California’s First Citizen Congressional Hearing On Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006

Health Care for All-Marin is sponsoring California’s first Citizen Congressional Hearing, to be held on Feb. 18, 2006, 10 AM to 12:30 PM at Marin Civic Center in the Supervisors/Planning Commission Chambers. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey will preside, and speakers will include State Sen. Sheila Kuehl’s health consultant Sara Rogers; Marin County Health and Human Services Director Larry Meredith; California Nurses Association President Deborah Burger; director of Consumers Union West Coast Betsy Imholz, and Exec. Dir., Health Care for All-CA Exec. Dir. Andrew McGuire.

A wide range of Californians beaten and bruised by our health-care system will also testify. Legislators will describe how they are trying to reform the system and what forces maintain a broken system that creates extraordinary profits for the few, and poor care, prohibitive prices, and untreated illness for the many. Most importantly, participants will talk about the building of a mass movement to create a single, high quality insurance plan to provide lifelong health coverage for all Californians. Some people say you can’t beat the health-insurance lobbies, but people once said you could never end segregation or fight Big Tobacco They were wrong. Ultimately, all the money in the world can’t defeat a powerful, organized, grassroots social movement. Come and learn what you can do to advance this great and vital movement.

Co-sponsors for the Marin hearing are:_Marin County Dept. of Health and Human Services, Marin Municipal Water Dist., Supervisor Susan Adams, Supervisor Cynthia Murray, Supervisor Charles McGlashan, Supervisor Steve Kinsey, 6th Assembly District Caucus, HCA – Sonoma, HCA - Sonoma Valley, ACLU - Marin Chapter, California Nurses Association, California Physicians’ Alliance, Canal Alliance, CHADD of Marin, Consumers Union, Democracy for America – Marin, Democratic Central Committee of Marin, Dominican University, Gray Panthers, Health Access, Marin County Grassroots Leadership Network. Marin County Pharmacists Assn., NAMI Marin, National Women’s Political Caucus – Marin, Next Generation, Planned Parenthood – Golden Gate Chapter, PPSI Pharmacists Planning Svcs., The Ruth Group, San Geronimo Valley Community Center, SEIU Local 949, Social Justice Center of Marin, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin, West Marin Alliance, Women Helping All People, John Alden, Chair, DCCM & Candidate, 6th Assembly Dist., Susan Brandborg, Mayo of Fairfax, Greg Brockbank, Pres., College of Marin Board of Trustees, Carole Dillon-Knutson, Mayor of Novato, The Reverend Carol Hovis, Jared Huffman, Dir. MMWD & Candidate, 6th Assembly Dist., Pamela Torliatt, Petaluma City Council; Candidate, 6th Assembly District, Wanden Treanor, Dir. College of Marin Board of Trustees. _

Hearings such as this are being held around the country spearheaded by HealthcareNOW and backed by Congressman John Conyers.

For more information see www.healthcareforall.org and healthcare-now.org.