Yesterday, my partner and I traveled to Chapel Hill, NC, to join members of the Orange County Democratic Party, Health Care for all NC, and the BlueNC bloggers in viewing Michael Moore's powerful documentary, "Sicko". While I'll tell you all the "Sicko" is a must-see, that is the less important news I have to bring to the national community.

North Carolina is actually considering something extremely progressive and beneficial to its citizens -- but this is going to require help from every Tarheel Democrat and every supporter we can muster.  You see, instead of the Republican-type constitutional amendments that codify hatred, bigotry and racism into state constitutions, NC Democrats are doing exactly what they were elected to do:  to propose an amendment to the state constitution that will bring equal access to affordable health care for all NC citizens.

That's what Democrats do -- we serve the people instead of serving bigoted, profiteering special interests.  But we must link arms with one another, stand firm and do some really hard work and very quickly, if we expect to see this referendum on the ballot in 2008.

HB901 is entitled "AN ACT TO AMEND THE NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE". Consider that carefully, for just a moment. North Carolina legislators are actually willing to amend the constitution of the State of North Carolina to guarantee access to quality health care for all of its citizens.

The bad news is that the bill is stuck in committee and will probably have a difficult time on the floor unless we citizens do our duty and let our legislators know that we not only support this bill -- we will require its passage.

Did you know:  68% of North Carolinians expressed dissatisfaction with the current system and health care costs?  A whopping 81% of North Carolinians polled believe that the state should assure affordable and effective health care to all NC citizens? (Cite: UNC School of Journalism, 2007).  There are 1.3 million uninsured adults in North Carolina alone.  78% of those uninsured are either employed full time or live in a family with full time employment.

That last statistic alone should tell you the sorry state of human dignity in regards to one's worth to an employer.  People are not interchangeable, negligible machine parts.  We are individuals with dignity and expect to live as dignified human beings. However with this loss of dignity comes the insult that 50% of personal bankruptcies in NC in 2004 were directly caused by health care costs and medical debt.

In short, we are being treated by employers and by our health care system as mere cattle; objects to be used to and end that enriches the few at the top, only to be discarded when we become inconvenient. 

We can gather our dignity together and change this.  North Carolina as a rich tradition of innovation and progress.  Unfortunately, at times, we have taken our riches for granted and have lost some of our progressive ways.  But we can lead the nation in solving the health care  crisis.  We are blessed with some of the finest medical institution to be found anywhere on the planet.  Not everyone can access these fine institutions.

After the movie, a small group consisting or members of the OCDP, Health Care for All NC, and BlueNC bloggers met with Representative Verla Insko, who is the primary sponsor of HB901.  Verla talked with us as comfortably as if we were in our own living rooms, having coffee and conversation. She is proud and firmly behind this proposed legislation.  I am very pleased to report that my representative, Bill Faison is a co-sponsor. But Verla was also very honest and direct with us in stating that this proposed bill will neither come to the floor nor pass without grass-roots support.  The statistics are very clear that a vast majority of North Carolinians support equal access to affordable health care.  But the Republicans have made it clear that they will defy the will of the people and will oppose this legislation.

That's where you come in. 

My fellow Tarheels, many of your representatives are not supporting HB901 when they should be.  This bill will not come out of committee, will not be debated on the floor, nor will the referendum be put to NC voters unless you take action today.

The summer Short Session is about to come and go. Please call your representative in Raleigh and also write Speaker Joe Hackney to see how you can help him bring this bill to the floor and to assure its passage.  NC Republicans have proposed hateful amendments to the NC Constitution, in an open attempt to enshrine bigotry.  With your support, such vile nonsense was defeated.

This time, it is entirely different.  Once again, Democrats are demonstrating that protecting human dignity and rights, things that actually serve constituents rather than the few and the privileged, is what this party is about. This is one of the most golden opportunities we citizens have ever had to do something substantive for ourselves and for future generations.

Here are the "must-have" links.

 NC General Assembly Home Page

Speaker of the House, the Honorable Joe Hackney 

Text of HB 901

Health Care for All NC  109 Graham Street, Suite 106, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (919) 338 2535

BlueNC Blog 

As a template and a suggestion, here is my letter to my Representative, Bill Faison:

Dear Sir:

Thank you for your good, honest work and for your quick responses to my inquiries in the past. I am your constituent and a supporter -- and I never miss a voting day.

Today, I'm writing in support of HB901, entitled "AN ACT TO AMEND THE NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE", of which I am proud to see you are a co-sponsor.  You have no idea how important your sponsorship is and how very much it is appreciated.

Yesterday, I joined members of OCDP and BlueNC.com for a viewing of Michael Moore's movie, "Sicko".  Afterwards, a smaller group of us moviegoers met and visited with Rep Verla Insko, one of the primary sponsors of HB901.  It was a bit sad to find out that many of the people at the round table had had experiences with our health care system that are as bad as mine.  Indeed, in North Carolina we are blessed with a few institutions that can provide stellar health care -- but they are widely dispersed and difficult to access.  Once a person enters their systems, however, one is at the whims and mercies of a daunting, intimidating, and unbelievably expensive system that is more oriented toward increasing profit at the expense of real human lives -- or at the least, human dignity.

I have many stories of personal experiences with various health care systems in the United States.  In the pursuit of of my career in Management Information and Information Systems, I've had to live in seven states outside NC and have visited at least 30 others.  Much of my career in Information Systems was in the health care industry (lab technology and patient information).  I fully understand the "back side" of hospital information and the mindset that decreases actual care and human dignity whilst increasing bottom-line profit.  Such is the price of privatization (or as my family terms it, "piratization").

Bottom line:  what can I do to assist in bringing HB901 to the floor and help ensure its passage?  After I click "send" on this message, my next communication will be to Speaker Hackney.  I consider it my constituent's duty to support you as you have well supported me.

Most respectfully,