Health Care Reform Update: Iowa Stands with Dr. Dean’s Small Business Pledge Drive

This is getting serious folks. When the other side resorts to shouting you down, you know they are desperate. They may be frantic because we are winning, but they are also pulling out all the stops. We need each and every person to help in some way right now if we are going to prevail.

Some easy and really important things you can do:

Contact your members of Congress, including the ones that just need a thank you. (The other side is making nasty calls and your Congress member’s interns need those friendly calls for their emotional well-being.)

Attend a town hall with your member of Congress.

Leave your usual progressive blogs and go to your local paper’s website to comment on articles, letters to the editor, and blog posts on health care reform (like Quadsville.com for the Quad-City Times). Do the same at other websites the less-informed visit.

Talk to your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and local business owners to correct the myths about health care reform spread by the other side. If you need more information, contact your local health care activists and organizations like Health Care for America Now and Change That Works. There is a new “reality check” website at the White House combating the distortions. You can also follow Dr Dx’s Series responding to false claims about HR 3200 here at BlogforIowa.com.

Get involved with local actions, like Democracy for America’s August action, the Small Business Pledge Drive, and innumerable other actions that are happening all over Iowa.  If you can’t participate directly, make a financial contribution.

Stand with Dr. Dean is a national Democracy for America activity, and those of us in the health care reform trenches think the Small Business Pledge Drive  could really make a difference. Our local DFA group, DFA-Quad Cities, will be participating in the Small Business Pledge Drive. We are meeting on Wednesday, August 12 at 6 pm, at Governor’s in Bettendorf, Iowa to plan the action, if you live in the area and want to attend (click on the calendar page at the DFA-QC website for more details). It is very easy, and it doesn’t matter if you have one volunteer or twenty, it will be worthwhile. The bill proposed in the House, HR 3200, is great for small business owners. It will give you a chance to inform them about the bill, and let your members of Congress know that business owners in their district want a bill including a strong public plan option. If you are in a local DFA group, contact your organizer and see if you could lead this action for the group. Don’t hesitate to contact national DFA in Vermont at field@democracyforamerica.com if you have questions, ideas, or need materials.

Now go out there and do something!

Alta
Price is a physician practicing Pathology in Davenport, Iowa. One of
the original Deaniacs, she stays involved with Democracy for America,
Iowa, and the Quad Cities. She advocates for quality, affordable health
care for all, primarily as a volunteer with Progressive Action for the
Common Good (Health Care Reform Issue Forum).  Watch for Dr. Price's Health Care Reform Update every Tuesday here on Blog for Iowa.  E-Mail Alta Price