UPDATE –THE WORD IS OUT
Apparently the same Tea Party officials who brought you Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project and yesterday’s Michelle Bachmann “march” on Washington DC have found out about our plans. According to an e-mail that we received from the Americans for Prosperity (AFP):
We’ve learned that Democrat operatives and MoveOn.org are planning to protest Sen. Pilcher-Cook this Saturday, and now it’s time for our side to take action.
A number of organizations are coming together to counter-protest this group on Saturday, to help defend one of our Kansas legislators who is showing real leadership on the healthcare front.
If you’re unaware of the group AFP, I’ll fill you in on a little background information. David Koch, of Koch Industries from Wichita, is the primary funder of the group. Far from a true grassroots organization, this group has paraded its army of paid “activists” all around the nation to try and destroy the hopes of Americans and Kansans to get true Health Care Reform.
The Kansans — and I can’t stress that word enough — Kansans, who are involved in this pro-Reform march are doing this because the threat of the status quo is terrifying to them. They are speaking out for the tens-of-thousands who have already lost their life because of a lack of health care. They are speaking up for the uninsured Kansans who deserve real reform, including the choice of a public health insurance option.
It is for this reason that over 1500 calls have been made to KS Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook’s constituents to this date, with more being made tomorrow. It is for this reason that none, I repeat none, of the pro-Reform rally members will be bused in from surrounding areas — like American’s for Prosperity and David Koch did in Washington DC yesterday.
The action that we are taking is the definition of grass-roots, we only benefit when good legislation, designed to benefit Kansans — regardless of political stripe — is passed.
PLEASE — If you haven’t already done so, call your friends and inform them of the march this weekend. We need as many local people as possible to help counter the growing swarm of astro-turf activism designed at preventing action on health care, which all Kansans deserve.
ORIGINAL POST
The people of Kansas are smarter than to believe the misleading language of the proposed amendment, and will collectively fight to ensure it fails.
Despite the misleading title of this amendment – the Health Care Freedom Amendment – it would actually deny the citizens of Kansas the freedom to CHOOSE a public health insurance option.
Through vague language that is meant to appease a small population of tea party activists within the Republican party, Kansas State-Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook is attempting to deny Kansans the very health care she herself receives.
The non-specified intention of this legislation is to ensure that whatever reform the US Congress passes does not take effect in Kansas. This amendment is vaguely worded, designed to prevent the federal government from requiring an employer to provide health insurance benefits for their Kansas employees, and requiring an individual without insurance get it.
The unintended consequence would likely be the refusal of federal funds to provide for the setting up of a health care exchange, and subsidized benefits for poor and uninsured Kansans. This would prevent the Public Health Insurance Option from being a choice for all Kansans.
According to a study released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in July about the benefits of the Affordable Health Choices Act being debated in the US Congress:
- Over 250,000 Kansans who currently are unable to purchase health care would gain access to high quality, affordable care.
- Over 65,000 Kansas small businesses would have the possibility of receiving tax credits to provide for coverage of their employees.
- Over 44,000 Kansas seniors would avoid a hole in Medicare Part D that currently exists, drastically improving their care.
- Over 4,100 Kansan families would escape the clutches of bankruptcy due to affordable health care.
This Saturday the constituents of Sen. Pilcher-Cook’s district will be gathering to show their support for the actions of Rep. Dennis Moore in support of Health Care Reform, and speaking out for the hundreds of thousands of Kansans who cannot afford for her amendment to pass.
Through a multi-pronged approach, a variety of local activists have teamed up to ensure that Sen. Pilcher-Cook knows that her constituents will not be fooled into supporting a misleadingly worded amendment with the intention of denying Kansans the true CHOICE of a public insurance option and more affordable care.
Phase I – Education
A number of concerned citizens will be calling constituents in Sen. Pilcher-Cook’s district to inform them of her intentions.
Phase II – Demonstration
On Saturday, November 7th 2009, local activists and constituents will be joining together for a march to demonstrate against said amendment. This march has already received the support of the Kansas Young Democrats and the local MoveOn chapter. You can find more information on the facebook event page.
Phase III – Personal Correspondence
Constituents of KS State-Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook will be encouraged to write their legislator, and invited to letter-writing parties held across the district. The details and locations for this phase be announced in the coming days.
The citizens of Kansas deserve real health care reform, not empty rhetoric intended to benefit the health insurance industry. Sen. Pilcher-Cook needs to know that her constituents do not stand with her in supporting such ludicrous amendments actually designed to limit their choices when it comes to health insurance.
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