Here's to Your Health

After his recent Senate primary campaign, Chuck Pennacchio did what all good activists do -- looked around for the next project. He found it. Working with a dedicated group of P4P volunteers, and others, he created Citizen Solutions for Pennsylvania.

As the major initial project of Citizen Solutions, Chuck is pushing for passage of the Balanced and Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act in Pennsylvania, pending in both houses of the state legislature (SB 1085, HB 2722). The bill provides for full medical coverage of all Pennsylvania residents though a government-administered health care insurance plan. As drafted, the plan is fully funded through a 10% employer-paid payroll tax and 3% personal income tax (reduced to 1% for employers and employees covered by health insurance under a collective bargaining agreement).

There are many reasons to support the plan, here's over a hundred.

Citizen Solutions is conducting an action conference on the bill on December 15, at West Chester University. It is a busy time of year, but if you can, attend the meeting and learn more about the bill and what you can do to help get every Pennsylvanian covered by medical insurance by Thanksgiving, 2007.

Chuck's letter:

I learned some amazing lessons during the course of my campaign for United States Senate, among them that the vast majority of Pennsylvanians are not ideologically 'conservative' or 'moderate' as the party bosses, career politicians, consultants, pollsters, lobbyists, and corporate media – the Political- Industrial complex – would have us believe. In reality, Main Street Pennsylvanians, urban, suburban, and rural alike, are not ideological at all. They simply want positive, measurable, balanced, and fair policies that will improve their lives -- everyone's lives.

So, how do we achieve positive, helpful results in the face of a Political-Industrial Complex set up to defeat the popular will? How do we make our government represent us and our interests? My answer is: set a goal that benefits 98 percent of us; focus all our energy on that goal; and let legislators know that there is a large constituency prepared to hold them accountable if their votes are not consistent with that goal.

The goal I am working for is health care for all Pennsylvanians by the end of 2007. How achievable is this? Very. The legislation is drafted and ready to be introduced in the State House (HB 2722) and State Senate (SB 1085). There is broad statewide support for these bills. The State House is now in control of friendlier (Democratic) forces for the first time in 12 years, which means real hearings and real votes. There is, at present, no competing legislation; and the bills address all foreseeable obstacles to passage by addressing financing, lost insurance industry jobs, and malpractice insurance, in positive ways. Most important, health care security is a concern shared by the 98% of Pennsylvanians not wealthy enough to withstand unrestricted increases in health care costs and cuts in service.

We have established a coalition of allies that includes doctors, lawyers, business people, labor unions, and consumer advocates to help in this effort. Now we need citizens of every stripe to make their voices heard in Harrisburg. That's where you come in. Educate yourself on the topic, register at Citizen Solutions for PA, check the site for updates, write letters to the editor, and organize in groups to meet with your State House and Senate representatives face-to- face as soon as possible. And if you can make it, attend our organizing meeting on December 15th in West Chester.

UPDATE (2:29pm): PAWatercooler's AlexC posted on this report about Rendell's as yet undisclosed health care plan:

In a broad sense, he said he would push to increase access to health care for adults and to cut costs. . . . Overall, Rendell provided little detail about his health care plans. He said he would not propose a "single payer" or government-run health care system.