Healthcare-Now of Maryland Annual Meeting and Public Forum a great success!
February 22, 2011
We had a great meeting Tuesday night! Thank you to all who attended. The Peabody Room was packed.
Bekah Mandell and Sandra Schlosser of the Vermont Workers Center “Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign” shared the story of their three year effort to build a strong single payer grassroots in Vermont. They used Truth Hearings, Accountability Sessions and Photo Petitions to educate and grow. The result has brought single payer to the forefront of the discussion in Vermont. You can see their presentation in the video below.
Bekah made the excellent point that during the last national health debate, the model for reform was Massachusetts. It is important that for the next national debate, which we anticipate will occur within five years, that there be a state single payer model. For this reason, it is important that we support the VT efforts.
To learn more about the Vermont Workers Center and to find out how to support them, visit www.workerscenter.org. At present they are in need of donations to support the hiring of organizers. They are also looking for Marylanders to join their May 1st rally in Montpelier.
We would like to thank The Silverbacks for opening the meeting with music. They were fantastic! Many thanks to
Vocalist: Marianna Mujica
Piano: Richard Schroeder
Bass: Kevin Shaner
Percussion: John Kessell
Trombone: Professor Anthony Lehman, MD
Woodwinds: Donn Teubner-Rhodes, MD
Many thanks also to Dr. Dick Humphrey, our emcee, and Rod Ryon of Healthcare-Now of MD. And thanks to Maurice Morales for videotaping the meeting.
Here are links to the videos:
Annapolis Health Care Update
National Update
Sandra Schlosser and Bekah Mandell