Things are on track for this Friday's "Brain Tumor Bake Sale" in front of the Federal Building in downtown Raleigh. Sen. Hagan is now publicly on board with the public option. Today I talked with Tony at Sen. Hagan's office in the Federal Building and received hearty good wishes and an invitation to come inside to present letters and petitions in support of the public option.
So if you're in Raleigh on Friday at noon, please join us. Come share a Moon Pie and this chance for North Carolinians to work together to support health care reform featuring a robust public option. "We're not asking for the moon, just affordable health care that's accessible to everyone!"
And tip your hat to Sen. Kay Hagan, who's doing the sensible thing in her support of North Carolinians and of the public option.
Here's my press release for this Friday's event:
SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 (Cary, N.C.) -- When Cary grandmother Kim Yaman ran out of money to pay for her health care and then received diagnosis of a serious illness, her friend Katherine was immediately supportive. As they chatted online about how Kim, who works two jobs, was going to cover the costs of care, the discussion took a lighthearted turn when Katherine jokingly suggested that she help Kim find a husband in Europe -- or maybe hold a bake sale.
It was a moment of laughter amidst a serious time. Kim's situation put her smackdab in the middle of a conundrum millions of people across the U.S. are facing: What do you do when you face the abyss of costs for a serious injury or illness and you cannot pay for them all?
Both women are strong supporters of health-care reform featuring a robust public option and without a so-called "trigger" of several years before reform would be enacted. But now the philosophical and political debate has hit home, and the two women would like people to stop bickering and start working toward a solution.
"You talk with people every day whose lives are impacted not only by medical concerns but by the fierce worry of how they'll pay for them," says Kim, a 49-year-old grandmother who raised her granddaughter from the age of five weeks to the age of 6 when the granddaughter's mom and dad were both deployed overseas.
"We, as North Carolinians and Americans, need to come together and work something out. No family should have to sit around the table and figure out whether Grandma can afford to have her brain tumor fixed now or whether it'll just have to wait until her new insurance year comes around. And it is time for our elected officials to get serious about making it possible for Americans to have reasonable access to the heath care that we need and we deserve."
The Cary woman and her Chapel Hill friend are spotlighting the nation's urgent need for health-care reform by hosting a Brain Tumor Bake Sale. No donations will be solicited or accepted at the "bake sale," but free Moon Pies will be offered to attendees because, as Katherine says, "We're not asking for the moon -- just affordable health care that's accessible to everyone."
Kim and Katherine's Brain Tumor Bake Sale will be held at noon on Friday, October 2, on the sidewalk in front of the offices of Sen. Kay Hagan at 310 New Bern Avenue in downtown Raleigh.
Again, no donations will be solicited or accepted at this event. But personal stories and suggestions for coming together to reform the health-care coverage system are welcome.
If you're coming, remember a few permitting rules for Raleigh public gatherings in front of the Federal Building:
- Signs no bigger than 3ft x 3ft.
- Keep to the city sidewalk and be respectful of the plaza and other areas.
- No bullhorns. (Darn. I wanted one so bad.)
- Enjoy the Moon Pies! (Don't blame me for this; it's the law.)
You can join us on Sunday, October 11, for an OFA-sponsored "Just a Spoonful of Sugar" phone bank in support of the public option, too. Bring a healthy appetite for healthcare reform and a dish to share.
For the phone bank on October 11:
- If your name begins with A-O, bring an entree. If your name begins with P-Z, bring dessert.
- Also bring a fully-charged cell phone and a burning desire to move the healthcare reform mountain.
Big, big thanks to the Kossack community and my North Carolina Democratic family for all the great advice, information, supportive talk, hilarious banter, and encouraging wishes. Special thanks to Chun Yang, who provided inspiration for this bake-sale idea and has been a rock of support and teamwork even while traveling the past couple of weeks. (I'm still weighing my options on that offer for a husband or wife in Europe who can offer health-care benefits!)