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Rally to Save Health Care
News links to articles about the rally:
Kennebec Journal: Rally decries attacks on new health care law
MPBN: Mainers Rally in Support Affordable Care Act
WABI-TV: Health Care Debate Rages in Augusta
MAINE CAN DO BETTER POSTPONES HEALTH CARE RALLY IN WAKE OF ARIZONA SHOOTING
AUGUSTA, ME: In the wake of this weekend’s tragic events in Arizona, the Maine Can Do Better Coalition has postponed Monday’s Affordable Care Act Rally. The rally was scheduled for 10am at the State House Hall of Flags and aimed at urging Governor Paul LePage and Attorney General William Schneider to support the Affordable Care Act.
In the place of the rally, the Maine Can Do Better Coalition is releasing this statement:
“All of us at Maine Can Do Better are deeply troubled by the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords that has left at least six people dead and another dozen or more injured.
“Today is a day to put aside our political differences and stand together as a nation. We urge all those who planned to attend Monday’s rally to instead pay tribute to the victims of this shooting by joining President Obama in his call for a national moment of silence at 11am.”
Following the rally, the Maine People’s Alliance planned to hand deliver postcards from Maine residents telling the Governor and Attorney General their personal stories about health care and why the Affordable Care Act matters to them. Those postcards will be delivered at later date.
Maine Can Do Better Affordable Health Care Rally
There is growing disappointment from a majority of Maine’s citizens that Maine’s new Attorney General and Governor will join other States in an ongoing Federal Court case opposing the Affordable Care Act (healthcare reform) or sometimes called Obamacare. Many consider this a negative approach to a much needed healthcare reform and in particular since this Federal Court case will more than likely end up at the US Supreme Court sometime in the future, with or without Maine’s participation. It is estimated to cost the Maine taxpayer $400,000 if the LePage administration joins this case.
Now is the time to support the new Affordable Care Act and have the 125th Maine Legislature make sure that the new Law is implemented and supportive of all Maine citizens.
Join Maine Can Do Better for a Rally at the State House!
WHEN: Monday, January 10th, at 10:00am
WHERE: The State House Hall of Flags
WHO: Maine Can Do Better Coalition, including AARP, American Lung Association of Maine, Engage Maine, Maine Center for Economic Policy, Maine Council for Senior Citizens – ARA, Maine Equal Justice Partners, Maine People’s Alliance, Maine State Employees Association – SEIU Local 1989, Maine Women’s Lobby, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and YOU!
P.S. Please send an electronic postcard to Governor Paul LePage and Attorney General William Schneider asking them to “STOP DENYING CARE” to thousands of Mainers by signing onto the lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act!
“States’ budget crises land on children”
Here’s a troubling story by the AP about the consequences of huge budget cuts by state government across the country. These consequences clearly demonstrate the need for fiscal responsibility and investment in public services.
“CHICAGO – Now the crisis is reaching the children
In Arizona, a program that helped blind high school students care for themselves and find jobs is suspended. In South Carolina, all five state-run group homes for kids closed and a program that helped paroled youths get jobs is shuttered. And in Hawaii, a program to reduce child abuse and neglect was cut so much that two years after serving 4,000 families, it now serves 100.
All over the country, the financial crisis has forced states to make historic cuts to close what the National Conference of State Legislatures found was an overall budget gap of $174.1 billion this fiscal year and has lawmakers looking to trim another $89 billion next year. That means slashing services to the one population they’ve long protected: children.” Read More.
“Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society”
As citizens we are all benefit from public programs and services. We’ve decided that public safety, education, and transportation play an important role in our prosperity. Sometimes, however, we fail to recognize that taxes are how we fund those services.
Here’s an excerpt from a great blog post on Alliance for a Better Minnesota, written by Eliot Seide, the executive director of AFSCME Council 5 in Minnesota, that puts it all in perspective.
“I started my day with a warm shower and I’m thankful for clean water and indoor plumbing. For much of the world, that’s a luxury. But not here, where we pay taxes.
I enjoy driving on smooth highways. The lines and lights keep me and other drivers safe. I also like to leave the car in the garage and ride the train to a ballgame.
I’m grateful for the teacher who taught my sons to read “Where the Wild Things Are” and for the bus driver who got them to school safely each day. I appreciate the lunch lady who filled their tummies with broccoli and the coach who boosted their confidence.
I love the library workers who help minds soar. They open the doors to a world of information that helps us learn, prosper and have fun. Where else can you get free and equal access to knowledge?
I treasure our state parks for affordable family vacations. Nothing can match a campfire along the North Shore or a hike on a well-groomed nature trail. Rent a canoe, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch a walleye stocked in a lake by your tax dollars.
Whatever you think about the war in Iraq, I’m grateful for our soldiers and a strong military that can fight for peace. I also deeply appreciate the caregivers who heal the veterans who risked everything to serve our country.
I’m grateful that our society provides a safety net, however imperfect, for those less fortunate than me.
Finally, I’m blessed with a good job that I enjoy. Without work, there are no taxes. This year, there are 212,000 unemployed Minnesotans who cannot pay taxes. Those of us who can pay should consider ourselves lucky. “
Read the full blog here.