Tennessee Activists Sit-in to Protest Budget Cuts

Since June 20, a group of activists from Tennessee has been sitting in at the Statehouse to demand that Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) stop cuts to TennCare – the state’s Medicaid program. The Governor has refused to even meet with the protesters; he has reportedly gone so far as to try to prevent people from bringing the more than 20 protesters food and water. Their action opposing the cuts to Tennessee’s health care program for the poor, elderly, and disabled has become the longest-ever sit-in at a governor’s office.

Here are a few of the many articles about the people courageously protesting the TennCare cuts:

• TennCare protesters still going strong 32 days later
• Sit-in to save TennCare
• TennCare sit-in at Capitol at 28 days
• Time to take complaints to Bredesen in Person

Click here to read a column with great ideas for supporting the sit-in and continuing the fight against the TennCare cuts.

 

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  March Forth on March 4th: Access to Healthcare, Good Jobs, & Freedoms First  

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  270 Rally in Missouri State Capital to Fight Medicaid Cuts
On March 7, 270 ACORN members, religious leaders and other community members traveled from St. Louis to the state capital of Jefferson City, MO, to oppose Governor Matt Blunt’s proposal to cut Medicaid coverage for 89,000 working people in the state.

ACORN partnered with the Missouri ACORN Clergy Association, Jobs with Justice, GROW, and other faith-based organizations and churches to sponsor the protest.

Community leaders marched from the capitol building to the governor’s mansion, where Bishop Paul Stewart, presiding Bishop of the Midwest Episcopal area for the CME church, challenged the governor to truly act like the Christian that he claimed to be by providing healthcare to low-income families in the state.

Governor Blunt has proposed reducing the state’s Medicaid budget by $625 million by raising the income eligibility threshold for working parents from 75% of the federal poverty level to one-third of the poverty level – meaning that under Blunt’s proposed rules a single working mother with two children would lose Medicaid coverage if she earned more than $391 a month.

Following the protest, Governor Blunt personally called the President of the Missouri ACORN Clergy Association, Rev. James T. Morris, to discuss ACORN’s demands and set up a future meeting.

article received from - http://www.acorn.org 

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  TennCare Saves Lives Coalition

 

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  MEDICAID CUTS FUND MILLIONAIRES' TAX BREAK
MEDICAID CUTS FUND MILLIONAIRES’ TAX BREAK

What:
Millionaires thank low-income people and clinics for funding tax breaks for the wealthy

When:
Wednesday, March 9, 9:00 a.m.

Where:
Northeast Health Center, 5329 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.

Who:
Oregon Action members who will be affected by Medicaid cuts

Portland, OR – Today, as the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives begin preparing their budget resolutions, a group of people, dressed as millionaires, will met in front of Portland’s Northeast Clinic to thank the low-income people who are likely to be most affected by federal budget cuts to health care. These “millionaires” will express their gratitude to people who are bearing the burden of a federal deficit driven by tax cuts to the wealthy.

Among the cuts that are being considered by Congress are $45 billion or more in cuts to the federal Medicaid program. Cuts to Medicaid will have wide-reaching impacts; not only will they devastate the already fragile Oregon Health Plan and drive up the number of uninsured Oregonians, but they will hurt local clinics working to serve low-income communities.

The location of the event demonstrates the potential impact on health care services. On July 30^th, 2004, Portland’s Southeast Clinic permanently closed its doors. That was the same year that the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) stopped taking new enrollees. “I have found work, but it doesn’t come with health care benefits,” says Jerome Akles, a scheduled speaker at the event. “Now, I can’t even get on the Oregon Health Plan because the enrollment is closed. I’m shut out.”

Oregon Action is leading a statewide campaign that includes a series of newspaper advertisements, postcards sent to legislators and clever actions highlighting the cuts to Medicaid and low-income constituents bearing the brunt of the federal budget cuts.

Click here to view newspaper ads

For more information, contact:
Angela Omulepu
Office: 503-282-6588
Cell: 415-846-4737

 

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