On Labor Day I went to the East Moline
Labor Day Parade to gather signatures for Health Care For America Now’s 
petition drive supporting health care reform with a strong public insurance
option. A group of us spread out through the crowd of labor and political
activists lining up to march in the parade, asking for their signatures and
doing our best to answer their questions. Most people signed without
hesitation, although a few had been confused by the anti-reform media campaign.
(Here is a good line to use with people who are concerned about socialized
medicine, the government interfering with doctors’ practices, or death panels –
the American Medical Association, a group of very conservative doctors,
endorsed H.R. 3200 (the bill in the House). Do you think any of those things
could possibly be part of any bill the AMA would endorse? I mean, really!)

Of course not everyone signed. One common reason for being against reform is
having good health insurance yourself, and not wanting to risk your taxes going
up to pay for anyone else. One young man told me his health insurance didn’t
cost anything. I told him it probably cost his employer plenty, and that it was
quite possible that with the cost of a family plan projected to double in ten
years, his employer might want to charge him something for his insurance in the
future. No, he thought it would be “a long time” before they would do that. And
he didn’t want his taxes going up. Oh well, his fear of taxes blinds him from
seeing that the money his employer pays for his health insurance results in him
getting less in wages! (Just working this out in my head, I think this young
man might be on to something. If his employer paid him more, he would have to
pay more taxes. So for him, health care expenses depressing his wages might be
a good thing!)

It was a beautiful day, we got oodles of signatures, and we cleared up some
confusion on the issue. We also marched in the parade, since they were short a
few people to carry a banner. And super-activist Caroline Vernon held her and (Farmer) Dan DeShane’s life size skeleton off the back of a golf cart, with a sign
around his neck “The GOP Health Care Reform Plan. Our motto: Hurry up and die!”
The skeleton was a big hit with the kids!

You don’t have to walk around getting (a sunburn and) signatures on a
petition or dress up a skeleton to help get quality affordable health care for
all (with a strong public option). From the comfort of home you can:

·       
Watch President Obama’s address to Congress on
the issue on Wednesday night so you can answer questions about reform when
friends or family ask.

·       
Write a letter in your own words saying you want
a strong public insurance option and email it to Barack Obama at info@barackobama.com where the staff at
Organizing for America will see you were a donor and a volunteer; you can send
it to the White House; you can
send it to your representative
in Congress and your Senators.

·       
If Barack Obama inspired you to get involved in
his campaign, sign the petition for Obama supporters – Yes We Still Can
Petition for a Strong Public Option

·       
If you can make a financial contribution, give
to members of Congress on our side (to offset the millions of dollars those on
the other side are getting from the drug companies and private insurance
industry) – Support Progressive Change

Unions: The people who brought you weekends.  (Thank goodness for the labor movement!)

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