Obama's Healthcare Insurance Reform Plan

Some Americans are confused as to what exactly is President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plan. The President's plan clearly outlines his policy if you have healthcare insurance, if you do not have healthcare insurance and his plan for all Americans. click link to learn more about Pres. Obama's healthcare insurance reform plan. http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hcsignon/?source=OM_LB_google_HC-search_hreform_tc&gclid=CPXBivPt_pwCFVRM5QodAUFhbg

I Support The Employee Free Choice Act

Taimer Singleton, Virginia State University student, supports the Employee Free Choice Act. Singleton recently wrote a letter to our VOP editor Julie Blust.

I am writing to voice my support for the Employee Free Choice Act (S. 560, H.R. 1409) which has recently been reintroduced in Congress. We need the Employee Free Choice Act to offset rising health care costs, home foreclosures, stagnant wages, and shrinking retirement plans. To revive the economy and rebuild the middle class in the long term, we need to empower workers to bargain for better wages and benefits. The Employee Free Choice Act will strengthen penalties against employers who break the law. The act strengthens workers’ ability to achieve a first contract within a reasonable period of time. The act gives workers a free choice and a fair path to choose to form a union.The Employee Free Choice Act is a critical piece of our economic recovery. I'm confident you'll continue to represent the best interests of workers in your district by supporting it. Scroll down to Employee Free Choice Day of Action. click link here:http://www.virginia-organizing.org/media_releases.php#68

Letter to the Editor

Virginia Organzing Project member Tammi Nichols writes a letter to the editor voicing her support for the Employee Free Choice Act.

I am writing to voice my support for the Employee Free Choice Act (S. 560, H.R. 1409) which has recently been reintroduced in Congress. The economic tailspin has put the middle class, our country's backbone, in peril. Rising health care costs, home foreclosures, stagnant wages, and shrinking retirement plans are all taking a huge toll. To revive the economy and rebuild the middle class in the long term, we need to empower workers to bargain for better wages and benefits. The Employee Free Choice Act will do just that - allowing workers to form a union when a majority of them want one. It will also stiffen penalties on employers who harass, intimidate, and fire workers for their support of a union.The Employee Free Choice Act is a critical piece of our economic recovery. I'm confident you'll continue to represent the best interests of workers in your district by supporting it. Scroll down to Employee Free Choice Day of Action. click link: http://sumofchange.com/index.html

Voter Education - Voter Registration - Restoration of Rights

The Virginia Organizing Project is pushing for reform. The Civic Engagement and Education event VOTER EDUCATION ~ VOTER REGISTRATION~ RESTORATION OF RIGHTS
Petersburg Chapter is SEPTEMBER 26, 2009 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to come to 500 FLEET STREET, BENEDICT CLUB, PETERSBURG VA SPONSORS INCLUDE VIRGINIA ORGANIZING PROJECT, DELTA SIGMA THETA PETERSBURG ALUMNI CHAPTER, STREET CERTIFIED, PRINCE GEORGE-HOPEWELL VOLUNTEERS FOR CHANGE AND JIM WILLIAMS.

ARRESTED for asking about HIGH INSURANCE RATES

Joe Szakos leads the Virginia Organizing Project, an almost fifteen year-old community organization that Health Care for America Now works with in Virginia to organize for health care reform. Szakos's organization employs dozens of people, and they get their health care through Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
This year, Szakos was informed that Anthem was going to increase the premiums on Virginia Organizing Project's health plan by 14.1%. Szakos immediately had questions. His first question was why Anthem using its resources to lobby against health care reform with a public health insurance option while at the same time increasing rates by 14.1%? When Szakos went to speak with Anthem about the matter he was arrested. Shocking but true, to view video footage click here: http://blog.healthcareforamericanow.org/2009/09/17/for-asking-why-your-insurance-rates-increase-you-can-be-arrested/

VOP Supporting Health Care Reform in VA

VOP Members Supporting Health Care Reform around Virginia
Report: Warren County’s Health Insurance Crisis: Why You and Your Neighbors Need Health Care Reform.Prepared by the Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter, Virginia Organizing Project. August 2009. (pdf file)
We’re closer than we’ve been to meaningful health care reform in 60 years. This reform will provide accessible, affordable, quality health care for ALL Virginians. Legislation has been passed by three House Committees and one Senate Committee that meets these goals.
The Virginia Organizing Project and Health Care for America Now members across the state have attended Town Hall meetings, written letters to the editor, canvassed with their neighbors, and made phone calls to urge our Members of Congress to support this legislation. We MUST keep this up!
Please call 1-877-264-4226 and ask Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb and all of our 11 U.S. Representatives to support this health care legislation.
Also, please contact us if you want to do any of the actions listed above and check our calendar for events near you. http://www.virginia-organizing.org/healthcare.php

Defend Against Trespassing Charges By Anthem

Anthem Sends A Message To All Their Customers With Trial:

“If you Question Our Business Practices, There Will Be Consequences.”

Enclosed: Video Footage of the Arrest, also available online at www.youtube.com/vopvideo

Richmond, VA – At a time when health insurance industry malfeasance is a daily focus of the evening news, Anthem, a WellPoint subsidiary, has boldly decided to put their own customer on trial for asking to speak to a representative about their rates. On Tuesday, September 22, 2009, Joe Szakos, executive director of the Virginia Organizing Project, will stand trial to defend against trespassing charges brought on by Anthem after visiting their headquarters in July to question his organization’s health insurance premium increases.
Szakos was charged with trespassing on Anthem’s property in Richmond on July 24, 2009 when he and three Virginia Organizing Project board members attempted to meet with Anthem officials to discuss their concerns about a 14.1 percent insurance premium increase. Anthem officials locked the front door to their corporate headquarters when the group approached the building, and called police to have Szakos arrested.
The Virginia Organizing Project was also questioning Anthem for using their premiums for lobbying against reform instead of paying health care claims. Anthem and its parent company WellPoint have spent millions lobbying against a public health insurance option, including soliciting their own costumers to speak out against reform.
Szakos’s legal defense team has subpoenaed Anthem’s CEO, C. Burke King, and director of public relations, Scott Golden, to appear in court on Tuesday.
The Virginia Organizing Project will be holding a press conference prior to the trial where community members will share their own Anthem horror stories and call for their members of Congress to take action on health care reform.
WHO: The Virginia Organizing Project
WHAT: “Big Insurance: Sick Of It” Press Conference and Trial of Joe Szakos (trespassing charge)
WHEN: September 22, 2009
10 a.m. Press Conference
11 a.m. Trial
WHERE: Henrico General District Court, 4301 East Parham Road, Henrico, VA 23273-0775

The Virginia Organizing Project is a statewide, multi-issue grassroots organization committed to challenging injustice by empowering people in local communities to address issues that affect the quality of their lives.
www.virginia-organizing.org