Health Insurance Reform Now Bus Tour: Orlando Stop
This morning, over 600 people turned out in hot and rainy weather to meet the Health Insurance Reform Bus and get fired up for reform. Congressman Alan Grayson joined OFA National Director Mitch Stewart and several everyday Floridians to greet the crowd and share his message of why reform is necessary. By the time Congressman Grayson was done, the crowd was chanting "I want health care, and I want it now!"
Patty Duffy, a small business owner, stepped up to the podium and told the story of how her health care costs ,000 a month, just for herself — and she’s concerned that she’ll have to pay more in the future, just because she used her insurance this year.
The cost of my care should not be determined by the size of my business! And in the current system, I’m frustrated that my premiums as a female are double those of my male business partner.
Patty explained that under President Obama’s plan, she wouldn’t be able to be denied coverage because of a preexisting condition, her coverage would be less expensive because she could join with other small business owners in an exchange, and she wouldn’t be able to be discriminated against because of her gender. Finally, she exhorted the crowd to get involved:
Talk to your neighbors, your family, your friends, your employers. Call your representatives, push back against the lies and get the truth out there. Mobilize and let’s work together. Change will not come without effort. It’s time to get in the game and stop being spectators.
Finally, Mitch Stewart stepped up to the podium to energize the crowd. He called on them to continue the same support for the President that they showed during the election.
The President needs you to do this. Because if you don’t, you’ve seen what will happen. The special interests will pour in million of dollars, the people will start believing what’s said on certain cable news channels. But with your help, that will all change. And at the end of the day, as great as we all felt when Barack Obama got elected president, you’ll be able to look back and say that you led the charge to make sure that tens and tens of millions of folks who didn’t have health insurance got health insurance. You’ll also be able to look at the hundreds of millions that have insurance…and say that I was at the front lines to make sure that you have security and stability in your health insurance.
The bus moved on later to Tampa where we had a great event — watch this space for updates later tonight or tomorrow morning.
Obama wants to give us health care reform right now, but the bill wouldn’t take effect until 2013. Yet another lie. The fact is that Obama doesn’t care about health care as much as how this will be a stepping stone to controlling even more aspects of an individuals life.