got healthcare?
A Wisconsin campaign for guaranteed quality, affordable care for everyone.
In some cities local educators used their summer vacations to gather
signatures and in others local residents collected signatures through
their church networks. Kathleen Slamka, who gathered signatures with
her daughter at the Oak Creek public concert series, told the Shepherd
Express: “I’ve collected a lot of signatures in the past, and these
were by far the easiest signatures to get. The hard part was hearing
people’s stories. Everyone knows someone who doesn’t have health
insurance, and a lot of times it’s their kids or grandkids.”
Because of these efforts all across the state, 22 Wisconsin cities and
counties had health care advisory referendums on the ballot November
4th. The referendums won in a landslide, with over 413,000 yes votes.
The city and county vote totals ranged from 66% to 85% for the
referendum, with a state-wide average of 74% voting yes. The
referendums were overwhelmingly popular, running ahead of everything
else on the ballot, and even running 18 points ahead of Barack
Obama! The landslide vote for the referendum was state-wide news (see
front page "Citizen Action in the News" section and media archives
section of website). The vote sends a powerful message to the
politicians in Madison that the people are tired of the Legislature’s
failure to lead on the deepening health care crisis.
The referendums garnered state-wide attention for health care reform,
resulting in over 140 media stories so far. As a result, health care
reform is near the top of the Legislative agenda. The
referendums forced candidates and newly elected legislators to go
beyond their standard stump speeches and commit to enacting bold health
care reform by the end of next year that guarantees high quality
coverage and controls skyrocketing costs.
Before the election, key lawmakers predicted the referendums would
influence the Legislature. As Senator Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls)
told the Eau Claire Leader Telegram: "I think if these referendums pass
in some communities that will send a powerful message that the public
is tired of politicians hashing this over back and forth, rather than
providing some form of relief." The landslide vote on November
4th made Senator Kreitlow's prediction come true.
Local Health Care Referendum Vote Percentages
- Appleton--73% yes
- Altoona--72% yes
- Barron County--77% yes
- Black River Falls--79% yes
- Dane County--73% yes
- Douglas County--81% yes
- Eau Claire--74% yes
- Hudson--73% yes
- Green Bay--73% yes
- La Crosse County--75% yes
- Menasha--85% yes
- Menomonie--80% yes
- Mondovi--76% yes
- New Richmond--79% yes
- Oak Creek--66% yes
- Oshkosh--78% yes
- Polk County--66% yes
- River Falls--83% yes
- South Milwaukee--72% yes
- Tomah--83% yes
- Viroqua--66% yes
- Washburn County--79% yes
- State Wide Total--74% yes
Did you support the referenda in your city or county? Please write a letter to the editor of your local paper and tell them why. We need to keep this issue in the public eye if we are to see real health care reform in the next year.
* Please be sure to include "Citizen Action of Wisconsin" in the text of your letter so we can easily find letters published about this subject. Thanks!
City Newspaper Email Address
Antigo Antigo Daily Journal
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Appleton Appleton Post-Crescent
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Marquette (MI) Marquette Mining Journal click here to submit your letter
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Our Standards: Real Health Care Reform
Because of pressure from insurance companies, drug companies, and other
special interests reaping windfall profits in the current system,
political leaders are often prone to offer half measures and false
solutions that won't really fix our broken health care system.
To accomplish reform next year, we must make it clear to all
candidates that we expect real health care solutions which meet the
following common sense standards:
- Guarantee everyone affordable coverage as good as what is provided to state legislators and members of Congress.
- Guarantee
that families can control their own health care decisions by choosing
their doctors, and having a choice of high quality public and private
plans.
- Guarantee that no one can be denied coverage for any
reason, including age, health status, occupation, family history, or
pre-existing condiditons.
- Guarantee that everyone pays their fair share, including individuals and employers.
- Guarantee
that everyone is asked to do their part to reduce unnecessary health
care expenditures by adopting healthier lifestyles and seeking our
primary and preventive care.
Wisconsin Health Care Reform Advisory Referedum Language "Shall the next
state legislature enact health care reform legislation by Dec. 31, 2009
that guarantees every Wisconsin resident affordable health care
coverage as good as what is provided to state legislators and state
officials?"
What do we mean by "quality, affordable health care?"
Health Care for America Now!
A nationally coordinated campaign for comprehensive federal health care reform.
4th Congressional District Field Hearing with Representative Gwen Moore
Cross Lutheran Church, 1821 N. 16th Street, Milwaukee, WI.
January, 2009
Date TBA
8th Congressional District Field Hearing with Representative Steve Kagan
Date TBA
2nd Congressinal District Field Hearing with Representative Tammy Baldwin
November, 2008
3rd Congressional District Field Hearing with Representative Ron Kind
Date TBA
Do you have a health care story that your Congressional Representative or Senator needs to hear? Tell us your story , and we'll make sure Congress gets the message.
If you'd like to join a local Health Care for America Now!
delegation to your Congressional Rep. or Senator, please contact
Campaign Coordinator Brian Rothgery directly at 414-476-4571, or email him.
Milwaukee Area
 Celebrate with Community Shares of Wisconsin . . .
Citizen Action of Wisconsin is a member of Community Shares of Wisconsin.
608-256-1066 or
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.
“Community Shares' local, grassroots organizations are doing some very heavy lifting in our society. The work accomplished by Community Shares of Wisconsin isn’t always fully appreciated. But it’s absolutely critical."
— Carol Lobes
Citizen Action of Milwaukee and Community Shares host events such as "Empowered People Transforming Communities." For more information please contact
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or 414-476-4531.
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