Early Budget Work Session Looks at County Health Care Picture

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors is scheduling early budget work sessions devoted to an overview of the department budgets, allowing agencies to describe their services and resources. Health Care and Social Services are up first, starting at 9:15 am on Monday, April 21, at the Chambers of the Board, 5th floor, 1221 Oak St., Oakland. Public input on the first day is scheduled for 11:35 am. The sessions continue all day Tuesday, April 22, starting at 9 am with the Sheriff, with late morning and late afternoon time slated for public input.

At a budget meeting on April 10th, County administration projected a deficit of $110 million for 2003-2004. Here's your chance to let the County know that it is not ok to let this deficit bite into essential services!

SB921-Health Care for All Californians Activities

Health Care for All and Vote Health hosted a regional meeting on March 31st to discuss Senate Bill 921 (Kuehl), known as Health Care for all Californians. Over 200 community and labor groups were invited and approximately 35 people attended. A presentation on single payer in general and the bill in specific was given by Ellen Shaffer, MPH, PhD, an author of one of the Health Care Options Project studies; Dan Hodges, Chair of Health Care for All--CA and Sue Bergman, Executive Committee member of Vote Health.

Audience concerns included expansion of benefits for seniors; maintenance of organizations currently serving as the "safety net" health care provider for the under- and uninsured; ability to chose health care professionals freely; and the continuance of organizations such as Kaiser, for those who enjoy that system of delivery of care. Fortunately, SB921 in its current form would favorably address all of those important needs!

A follow up meeting was held on April 7th to discuss obtaining organizational endorsements, lobbying state senators and tracking the bill. Both major health care reform bills, SB921 and SB2 (known as "pay or play" and sponsored by John Burton) are scheduled to be heard by the Senate Insurance Committee in Sacramento on Wednesday, April 30th. We would like as many people as possible to attend this hearing to show our support of SB921; however, the time of the hearing will be uncertain until closer to the date. If you can put the day aside for lobbying, please contact Kay Eisenhower, 510-658-1147, and she will reserve a space in the carpool van, as well as give you all the necessary details. In order for the bill to survive, it is necessary to jump through several committee-hearing hoops, so our presence will be important in Sacramento multiple times this spring.

Leaflets educating the public about SB921 and asking for endorsements and contributions are now available, both in "regular" format and "Healthcare not Warfare" format. If you'd like to help distribute them at rallies, street fairs, conferences, meetings, etc., call 653-1626.

Updates

Just 10 days after her presentation at March's Vote Health membership meeting, Oakland City Councilperson Nancy Nadel announced the April 15th closure of the Red Star Yeast plant in West Oakland. The facility's noxious emissions are believed to be partly responsible for increased health problems from asthma to cancer in that neighborhood. Fearful that the Air Quality Management District Board would renew its operating permit as is, Nadel, the Coalition for West Oakland Revitalization, Greenaction and others pressured Red Star to close. Vote Health hopes to broaden its area of activity to include local environmental justice issues such as this, and our invitation to Nadel was the first step. May our efforts always be so victorious!

Upcoming Events

The War at Home: Organizing for Economic & Social Justice
A Democratic Socialists of America conference to provide information and skills to promote social justice activism. U.C. Berkeley Campus, April 25-27, 2003. Dan Hodges of HCA and Nancy Friedman of Vote Health will present "Working Toward Change in Health Care Policy Through Activism," Saturday morning, April 26th. For more information call 415-789-8497 or go to www.dsausa.org/lowwage/april/index.html

Health and Justice Fair: A Communal Celebration of Local Efforts Toward Wholeness and Recognition of Basic Human Rights
Vote Health will host a table at the Fair on Thursday, April 24th, 9 am Ð 2 pm, St. Mary's Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland Health Screenings, Massage, Music, Free Samples, Networking, Art Making, Puppet Show-come join us!

International Workers' Solidarity Day-May 1st
Join Local 2850, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees in their struggle to win a fair contract with reasonable wage increase and affordable healthcare. Meet at 4 pm on May 1st at the Holiday Inn (Powell St. exit of I-80) for a car caravan, or at 4:30 pm at the Claremont (Ashby and Domingo) for a rally.

Can We Get Universal Single Payer Health Care in CA?
Vote Health Chair Kay Eisenhower will address this topic at the Berkeley Gray Panthers' April 23rd meeting, 1:30 No. Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst, corner MLK..

Our thanks to Supervisor Carson for securing the Alameda County Board of Supervisors' letter of support for SB921!

Lobby for SB921
Wednesday, April 30th
Join our vans going to Sacramento
For information, call Kay Eisenhower: 658-1147

Vote Health's New Website Revealed

With the technical expertise of Webmaster Joe Benham, Vote Health has developed a new and improved website.

Newsletter committee:
Nancy M. Friedman , Kay Eisenhower, Suzi Goldmacher
Our thanks to CA Nurses Association for their help in producing this newsletter