(Part 1, The Birth of a Coalition)
With the introduction of HR676 and the inspiration of the movie “Sicko” Joanne O’Neill of “Progressive Democracy South Jersey PDA/DFA” contacted several community based and other grass roots groups in the Camden County, NJ/Philadelphia Pa area. Those that responded met at Leonetti’s, a small restaurant in Oaklyn. Twenty-two (22) people, representative of 5 groups, “Progressive Democracy South Jersey”, “Health Care Now”, South Jersey Movement for Justice and Peace PACMC”, “South Jersey Coalition for Peace and Justice”, “National Alliance of Women Veterans”, the “Green party” and the “Greater Camden Unity Coalition”, most from different backgrounds, issues and priorities Came together that day in June and agreed on 2 issues and the “Members of South Jersey Coalition for HR (house resolution) 676” was born. The first issue, the healthcare system in America today is broken and we can count on the healthcare industry to make it worse. It is based on a “for profit system” with “profit” being the motivating force the range of “coverage” based on a downward sliding scale of “the lower the income the smaller the coverage” or as the Nixon administration put it “more profit less health care”. Those that can afford complete, comprehensive health insurance will receive better medical benefits than those that can’t. The second, we can’t count on Congress or the states to fix the problem. Politicians are either willing pawns or impotent when the healthcare industries out lobby the people, when their campaign coffers get bigger with the contributions from these industries and their lobbyists and when the industry itself writes the laws for Congress (Hillary Clinton tops the list on both counts). This new coalition decided Americans have a right to make informed decisions needed to be told the truth about “single payer health care”. They then decided on a course of action an interactive heath care forum. The result? “Healthcare For All” “A Prescription For Change” September 10th, 7 pm – 10 pm AtRutgers University(in Campus Center on the Camden Campus)onThe corner of N 3rd St and Lawrence StCamden, NJWithHealthcare horror stories, expert speakers, and Q&A from the audience It’s free and all are welcome to join in the discussion
