Florida crowds want Senator Bill Nelson's healthcare stance

[seafan]

Well, Senator Nelson. It's time for you to take a stand. The days of your equivocation are over.



Florida crowds want Sen. Bill Nelson's healthcare stance

By BETH REINHARD
July 24, 2009

People gathered outside Sen. Bill Nelson's offices in Coral Gables and Davie and urged him to take a stand on the proposed healthcare overhaul.


The Democratic party sought Thursday to make the political debate over healthcare personal, inviting the sick and uninsured to share their struggles at rallies in South Florida and across the state.

The stakes are so high for President Barack Obama that the party is publicly pressuring its own members in Congress to get behind sweeping changes. Small rallies were held at the offices of Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Republican Sen. Mel Martinez across the state. The party is also airing television ads that demand ``It's time'' in eight states with fence-sitting senators, including Florida.

In Coral Gables, about 50 people gathered on the sidewalk in front of Nelson's office holding signs and chanting when a lone television camera approached. Democratic party officials insisted the low-key events were not ``protests,'' but some participants said Nelson was tiptoeing around the healthcare debate.

``I feel let down. He needs to step up,'' said Jackson Memorial nurse Martha Baker, president of the hospital's Service Employees International Union, who addressed the crowd wearing her white lab coat.
Mike Latta, a 63-year-old retired nurse from North Miami, said, ``You can bet if all congressmen and senators didn't have healthcare they'd be out here with signs, too. Why can't we have what they have? I pay for it.''

.....

The rallies followed days of phone banks, neighborhood walks and news conferences across Florida aimed at mobilizing public support for healthcare change. The Republican Party has countered with a media blitz on television and the Internet that derides Obama's plan as a ``risky experiment.''

.....

An estimated 3.6 million to 3.8 million people in Florida lack insurance. A recent report by the Families USA consumer group projected that about 3,560 will lose benefits every week through 2010.

It's time to pay some visits to the statewide/regional offices of all the wafflers/corporatists/cowards, across the country.


Letters to the editor; FAX/call your senators/representatives; visit their local offices in your state.

The people are going to have to lead.

[babylonsister]

1. Go, Florida activists! Keep up the good fight! Rah! Rec'd! nt

[Captain Hilts]

2. Speaking of someone who's got some 'splainin' to do. nt

[valerief]

3. Good for them! nt

[annabanana]

4. Good! Beard them in their lairs!!

There should be campsites of the uninsured & under insured-outside every Congressional office. If a procedure has been denied, or a vital medication not covered... Call.. ask what they're going to do about it!

[Union Yes]

5. We need to protest every blue dogs office and embarrass these corp owned criminals.

recd

[formercia]

6. Bill Nelson has 'Family' connections

I would bet that, if he can derail health care reform, he will, otherwise he will vote with the majority and maintain his cover.