Washblog

We have heard over and over again that if we hope to achieve progressive policies in our state and country at this time, we must build a grassroots movement to make it happen. President Obama has repeated what FDR said when he was being lobbied to pass some of the progressive social programs of the New Deal: "Make me do it." A mass gathering is a significant way to galvanize people to act and to drum up the power of our numbers. A major event that brings people together and communicates to the policy makers that people want change and they want it now is a key tactic for community organizers and has influenced policy makers throughout the history of our country.

The Washington State HCAN coalition proposes this event but the march must have widespread participation from all communities to create the pressure we need to win health care. This event will build toward health care reform efforts on the national scale, particularly to a national mobilization coordinated by the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) campaign. States around the nation will be holding events around the country in April and May to build to a June 25th national event with tens of thousands of people in Washington D.C.

Theme: HCAN proposes a Mother leading the way for health care reform theme. The theme highlights a powerful message that connects people across communities and their personal stories and families to the fight for national health care reform. Regardless of a person's personal connection to motherhood, the concept of mothers protecting loved ones is well known. Focused, clear messages have the most success transferring to the media and the general public, and the imagery of Mothers for Health Care will garner much attention. This theme is not meant to exclude any non-mother parties, but rather, it's meant to evoke and convey the previously mentioned messages when it comes to health care.

Mothers and health care: Health care, like many institutions in our society are not gender neutral unfortunately. Two years ago, the median expense paid by women under 45 years old using high deductible health plans is $1266-$800 more than it is for men.  A year ago, 74.6 percent of health care workers in America identified as women.  "Women have traditionally been the health care decision makers, and that's translated over to politics, too," Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners has said.  

And while we recognize that not all women are mothers, women as mothers play a significant role in their families' health care, with 8 in 10 mothers taking on the chief responsibility for their children's health care.  

Program: As we focus on winning health care reform within the year, we have come to a point where we need people out in the streets showing the people's mandate for reform. With the political energy around health care in President Obama's administration, now is the time to mobilize the absolutely biggest event we can build. That means, working to build as broad a base as possible, bringing nationally prominent speaker(s), and musicians and entertainment with broad appeal. Staying true to the theme and raising up community voices, all speakers will fit the theme of Mothers for Health Care.

Some organizational endorsements

65th Street Change Gang
American Friends Service Committee
Casa Latina
Chapter 3 of Retired Public Employees of Washington
El Centro de la Raza
Healthy Washington Coalition
Issues Committee of the First District Democrats
Jobs with Justice
Northwest Women's Law Center
One America
Physicians for a National Health Program
Planned Parenthood
Religious Coalition for the Common Good
Service Employees International Union
Sound Alliance
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21
Washington Bus
Washington CAN
Washington Federation of State Employees
Washington State Labor Council
Latino Heat
Youth Eastside Services

Endorsment form

Please send us the following information if your organization would like to endorse the May 30th mobilization for health care.

Organization:
Contact person:
Phone:   
Email:

Please mark if you or your organization would like to be a part of a committee:

_ Logistics       
_ Program       
__ Media/Publicity
__Outreach       
__Fundraising

Contact Information

Chair: Lynne Nguyen: lynneln@gmail.com
Logistics committee: Sunny Kim at sunny@washingtoncan.org
Media/Publicity:  contact Tom Geiger at tgeiger@ufcw21.org
Program Committee: Joshua Welter at joshua@washingtoncan.org
Outreach Committee: Rachel Berkson at rberkson@seiuwa.org