ORGANIZING NOTES
July 23rd, 2024
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The Steward Hospital Crisis: How Medicare For All and Eminent Domain Would Solve this Problem
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The Steward Hospital crisis continues with elected officials offering no real solutions and only proposing “more monitoring of hospitals”.
Mass-Care, the single-payer coalition, published a paper outlining three ways that Steward Hospitals could be kept open to serve their communities. These solutions would not be affected by the fact that Steward Health Care does not own the buildings or the properties they stand on.
These methods could also be used to prevent future hospital closings. From 2009 to 2022 there have been 42 inpatient hospital closures in Massachusetts.
Three methods to prevent Steward closing.
1) The Governor declares a health care emergency (under Chapter 17 Section 2A, as was done because of COVID). The Public Health Commissioner can then take whatever steps are necessary to protect public health. “The commissioner, with the approval of the public health council, may establish procedures to be followed during such emergencies to [e]ensure the continuation of essential public health services and the enforcement of the same.”
The Commonwealth could take over the hospitals and appoint people to run them. Who owns the hospitals can then be sorted out without endangering the public. Many legislators supported a bill (S.1406), filed by Senator Paul Mark, which would set up a process for the State to take over and run any hospital in danger of closing.
2) If “An Act Establishing Medicare for All in Massachusetts, (S.744/H.1239),” were enacted, provisions within it could be used to keep all the Steward hospitals open and serving their communities.
3) The State or local governments could use their power of eminent domain to take over the hospitals and either run them as community hospitals or sell them to a non-profit organization. The Massachusetts Constitution allows eminent domain to be used not just to take over a business if that would serve the public interest. Keeping hospitals open is clearly in the public interest.
For full details go to: https://masscare.org/white-paper/
Send a Letter to the Governor, Senate Majority Leader & House Majority Leader
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Our Revolution-Massachusetts Statement
On The Presidential Race
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Despite our deep differences with President Biden on issues like Palestine and the expansion of the military-industrial complex, we respect and honor his ability to put the fate of his country ahead of his personal desires and ambitions.
However, a Kamala Harris-led ticket does not guarantee victory. Nor will a campaign based primarily on demonizing Trump and Republicans for the threat they pose to democracy and “…liberty and justice for all.”
Her campaign must speak to the difficulties so many Americans face: the high cost of food and housing; crushing school and medical debt; inaccessible childcare; the tragedies of the deaths of despair, suicide, addiction, and overdoses; the direct assaults on the rights of women to control their own bodies, and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community to live their own lives; and the legitimate concerns of young people who no longer expect to afford a house or children, and who dread inheriting a destabilized, toxic planet. It must be a campaign that offers a vision of the future building on the accomplishments of the Biden administration and how she will be able to accomplish much more as president with a Democratic Congress.
Only then can a campaign that hammers home the damage done by Trump’s enormous tax cuts for billionaires, further concentrating wealth at the top while middle and working-class people struggle and the threat posed by Project 2025, and more Supreme Court nominees should Trump be re-elected, be effective.
Finally, we believe that her campaign must offer a sane border policy, AND acknowledge the humanity of immigrants fleeing economic and social breakdown because of war and climate change. She should enunciate a foreign policy built on negotiation and treaties that walk us back from the brink of war and respect the rights of Palestinians for self-determination.
The Republicans grabbed the rhetoric of compassion during their Convention, even though their policies rewarded the rich and powerful. Democrats have many policies that can benefit the middle and working class; Kamala needs to reclaim the Democratic values of compassion for the struggles of the many and stand up for a vision of a country with “…liberty and justice for all.”
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Town Hall with Bernie Sanders
in Manchester!
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Fririday, July 26th 6:00PM Doors Open 7:00PM Speaking Program Starts DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown Armory Room 700 Elm St., Manchester, NH
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Webinar:
Let’s talk About Palestine
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Wed july 24 @7:00 pm-8:30 pm EDT
Let’s Talk About Palestine With Sherril Hogen Wednesday, July 24, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m Register here for this Zoom event Longtime activist Sherrill Hogen, recently returned from a solidarity tour to the West Bank, Palestine, will talk of her experiences there, meeting with grassroots leaders. Register Here
See more Progressive Mass Events Here
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Join us as we outrreach for peace at Lowell Folk Festival! We’ll talk to people about issues such as Palestine/Israel, Ukraine/Russia, Fund People Not Pentagon, and Climatee Change/Nuclear Disarmament, at our info table. Help us gather petition signatures and distribute flyers!
Sign Up!
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Updates & Actions for the Last *Ten Days* of the Legislative Session
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Because our Legislature, despite being a full-time body, has the tendency to push off everything to the last month, last weeks, even last day of the legislative session. The public deserves a better process, and I’m sure most legislators would prefer one too. There will be an array of actions you can take: make a plan to choose at least one action step, and talk to friends about it.
Check Them Out HERE!
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Email your Senator in Support of the Sunlight Act!
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Email your senator HERE today to express your support for transparency with the Sunlight Act and urge them to briing it to a vote this session!
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Swing Blue Alliance carefully selects volunteer programs poised to make the most impact in upcoming elections. Below are the top actions from our calendar to support Democrats in the 2024 election.
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Mass House of Representatives
Passes Massive Gun Reform Bill
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Massachusetts can hold its head high! It’s reputation for strong life-saving gun laws just got even stronger. Thank you to the legislators who championed An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws, especially Representative Day, Senator Creem, House Speaker Mariano, and Senate President Spilka.
This is a great day for gun violence prevention volunteers who’ve worked so hard to support this bill’s passage as part of their mission to free all communities from gun violence. But more importantly, it’s a great day for all communities across the Commonwealth who live with the daily fear of, and impact from, gun violence in all its forms. We deserve better – and we urge Governor Healey to expedite signing this bill into law.
Once signed, H4885 An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws will protect our communities from the plague of ghost guns that are increasingly used in crimes, will limit firearms trafficking, and will prohibit gun carry in sensitive locations. Plus it will expand education about the critical Red Flag law so that more people can take advantage of it and proactively avert injury and harm.
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If you would like to work with ORMA Members on
- Climate Change
- Community-Based Alternative Emergency Response Teams
- Ranked-Choice Voting
- Housing For All
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ORMA depends on your support to continue Bernie’s Political Revolution to create a society, a politics, and an economy that works for everyone, not just billionaires, corporations and the political elite.
If you value Organizing Notes and its twice a month distribution schedule, please make a donation to ensure its continued existence.
Invest in Change Now!
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Please send requests for action items, articles or upcoming events
for the next Organizing Notes to
beccobrien.orma@gmail.com by Thursday, August 1st.
We’d love to have you send us your favorite pictures of Bernie here in MA!
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Campaigns End, Movements Endure
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