co-chair of the
> U2K Campaign. "The fact that this is not a campaign issue in the 2000
> elections is an indictment of our political system. We know that to
> remedy the illnesses of our health care system we must also remedy those
> of our body politic," he added.
> 
> Brigade members spoke aloud about "crimes against democracy,"
> including legalized bribery, extortion, gross conflict of interest, and
> criminal malfeasance and negligence committed by Members of
> Congress and their big individual and corporate contributors within the
> health care industry. They pointed to the fact that over 42
> million Americans are uninsured and millions more are at risk, even
> though 75 percent of the public favors a system of universal
> coverage.&nbsp; They also called attention to the fact that in the 2000
> election cycle alone (as of August 3), the health care industry has
> contributed over $49 million to congressional and presidential candidates
> and their political parties, including $3.6 million to George W. Bush and
> $1 million to Al Gore.
> 
> The Speak-Out, while an exercise of the First Amendment rights of free
> speech and free assembly and the right to petition one's government for a
> redress of grievances, was considered illegal under a Washington, D.C.
> statute which prohibits "demonstrating in the Capitol," and thus all
> sixteen members of the Brigade were arrested by the Capitol Police.
> After several hours of booking, they were released on their own
> recognizance and ordered to appear for arraignment in D.C. Superior Court
> on November 9.
> 
> "These are people from all walks of life engaging in a dramatic action
> because they know that Congress is guided more by corporate greed than by
> human need," said Jim Ace, Program Director of the Alliance for
> Democracy. "People are angry and they're willing to put their bodies on
> the line. They're taking democracy back, and they'll keep coming back
> until real reform becomes law."
> 
> Said Ace, "U.S. Senator Paul Simon of Illinois had it right when he said:
> 'Why do we have 41 million Americans without health care coverage?
> Because they are not big campaign contributors, and those who profit from
> the system are.'"
> 
> The Alliance for Democracy is a grassroots organization consisting of 60
> chapters in 21 states. The protest action on October 14
> was the sixth in a series of "Democracy Brigade" speak-outs in the
> Capitol Rotunda that began one year ago, with each action protesting
> campaign finance corruption and calling for full public funding of all
> federal elections.
> 
> For more information about the Alliance and the Democracy Brigades,
> please go to
> http://www.thealliancefordemocracy
> 
> or e-mail: jamesace at earthlink.net<br>
> 
> For more information on Health Care Justice Week (October 13-22) and
> other activities of the U2K Campaign, please go to
> http://www.u2kcampaign.org/
> 
> Jim Ace
> Clean Elections Direct Action Program Director
> 510-548-1256
> 
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