REAL Public Option Day of Action at Senator Nelson's Coral Gables Office, 2925 Salzedo Street, 4pm, Thursday, July 23rd.

REAL Public Option Day of Action at Senator Nelson's Coral Gables Office, 2925 Salzedo Street, 4pm, Thursday, July 23rd.
RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpcr8t

Huge health care votes are expected the last week in July. So on July 23rd, we're organizing letter delivery events at Senator Bill Nelson's Coral Gables office at 2925 Salzedo Street at 4:00 p.m., Thursday, July 23rd. to urge him to stand up in support of real health care reform, including a strong public health insurance option.

A strong public option must meet four key criteria: it should be national, available to anyone, ready on day one, and publicly run. No weak half-measures--like the regional, private co-op plan--are acceptable.

We'll hold a media event and then go inside to meet with staff to deliver a letter laying out the four keys to a strong public option. To make the events even more powerful, we'll recruit folks from the community who have powerful stories to tell about the need for health care reform.

REAL Public Option Day of Action at Senator Nelson's Coral Gables Office, 2925 Salzedo Street, 4pm, Thursday, July 23rd.
RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpcr8t

We had a great Public Option NOW Healthcare Rally at Senator Nelson's Coral Gables Office on Thursday, July 9th at Senator Bill Nelson's Coral Gables office with 60 people from SEIU, AFL-CIO, MoveOn, OFA, DFAM, and Democracia and made CBS4 News with Michael Williams: "Intense Healthcare Debate Sparks Rally In Fla." http://cbs4.com/video/?id=79340@wfor.dayport.com.

YouTube video “Public Option NOW Demo at Sen. Bill Nelson office...” by larryjthorson:
http://www.youtube.com/user/dpatlak#play/favorites/7/t2ufYYv-CoI

Also, we had 10 counter-protesters from the South Florida Tea Party, (their website at: www.NOGovernmentHealthcare.com.) Their website starts with "NO" and that's the only thing the Republican Party stands for these days.

REAL Public Option Day of Action at Senator Nelson's Coral Gables Office, 2925 Salzedo Street, 4pm, Thursday, July 23rd.
RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpcr8t

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
Take Dolphin Expressway/SR-836 toward the Airport.
Exit SOUTH on 42nd Ave./Le Jeune Road. Go 3 miles.
Turn LEFT at Palermo Ave. Turn RIGHT at Salzedo.
Meter park at Sen. Nelson’s office at 2925 Salzedo.

GREEN TRANSIT DIRECTIONS:
Take Metrorail to Douglas Road Station.
Take #42 Bus toward Golden Glades via 42 Ave.
Exit at Catalonia Ave. Go NORTH to Palermo Ave.
Turn RIGHT & walk EAST 1 block to Salzedo.

Public Option NOW!

Our health care system is broken, and American families and businesses urgently need a solution.
• Forty-six million Americans are uninsured.
• Premiums are growing four times faster than wages.
• Half of all personal bankruptcies stem from medical expenses
President Obama has challenged Congress to pass real health care reform in 2009 that upholds three basic principles:
1. Reduce costs by improving efficiency and investing in preventative care.
2. Guarantee every American the right to choose their plan and doctor—including a public insurance option.
3. Ensure quality, affordable care for every American.
Congress must past real health care reform in 2009.
We've petitioned. We've called. We've faxed. We've dropped off fliers. Now, the health care fight is really heating up in the Senate, and some Democrats are trying to bargain away the heart of President Obama's health care plan—a strong public health insurance option.
We need to escalate our campaign for real health care reform. On Thursday, July 9th, we are organizing a "Public Option NOW!" Health Care Rally at Senator Bill Nelson's Coral Gables Office at 4:00 PM.
On Thursday, July 9th, we will send a strong message to Senator Nelson and every senator: Health care reform must include a strong public health insurance option. NOW!

Coral Gables Democrats choose officers, hear from Luis Garcia

The Coral Gables Area Democratic Club elected a slate of officers unopposed at their meeting last week. Returning as president is Connie Washburn. Vice president will be Shannon O’Sullivan, secretary is Roz Marks, and treasurer is Sandi Strickland.

The monthly meeting voted to make a donation to the re-election campaign of State Rep. Luis Garcia, who expressed gratitude to the club for the help given by its members in his winning campaign for the State House of Representatives last year.

There was widespread agreement that all our candidates should be like him – but it’s hard nowadays to find a fresh face who came from Cuba as a teenager in 1960, worked hard all the time, became a firefighter and then fire chief in Miami Beach, and then won two terms on the Miami Beach city commission.

Garcia said he had beaten the freshman curse by getting several bills passed in his first session in Tallahassee, and by winning appropriations for his District 107. He said he would argue strongly against any cut in public safety services if the legislature cuts property taxes.

On those lines, see Sunday’s Miami Herald’s story on some purported drastic cuts for firefighters. Here’s the link.

Coral Gables: Don Slesnick in a Landslide

You won’t read this part of the story in the Herald. The incumbent mayor of Coral Gables, Don Slesnick, won re-election on Tuesday April 10, and the county Dems will hope to get a little credit for his strong victory. The DEC sent out two e-mails pointing out he was the only Democrat in the three-way race. Slesnick won with 56 percent, against 34 percent and 9 percent, and the turnout was 18.4 percent, unusually good for an isolated local election.

And it doesn’t hurt, of course, that the mayor was doing a fine job. Now he has a four-year term, following a charter revision approved in 2005 changing the term from two years. (You can read that part of the story in the Herald.) Incumbents win in Coral Gables