Via the Seattle PI's Joel Connelly, a small businessman in western Washington has a message for Sen. Maria Cantwell.
The Clover Patch Cafe on Whidbey Island is far from corridors of power in Washington, D.C., but owner Neil Colburn put out a petition beside his cash register last week.
Its message, directed at Sen. Maria Cantwell: We need health care reform -- including a so-called "public option" -- and we need it now.
"Universal access to health care is such an important issue that I couldn't sit on the sidelines," said Colburn. "I've seen waitresses, on their way home, get into an accident and go bankrupt. I have a cook out right now with an ovarian cyst."
Colburn offered insurance to his employees, but nobody could afford it.
Cantwell is a good target for Colburn's efforts--she's on the Finance Committee and is one of the people who can help put an end to Baucus's nonsense. She'll likely be hearing that message from quite a few of her constituents. Out here in the "other" Washington, Connelly found a lot of frustration with the political games of D.C.
"They are totally oblivious to the rest of us," Shirley Viall, a Whidbey resident retired community health planner at the University of Washington, said of talking heads in the other Washington.
During an island weekend, and back in the Emerald City, I've talked health care while doing everyday errands. The "finding" is that a lot of folks, from the pregnant pet groomer to the grocery store worker, are gambling that they won't get sick.
"My son has been hit by the hard times: In his new job, he couldn't afford the co-pay," Viall said. "He's just keeping fingers crossed that he stays healthy. Of course, he has no dental coverage or eye coverage."
...
An Eastside friend, Collin Jergens, took it upon himself to scope out the upcoming recess.
"I figured that I would be one of those annoying constituents who tried to bend the ear of their representatives," Jergens said. "Yet after fairly methodical searching of the Web sites of both senators and, more important for the health care debate, Congressman Reichert, I can't find any mention of constituent meetings in the state scheduled for August."
The Republicans are counting on August to be their opportunity to kill healthcare reform. Democrat leadership is counting on it as their chance to convince folks back home that they're on the right track. Leadership is providing talking-points cards to all Democratic members that outline what's wrong with the current system (how can you get that on a card?), the benefits of the proposed plan, and district-specific information. In addition, the Speaker sent a letter to all Democratic members that asked them to "go on offense" during recess. From the e-mailed letter:
As you prepare for the August District Work Period, we ask that you go on offense, actively telling our story on these top priorities in your public events and communications:
· Quality Affordable Health Care
· A Clean Energy Economy
· Economic Recovery
With health insurance reform, our agreements far outweigh our remaining differences. The American people are strongly behind the outlines of our plan. And every story of coverage or care denied, delayed, or priced out of range for the American people only lends urgency to our task. Already in this Congress, Democratic Members have done more than 550 health care events in their districts. We have attached suggestions for further such events in the August District Work Period.
The House Democratic Caucus has prepared the latest tools for a Health Care Town Hall, which will be sent to your offices. Among the elements are a PowerPoint presentation and a public handout on “What’s in the Plan” for most Americans. The Caucus staff will be calling through to your offices to track your events, including dates, times, and locations.
I don't know if Senate leadership is taking as proactive a role in helping prepare its members for August recess. Maybe they should call Pelosi's office to see if they can get some of those cards.
But if the sentiment--and the fears, and the anger, and the frustration--in Washington state is echoed across the country, I don't think our representatives will be able to avoid the subject of healthcare reform.