So, John Kitzhaber says he's the agent of change in the next governor's election. Really? Okay John, prove it. (Other candidates for governor take note. If appointed to the district 22 state senate seat or not you can be sure I'll be asking these questions loudly, publicly and often.)
If the answer is YES to ALL of these essential change issues then I'll support Kitzhaber.
1. Will John Kitzhaber support a Single Payer solution to Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis:
a) recognize and join the groups listed below that support Single Payer?
b) endorse the boycott of Whole Foods whose CEO wrote a guest editorial in the WSJ against Single Payer?
c) encourage his fans to join him on Oregon Single Payer Sick Out Day to demonstrate for single payer HR 676 in front of Oregon's congressional offices statewide? (see below)
d) acknowledge the letter sent to and ignored by all members of the 2007 and 2009 legislative assemblies (see below) by introducing and supporting the Oregon Community Health Care Bill (based on his Oregon Health Plan) and any other single payer type plans ASAP?
e) demand a full honest and robust hearing of all those Oregonians who support single payer?
f) replace the monstrously complex, costly and illegitimately derived health care legislation passed in 2007, refined and partially funded in 2009 with the results of the Single Payer legislative discussion and debate?
2. Will John Kitzhaber support reapportionment of congressional districts based on the MOST COMPETITIVE distribution of Republican Democrats, Independents, Greens etc.?
3. Will John Kitzhaber support the top two primary winners system wherein all candidates for an office would compete against each other regardless of party, and the two candidates with the most votes would then advance to the general election?
If any of his answers are NO or even equivocal then Kitzhaber's time in the wilderness will be of no use to Oregonians who want to unshackle the political and policy chains of the status quo power structure held upon us by the Democratic and Republican parties and their cabal of candidate funding enablers whose contributions demand policies favorable to their own economic enrichment not political problem solving for the common good.
Oregon Single Payer Sick Out Day - 12 to 2 PM
Please join me as single payer citizen activist or single payer state senator (dependent upon the serious commitment to Single Payer by the Democratic Party of Multnomah county and the Multnomah county commission) in late September or early October in demonstrations at congressional offices throughout Oregon. The date will be determined by the scheduled vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Single Payer HR 676. Demonstrations will be most effective a week or so before the vote. There will be very little notice from the Speaker's office, a week or less, announcing the date of the debate and vote. The best way to be alerted is to sign up here: http://www.majorityleader.gov/email_and_rss/email_updates/ and click on The Weekly Leader check box. Thanks to representative Peter DeFazio's office for this information. Several staffers from representative Earl Blumenauer's office were actually hostile in their refusal to provide any help. Blumenauer has long been opposed to Single Payer so his staff's arrogance is not totally unexpected.
I will alert Oregon Health Watchers as soon as I receive any notice to set a date for an Oregon wide demonstration. Prepare yourself for short notice. Bring a lunch, bring a friend, bring a sign. Every Oregonian that supports a Single Payer health care solution, especially those members of the groups listed below, is invited to take to the streets and take control of the health care debate.
FYI
The following groups support a Single Payer Solution to America's/Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis. They are expected to announce to their members and constituents along with Oregon Health Watchers the date of Single Payer Sick Out Day.
AFSCME District Council 75 - http://www.afscme.org/directory/181_366.cfm
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 - http://www.atu757.org/welcome.htm
American Federation of Government Employees Local 2157 - http://www.afge2157.org/
American Federation of Teachers Local 5017 - http://www.aftnw.org/
Democratic Party of Lane County - http://www.dplc.org/officials.htm
Freedom Socialist Party - www.socialism.com
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees - http://www.iatse-intl.org/home.html
Lane County Commission - http://www.co.lane.or.us/
Multnomah County Commission - http://www.multco.us/portal/site/MultnomahCounty
Newly Enlightened Oregon Legislators - Michael Dembrow, rep.michaeldembrow@state.or.us
Newly Enlightened Members of Oregon's Congressional Delegation ???????
Oregon Academy of Family Physicians - http://www.oafp.org/DigestofCongressOAFP2009.htm
Oregon Education Association - http://www.oregoned.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dKKKYMDH&b=123024
Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals - http://www.ofnhp.com/?view=home
Oregon Nurses Association - http://oregonrn.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=173
Oregon Teamsters Local 206 - http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/news_releases/2008-11-18
Pacific Green Party of Oregon - http://www.pacificgreens.org/cat-get-involved/contact-us/
Painters Local 10 - http://www.unions.org/home/v-20104-37-IUPAT-.htm
State Council of Machinists (IAM) - http://www.iamdl24.org/
February 8, 2009
Dear House Speaker Hunt and Senate President Courtney Et. Al.:
The current legislative debate over health care reform in our state does not include our view that the profit oriented private health insurance industry must not be the model upon which a solution to Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis should be based and that Oregon elected officials - public employees - voters and taxpayers must have EQUAL ACCESS to the SAME LEVEL of health care NOT a perpetuation of our current multitiered health insurance CLASS system.
We request that you find a place holder bill in each chamber which would substitute in its entirety the language of the Oregon Community Health Care Bill (see attached) so that an alternative choice may be discussed and debated this session. The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is the only current fully formed piece of proposed legislation which supports our vision of health care reform. We would welcome others that also meet our requirements.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Richard Ellmyer - Oregon Community Health Care Bill author 2007
Sam Adams - Portland City Council 2007
Jeff Cogen - Multnomah County Commissioner 2007
Edwars "Chip" Enbody - Hubbard City Council 2007
Darrell Flood - Mayor of Lafayette 2007
Bill Hall - Lincoln County Commissioner 2007
Jim Needham - Mollala City Council 2007
Michelle Ripple - Wilsonville City Council 2007
Mary Schamehorn - Mayor of Bandon 2007
Pete Sorenson - Lane County Commissioner 2007
John Frohnmayer - Former candidate for US Senate 2008
Tim Grimes - Staton City Council 2008
David P. Trott - Mayor City of Umatilla 2008
Bill Dwyer - Lane County Commissioner 2008
Dan K. Cummings - Ontario City Council President 2008
Mark Camra - Toledo City Councilor 2009
Don Porter - Mayor of Long Creek 2009
Thomas Bradley - Long Creek City Council 2009
Fred Drake - Long Creek City Council 2009
Alvin Hunt - Long Creek City Council 2009
[Copies of this letter were sent to all members of the 2009 Oregon Legislature]
Richard Ellmyer