From Unions for Single Payer

Montana Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has
said that in writing his new healthcare legislation “everything is on the
table” except single payer. One wonders if Senator Baucus has been
reading his home state newspapers or just listening to the lobbyists for
the private insurance industry. (www.Opensecrets.org).

After Baucus ruled single payer “off the table” in his search for an
“American” solution to the healthcare crisis, Montana’s newspapers have
carried several articles calling for Senator Baucus to put single payer
back on the table.

Writing in “The Great Falls Tribune” under the headline “Tell Sen. Baucus
Single-payer Should Be On the Table,” Gene Fenderson, who served for
twenty-five years as a union trustee of a Taft-Hartley joint healthcare
fund, wrote: “I maintain that a single-payer system must be on the table
because it can help save our present and future economic well being as a
state and nation.” Fenderson criticized the Baucus plan directly saying:
“Unfortunately, the Baucus plan simply adds even more layers of confusion
to this hodgepodge, which is already driving costs up and up for all
Americans. We can do better. We must do better. That is why a
single-payer system must be on the table.”

Fenderson concluded: “We need real change in health-care and we need it
now. Please join me in urging Sen. Baucus, all of our congressional
delegation and President-elect Obama to keep single-payer on the table and
a part of the discussion.”

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200901050500...

As if to add emphasis to Fenderson’s argument, a second article, this time
in the Helena Independent Record, reported on results of meetings held
throughout Montana at the urging of President Obama’s healthcare
transition team. The meetings were to report to the transition team what
ordinary citizens think about healthcare reform.

”The consensus of (our group) was that we did not see a lot of change
coming unless we went to a single-payer, universal health system,'' said
Deborah Hanson of Miles City, who organized a meeting of local citizens at
the behest of Obama's transition team. “That was sort of a general
consensus - knowing, of course, that may not happen.''

“The Miles City meeting, held Dec. 21 at Hanson's home, was one of several
in Montana and thousands held across the nation during the last two weeks
of December.”

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/01/07/top/53lo_09017_healthcare.txt

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Senator Baucus was attending a lavish
pre-inaugural ball at a posh nightclub where he told Brian Ross of ABC
News that “lobbyists just want what’s best for America.” Baucus also had
praise for the drug, insurance and other lobbyists who paid for the party,
saying: “They really care about our country.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6694754

So the question remains. Who does Senator Baucus listen to?

Call, write or Fax Senator Baucus and tell him single payer should be on
the table and should be given a full and fair hearing by the Senate
Finance Committee.

Senator Max Baucus
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2651(Office)
(202) 224-9412 (Fax)

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PLEASE NOTE: OUR WEBSITE AT http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org

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HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system in the U.S. by
expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident.

HR 676 would cover every person in the U. S. for all necessary medical
care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient
services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental
health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for
substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save billions
annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private
health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the 110th Congress, HR 676 had 93 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers

HR 676 has been endorsed by 480 union organizations in 49 states including
118 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org
01/26/09