Newsletter Topics It's Our Health Care
Single Payer Next Steps
Climate Change Petitions - Thanks!
Legislative "Rock Star" at GA
Quote of the Day

Dear Friends,

"We are on the verge of a populist reaction to the health system. The American people are on the point of being fed up.”  - Uwe E. Reinhardt, Princeton health economist as quoted in a review of Michael Moore's newly released movie "Sicko"

In California, the health care debate is entering a more intense phase in Sacramento. Policy makers know that the health care "system" is unraveling. Fear, frustration, illness, skyrocketing insurance premiums, seemingly minor "pre-existing conditions" that keep many from access to insurance, poor health outcomes, and premature death are all too prevelant.

Even California business leaders realize that the status quo is untenable and no longer form a monolithic block saying "No" to change.  Proposals from the Governor and legislation from four Senate and Assembly leaders are now under active consideration.

The  California Healthcare Foundation has good descriptions of the four competing concepts and legislation, as well as an informative power point presentation from the economic "modeler" who figured out how much business and individuals would need to chip in to fund the different plans.

The next 30 days are a critical time to express your opinion to your legislators.

The UU Legislative Ministry continues to encourage UUs to work toward single payer universal coverage with Health Care for All and the OneCareNow campaign supporting Senator Kuehl's SB840 as a comprehensive, sensible solution.  

As it is difficult to achieve the 2/3rd vote in the CA state legislature that is necessary to fund SB840, and believing that it is vital to make progress while we continue to build public awareness, we have also joined with the Its Our Healthcare Coalition , a collaboration of 53 organizations with links to over 9 million Californians.

We want to make sure that whatever the Governor, Assembly, and Senate are willing to pass and sign this year will be a step closer to affordable universal coverage for all.

The last time major healthcare legislation was passed and signed into law in California, requiring that large employers either provide health insurance or pay into state insurance pool (SB2), this law was taken to the ballot by restaurant, retail, and business interests and was repealled by a narrow margin.  90% of those who are regualr voters have health insurance, and are vulnerable to a well financed campaign that plays on people's fears.

It is clear that to really achieve health care we can all count on that we must not only pursue legislative solutions (a much better way to make decisions), we must also have a strong community education and organizing effort so that we can defend legislation at the ballot box if needed.

Thanks to all who are in your own way helping us find healing, wholeness, and come together as a whole community. Anyone can get sick. We are in this together.

Rev. Lindi Ramsden

Its Our Health Care - The "Party" Solution

We would love to see a big UU helping hand as we join with the Its Our Healthcare Coalition to host 1000 houseparties the weekend of June 7th. These are not fundraisers! You simply invite some friends, family, neighbors, folks from church over to your house (or you could do this after church as well), watch the DVD, invite people into discussion, and to contact their legislators via letter or phone call to share their story, opinion, concerns.  We will help you with all the details you will need to make your party easy, fun, and successful.

Sign up here, to host your own Healthcare House Party.

The press is starting to pick up on this coalition - see  an article in the San Bernardino County Sun

Single Payer Next Steps

Even though the Governor has tried to take the steam out of this movement, by vetoing SB840 last year, and by threatening to do so again. Senator Sheila Kuehl is very committed to this bill.  She chairs the Senate Health Committee and is a smart and seasoned legislator who is working hard to build the movement to pass this sensible, cost saving, choice enhancing legislation.

Governors have been known to change their minds - after looking more closely at an issue and feeling a ground swell of support. It is very important to keep working on this concept and bill.

As the other health care proposals are compared to the single payer universal coverage solution, SB840 gets more and more converts. Hold educational forums. Get lists of voters and educate people door to door. Watch the great video , make copies and give them to your friends. Ask your city council, school district, or county board of supervisors to sign on. The cost savings to school districts is astounding. Educate, educate, educate. The biggest enemy of a single payer solution is confusion and fear.

Climate Change Petitions - Thanks!

The This Little Light Bulb of Mine Award goes to members of the UU Church of Ventura, with a special hats off to Rachel Morris who reached out beyond her congregation to start Ventura County COOL. Together they collected 549 signatures on petitions asking Congress to require that we roll back greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.

All together we collected  2476 signatures - exceeding our goal of 2050 - not bad for such a quick turn-around. Thanks!!

Thanks to the following congregations who each did their part to help us have a greater impact: Berkeley Fellowship, Chalice UUs, Conejo Valley, Davis, Emerson, Fresno, Grass Valley, Kern County, Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Mission Peak, Mendocino Coast, Monterey Peninsula, Mt. Diablo, Neighborhood Church, North Bay UUs, Oakland, Orange Coast, Palomar, Palo Alto, Rancho Mirage, Redwood City, Riverside, Santa Monica, Sacramento Community, Sacramento Society, San Dieguito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita Valley, Santa Cruz County, Sepulveda, Sierra Foothills, Stanislaus County, Starr King UUs (Hayward), Stockton, Sunnyvale & Ventura.

 Thanks, you are making a difference.

UULM to host Climate Change "Legislative Rock Star" at GA

We are very excited that UULM is sponsoring former three term Assemblymember Fran Pavley from Agoura Hills as a featured speaker at General Assembly at 1PM on Saturday, June 23rd.

The UU Legislative Ministry also initiated the first collaborative booth for UU State Advocacy Networks - featuring the 14 states that are in some stage of development. Stop by our booth and say hello!

California Lawmakers Adopt Tough Climate Rules
NPR, May 23, 2007

"Pavley's passion has resonated beyond California. Ten other states have copied her blueprint for cutting car and truck emissions. And in climate change circles, this 57-year-old former teacher has become something of a rock star."

Quote of the Day

"If the early Universalists had envisioned the world to come as one where no one was abandoned, where no one was forever cut off from God’s love, where all shared a common destiny, the Universalism promoted by Clarence Skinner envisioned the world here and now as one where no one was abandoned, where no one was forever cut off from participation in the social and economic life of society, where all shared a common social and economic destiny.

Unitarian Universalists could make a worthwhile contribution applying this inclusive vision to the economic arrangements within our world today.  The term I would use for this vision is “economic anti-Calvinism,” for it calls for a world undivided between the haves and the have-nots, a world where no one is economically cast away and abandoned, a world where no one is forever damned to economic hell."
                                    - excerpt from We Are the Boat, We are the Sea: Interdependence and Economic Anti-Calvinism an award winnng sermon by the Reverend David Herndon

To contribute to the UULM Action Network CA and/or the UULM-CA, please visit our Donation pages. UULM Action Network, CA (non-tax deductible) UULM-CA (Tax deductible, for educational purposes). Monthly donors are vital to our work, and one time donations are also gratefully received.