What a week of Healthcare Not Warfare action!
Dear PDA,
With the passing of the sixth anniversary of the Iraq War this past week, making our desire to redirect wasteful military spending to meet human needs has been front and center. I began last Tuesday morning on a journey to join as many of you as possible in the trenches of our fight for single-payer—publicly funded and privately delivered—healthcare for all.
It has been an incredible week of positive activism and energy:
*The Burlington, Vermont, regional White House forum on healthcare reform where more than 400 activists chanted, “Everybody In and Nobody Out,” outside the Davis Center at the University of Vermont.
*The amazing forum held at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on Wednesday night.
- Two special events in Northampton, Massachusetts on Thursday and Friday with John Nichols of The Nation and Rep. John Conyers. More than 800 people turned out on Friday evening in Massachusetts for our PDA forum on single payer health reform. Our panel energized local activists and many who are new in our ranks. The movement is growing not only in numbers but also in intensity and clarity of purpose.
*Another single payer action outside the third regional White House forum on health reform, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday March 23.
*And, today I’ll be on hand when PDAers in Illinois celebrate the reintroduction of HB311, the Illinois state single-payer bill. I will finally spend some time with Illinois Governor Quinn in Springfield, as single payer advocates are honored for their efforts.
Our work is making a difference from coast to coast, and as media coverage accelerates for the rallies and protests, it is a critical time to keep our energy and action moving ever forward.
Join me as we continue this marvelous fight for healthcare justice. There is no better way and no better time than now to dig deep and push hard.
Yours in the movement,
Donna Smith
PDA Healthcare NOT Warfare Co-chair
Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots PAC that works both inside the Democratic Party and outside in movements for peace and justice. Our goal in 2009: Work with and increase the progressive majority in Congress as we build on our 2008 electoral successes. PDA’s advisory board includes seven members of Congress and activist leaders such as Tom Hayden, Medea Benjamin, Thom Hartmann, Jim Hightower, and Rev. Lennox Yearwood.
