Prog Dems of Buncombe Meeting July 07

Progressive Democrats of Buncombe Meeting on July 10, 2007 Minutes

We started the meeting with introductions and brief explanations as to why we came to the meeting. Elaine Lite is running for Asheville City Council and she is very concerned with over-development issues in Asheville. Joe C is concerned with western North Carolina issues and with our world image. Bill H is from Polk County, and David G is from Clay County. Tom and Barbara C were there from Madison County. Gary R and John R and Bob L from Buncombe County also attended. There were ten people there total, from four western NC counties.

We had a discussion on our health care system and health care in general. About half the group had seen SiCKO. We discussed what our system will pay for and what it will not pay for – it is geared towards treating illness rather than keeping people healthy. Insurance companies seem to do what they want, and so do the physicians. The money is in procedures, not in prevention. If it is something that cannot be cured, they won’t treat it. We discussed health care in Canada and how it is covered there. Obama, Kucinich and Edwards all have a health care plan, but the group felt we need to ask other politicians if they will support universal, single payer system. It was recognized that we need to cut out our health insurance industries to achieve this. Pharmaceutical industries need to be not for profit also. Susan has handed out PDA and Kucinich flyers after the movie SiCKO. Bob brought up the impact the uninsured have on our society.

We discussed how the media follows a narrative, like a herd. Most voters are not educated about issues, so politicians and media appeal to people’s emotions. The group felt that the majority of people are oblivious and uninformed, and our presidential debates are just sound bites. We discussed how we could get to the point of promoting healthcare. We also discussed Project Vote Smart, which shows how legislators have voted. We also discussed an email service that tells you how someone voted in DC, and what votes are upcoming. You can sign up for those emails here. Barbara talked about Kids Voting and how that may promote voting in kids and even get their parents in to vote.

One person brought up the presidential race and asked who we can support that will advance our issues. Most felt that Kucinich was on target with all the issues, but some felt that he was not electable as president.

Barbara talked about Tom Paine – Campaign for America’s future. Here is a direct link to the article on SiCKO.

“This is where two different tendencies in the health care movement diverge. Some people want to understand which of the possible nominees has the best plan—or discuss how we put pressure on him or her to get better. The other reaction—which I've gotten in person and in angry emails—says don't even bother talking about the promising proposals coming from politicians like Edwards and Obama. They are just not as good as Kucinich's plan (H.R. 676) which would create one national public (single-payer) health plan for everyone. Michael Moore, although he has generally wisely stayed above the details of specific policy, has given a few interviews dismissing Edwards and Obama as fatally flawed because they preserve a role for private insurers.

Now, there is nothing wrong with unremitting public pressure. If everyone who sees "SiCKO" is enlisted in the Kucinich campaign—and if everywhere the other candidates go, they are confronted with crowds chanting for single-payer, it could (in theory) convince Obama or Hillary or Edwards to embrace H.R. 676. Or failing that, if a Democrat gets to the White House anyway, he or she (or the more progressive new Congress) might be forced to support a pure single-payer plan sometime after the election. The debate about health care for all won't be over on Election Day, it just begins. And everyone should energically raise their voices. Tell the politicians that we want a comprehensive health care plan that covers everyone. And those who think HR 676 is the only way to achieve that goal, should be vociferous—and they will. That kind of democracy in action is good.”

Tom has a suggestion for Progressive Democrats of America – that they contact other organizations for health care reform and work with them. (That was forwarded to PDA leadership.) Susan told the group about PDA’s phone meetings and suggested that someone get on the health care issues phone call from PDA to keep this issue going. Susan is on the Out of Iraq phone meetings (two calls a month) and state leadership meeting. There are several others and it would be good to have someone from this district on those meetings. Here are the other issues covered: Clean, Fair, Transparent, & Accurate Elections Issue Organizing Team; PDA Fundraising Team Call; Healthcare for All/Single Payer Issue Organizing Team; Economic Justice Issue Organizing Team; and Inside the Democratic Party Focus Group. Leave a message in the blog if you want to volunteer.

Tom talked about a NC issue, which was publicly funded elections for state level offices. Tom and Barbara went to Raleigh to lobby for this with various Representatives. He said that Rep. Cullie Tarleton was on the committee for this issue and he is from Watauga County. I said I would email a friend up there to encourage her to lobby Rep. Tarleton some more.

We discussed the movie “War Made Easy” and everyone agreed that this would be more singing to the choir, since the people who would likely come are already against the war. We felt the majority of the population was now against the war on Iraq. Susan will be holding Honk to Impeach signs on the Flint Street Bridge on Mondays from 5 to 5:30 (unless it rains) until Labor Day. There is information from Democracy NC and Common Cause NC at the bottom of this email.

Next meeting is on October 10, 2007 at 7 PM. Location will be North Asheville Library.

Minutes by Susan

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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MoveOn is having a nationwide action on Tuesday, July 17th. This action is directed towards Senator Burr and Dole, to pressure them not to filibuster the Iraq Withdrawal bill. They are stating it is a “Counter-Filibuster” protest. They will meet at 5 PM at Otis Street and Patton Avenue, in front of the Federal Building in Asheville and at 401 Main Street in Hendersonville. Please bring signs to support ending the war or other appropriate signs.

ALSO – Cindy Sheehan will lead a rally in Charlotte on July 17 – there is a carpool leaving from Westgate Shopping Center at 8:30 tomorrow morning. There is a rally at Rep. Watt’s office at noon and another one at Hadley Park at 5 PM. (I realize you may get this too late, but it was just decided on Monday.)

07/26/07 Buncombe County Democratic Party will hold a Regional Town Hall meeting for Democrats to discuss resolutions that were passed at the district level. This starts at 6 PM at the party headquarters at 951 Fairview Road. Contact Kathy Sinclair, Chair, for more information at hq@buncombedems.org

08/04/07 Peace Rally, March, Action for Abolition in Oak Ridge Tennessee - see http://www.stopthebombs.org/ WNC Peace Coalition will meet at Westgate Mall to carpool to this event at 8 AM.

08/08/07 Southeast Convergence for Climate Action – It runs until August 14, 2007. Registration is required, and scholarships are available. See www.climateconvergence.org (select southeast) or call 828-675-1792.

08/09/07 Prayer vigil and candle luminaries at Pritchard Park to mark the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. This will be from 8 to 9:30 PM.

8/24/07 to 08/26/07 Southern Energy & Environment Expo (SEEEXPO) go to www.seeexpo.com for more information.

08/25/07 NC Democratic Party State Executive Meeting in Greensboro, NC.

09/19/07 Prayer vigil and candle luminaries at Pritchard Park to mark 4 ½ years of illegal occupation of Iraq. This will be from 8 to 9:30 PM.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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FROM DEMOCRACY NC: VICTORY! Same-Day Registration has passed the NC General Assembly! The final version of the bill was approved in the NC House by a 69-47 margin and the NC Senate by 35-15. Governor Mike Easley has indicated that he will sign the bill into law soon. This would make NC the 9th state in the nation to have Same-Day Registration. History was made in NC -- and you helped make it. This shows what we can achieve when we work together. Thanks again to all those who emailed, called and sent letters to your legislators expressing your support for Same-Day Registration.

In a state where voter disenfranchisement has all too often reared its ugly head, a step towards a new and very different era of voter empowerment was boldly taken today. With the leadership of Rep. Deborah Ross, Sen. Larry Shaw and other legislators, backed by a large coalition of concerned citizens, SDR is now a reality. Thank you!

AND: The General Assembly has just authorized the Town of Chapel Hill to sponsor it's own public financing program for candidates in municipal elections in 2009 and 2011. The bill (H-483) just passed the state Senate with guidance from Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, after clearing the House under the strong leadership of Rep. Verla Insko, with new House Speaker Joe Hackney. The Town Council unanimously requested this authority, and several members were among many of you who lobbied for this victory. Now it's on to the implementation phase, which will likely take many months and involve the public and elections officials. The program is not for this year, but just for elections in 2009 and 2011; then it must be reauthorized.

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And from Common Cause NC (they also covered the above two items):

Jim Black- an example of the need for public financing

Former state House Speaker Jim Black receives a 5 year prison sentence and a $50,000 fine for taking illegal cash payments. A sad but powerful exclamation mark to what is likely the biggest money in politics scandal to hit state government. I attended the court proceeding in Raleigh on Wednesday, watching once one of North Carolina's most powerful politicians be reduced to a common criminal. What Black did was wrong- but it's a symptom of the big money politics system that dominates North Carolina elections. This culture won't change until more reforms are passed. Candidates need an alternative from the money chase. A new system promoting candidates to be accountable to the people rather than beholden to the wealthy special interests is needed. The answer is comprehensive public financing. Read "Black's sentencing casts shadow on lawmakers" from the Greensboro News Record

And, they ask for some action on your part: Write a letter to the editor of your local paper! While the Jim Black scandal is an unfortunate event, we can use it to draw attention to the problems of money in politics. We need your help to publicize the issue across the state. Here are some talking points:

>Jim Black received a $500,000 "loan" from a lobbyist
>personal loans from lobbyists to legislators are illegal (due to last years' new lobbying law) and Jim Black has been sentenced to 5 yrs. in prison
>However, legislators still rely too heavily on lobbyists for campaign contributions.
>Lobbyists can raise unlimited amounts of money for legislators-we need to change this
>If a lobbyist raises large sums of money for a legislator, that legislator is likely to recall the campaign donation when he/she is deciding on legislation
>We need to reduce legislator dependence on lobbyist fundraising
>We need to add to last year's lobbying/ethics laws and ban lobbyists from raising unlimited money for campaigns

These are just some ideas. Put them in your own words. Most letters to the editor are less than 200 words. A majority of papers accept letters to the editor through their websites. Please contact Diane Tworog (dtworog@commoncause.org, 919-836-0027) with any questions. We'd like letters published all over the state, particularly in the big papers: Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Greenville. We need your help!!!

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On line video “Terrorism USA-style 1980’s” tells us what Bush Sr. was up to 25 years ago, and what has not changed in the last 25 years. Bill Moyers speaks about the ‘secret government’ and the shameless, contemptuousness of the law by our elected officials and other higher level members of our military. I recommend this video. It is about 2 hours long.

http://brasschecktv.com/page/122.html