With less than 24 hours' notice, Change That Works Tennessee and its coalition partners staged a massive counter-demonstration at a Tea Party in front of Rep. Bart Gordon's office in Rutherford County. Our action turned the 'Tea Party' into a health care reform party.

A mere seven anti-reform "Teabaggers" were overwhelmed as over 60 health care reform supporters converged on the square in downtown Murfreesboro to urge Bart Gordon to support H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act.

"They didn't know what hit them," said Tony Cani, the state director of Change That Works. "Rutherford County is ground zero for conservative politics in Tennessee and we went right into their house and took over their event. I think a couple messages were sent today at this rally. First, the Teabaggers and the other enemies of change are not going to keep going unchallenged in Tennessee. Second, Bart Gordon needs to do the right thing and vote for health care reform because it isn't only conservatives who are watching his vote on H.R. 3200."

Watch footage:

"It was great to see people honking their horns in support of us," said Cecelia Moss of Murfreesboro. "We don't normally see a lot of progressives and pro-health care reform supporters out here being visible, but there were quite a few folks who were working nearby who came over to stand with us. That was very encouraging."

Change That Works would like to thank its coalition partners for spreading the word about the rally, including the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, Health Care for America Now, Organizing for America, and our friends in organized labor.

Remember, the time to pass legislation to provide quality, affordable health care for all is now. If you live in Tennessee, call Rep. Bart Gordon (615-896-1986) and tell him to VOTE YES on H.R. 3200.

Congress have held 79 hearings on health insurance reform in just over two years and Members have held more than 550 health care town halls and public events around the country. This evidence speaks truth to power that, health care reform is something that folks from Tennessee, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana and the rest of the Nation want now.

Why is there talk of a delay?

Why are our Representatives touting special interests over working people?

The Daily News Journal reported this week:

Reps. Bart Gordon of Tennessee, Baron Hill of Indiana, Charlie Melancon of Louisiana and Mike Ross of Arkansas are among the Blue Dog Coalition members raising issue with the cost of the bill.

Have they reviewed the cost of not fixing our current broken system? There is real value in reforming the health care system-- read some of the statistics and future projections Congress could help alleviate with a yes vote on H.R. 3200:

Tennessee: By 2016, projections show that Tennessee families will have to pay close to $19,400 for health care or over 44 percent of median household income. This would represent a 70 percent increase over 2008 levels.

Indiana: 157,816 uninsured adults in Indiana are between the ages of 50 and 64, meaning that more than 12% of Indiana's aging adults lack health insurance.

Louisiana: 969,000 Louisiana adults, 73.1 percent of the uninsured, are employed, but either they cannot afford their employer's health insurance plan, or their employers do not offer coverage.

Arkansas: In 2007, Arkansas's economy lost as much as $1.53 billion because of the poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured. That equates to $3,400 per uninsured Arkansas resident. This year, Arkansas faces a $107 million projected state budget deficit. This represents 2.4% of state spending.

Change that Works has mobilized everyday people in Indiana, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee as well as other states to stand with us for health care reform. These activists have personal stories that fuel their fight for health care reform-- for them, it's not about policy or special interests, it's about providing quality, affordable health care for the citizens of this great Nation. We've rallied in the streets to the halls of Congress-- we've stood together as hospital workers; small business owners; families; veterans and everyday folk to say that we want health care now. And no where in this nation, can we afford to wait much longer.

Currently, H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act is up for a vote in the Energy and Commerce committee. We cannot afford to delay this vote because we all know that a delay means killing health care reform. We've waited 60 years for reform-- this has not been a rushed process. Our current health care system is on its last legs and H.R. 3200 is the best chance we've had towards providing quality health care for working American families.

Call toll-free 1-866-339-6321 and let Congress know that H.R. 3200 is the will of the people.

Tennessee Change that Works activists and ordinary Tennesseans have been calling members of Congress to vote yes for HR 3200, the America's Affordable Health Choices Act. Representative Tanner voted against fixing health care this week--and other Tennessee Representatives could follow suit. It's our job to stop that from happening.

Rep. Gordon, will be voting next week in the House Energy and Commerce committee. It's a critical vote, and get this - Rep. Gordon has indicated that he may vote AGAINST it.

Can you take a moment to make a call? We want calls from Congressional District 6 to Rep. Gordon and calls from throughout the state to your Representative. Tennesseans can't wait any longer for health care reform.

Dial toll-free 1-866-339-6321.

We want you to make that call today-- here's a sample script you can use:

Hello, my name is [your first and last name] and I live in your District at [give your home address].

I am calling to urge my Representative to vote "YES" on America's Affordable Health Choices Act, H.R. 3200, that is before his committee.

It provides quality, affordable care for every American and offsets costs with responsible spending cuts and a fairer tax system.

Tennesseans cannot afford to wait another year to fix our broken health care system.

Members of Congress needs to show the political courage to get this done by voting "YES" on H.R. 3200 in committee today.

Place a free call into your Congressional office to win health care reform: 1-866-339-6321. Report back to us on your conversation by emailing calls@tnchange.org.

As a major national newspaper said today, "This bill is worth fighting for." So what are we waiting for? Let's fight! I hope you'll call.

Thanks for speaking out.

Vote Against House Ways & Means Reform Bill is a Vote Against Fixing Our Broken System

JACKSON, TN - By voting against America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200) before the House Ways & Means Committee, Rep. John Tanner voted against fixing our broken health care system.

"When I see Congressman Tanner voting against acting now to improve health care, it tells me that he's profoundly out of touch with ordinary working people in West Tennessee," said Ella Parham of Jackson. "I was looking forward to retirement after my career as a teacher. Now I have to keep working to help pay for health care. Failing to fix health care is not an option. We can't afford to wait any longer for real health care reform."

Tennesseans need reform now in order to save their hard-earned wages. Since 2000 alone, average family premiums have increased by 77 percent in Tennessee, at a rate almost 3 times as fast as wages. Tennessee businesses and families pay an extra $900 per year on premiums as a direct result of subsidizing the costs of the uninsured.

"Thousands of Tennesseans are standing up and speaking out about the need for reform that provides access to quality, affordable health care for every man, woman, and child,” said Tony Cani, State Director of SEIU's Change that Works campaign in Tennessee. "Putting the brakes on meaningful reform means doing nothing to hold down costs, doing nothing to help working people get secure health care, and doing nothing to protect the quality of health care. Rep. Tanner should stand with Tennesseans, not the special interests."

Ah the good ole days, when organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce could get away with advocating policies that actually hurt small business owners. The times, they are a changin'.

The issue of health care reform is poised to drive a wedge in the business community, according to a new report released by the Tennessee Small Business Coalition. "American Health Care Reform: Serious Business for Tennessee's Small Business", is the result of an intensive, scientific study done by Vanderbilt University's Peabody College that finds that a solid majority of small business owners across Tennessee support the types of reform in our nation's health care system that President Obama and progressives are proposing.

"This study provides new insight into the opinions of small business owners across Tennessee and shows their preferences for health care reform issues," says Craig Anne Heflinger, professor of human and organizational development at Vanderbilt and a co-author of the report.

• 79% report they are "really struggling" to afford the cost of health coverage.

• 61% believe that reforming health care now is a step to getting the economy back on track

• 73% report everyone should have a choice between quality, affordable public and private plans

• 88% report that it will be a significant challenge in the future to offer health insurance coverage to employees

• 70% want more public oversight of private insurers

• 61% agree that the government should play a stronger role in guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care.

Chris Link, who co-owns Imagination Branding in Nashville, was recently mentioned by President Obama in a speech to the American Medical Association and is someone who has made the connection about how "pro-business" special interest groups like the U.S. Chamber are not speaking for him. "I notice that many of these [attacks on health care reform] are coming from special interest groups who are looking out for big corporations and insurance companies who are at the root of the problem," Link says. "Over and over again, it seems like big business always likes to hide behind small business owners to get what they want, even when it hurts us. The Vanderbilt report proves that's the case when it comes to health care and I hope small business owners will start speaking up for themselves".

Link has signed on to the Change That Works campaign's Small Business Committee, which is committed to help get small business owners' viewpoints on progressive health care reform out to the public.
Tennessee small business owners can sign on to the pledge here.

After years of bogus solutions posed by "pro-business" politicians, small business owners are now learning that token gestures like tax credits that leave them at the mercy of the current broken system aren't a real solution. Many small business owners believe that real reform will require a stronger role for government in the health care system, including creating a quality public health insurance plan option. This is the plan that President Barack Obama campaigned on, one that the American people support, and a plan which small businesses across Tennessee are accepting of as well, as evidenced by the Vanderbilt report.

It's small businesses that are going to pick the country up out of this recession, but to make that possible, we need to fix America's health care system so we can keep offering critical jobs and important services to our communities.

Today, the Tennessean published an article "Obama: Health bill good for Tennessee: President says competitive businesses have nothing to fear"

Addressing concerns of insurance companies from middle Tennessee the President said this:

"I don't think that outstanding businesses that are doing good work in Tennessee are going to be disadvantaged; I think they will be advantaged. If they're providing more efficient care, better quality care for a better price, they're going to have more customers, not fewer."

Obama stressed that his major concern was providing health coverage for the 46 million in the US without coverage and the 1.7 million in Tennessee alone. That reform wouldn't harm the concentrated health coverage industries that are providing quality care-- in fact, he expects their business to flourish.

Read the entire Tennessean article here:

On Wednesday, I boarded a plane for the first time in 25 years. I fought back my fear of flying just long enough to fly to Washington to lobby for health care. The flight was more turbulent than I had hoped and since it was a small plane, I felt every shake and shimmy. By the time I landed and grabbed a cab, I was the one shaking and wanted nothing more than to spend the evening relaxing in my hotel room.

But that wasn't what I was there for. I was in D.C. to attend rallies and to meet with my representative - Bart Gordon - to tell him about the problems his constituents were having with health care and health insurance. So, after checking in, I hopped in another cab and headed to meet the rest of my group at the interfaith rally for health care reform. We heard from a number of religious leaders from every faith who encouraged us to believe and to pray, but also to work for change.

Rep. John Conyers gave a very entertaining speech about the need for reform and there were several enjoyable performances by local dance troupes. But my favorite speech was delivered by one of the last ministers to take the stage. I don't remember his name, but he gave a rousing speech exhorting all of us to take action and get health care reform passed. It was truly inspiring and I really felt that he re-energized the crowd. If he could speak to Congress, I bet he could get health care reform passed tomorrow.

Tennessee State Legislators Rep. Tommie Brown, Rep. Kent Coleman, Sen. Beverly Marrero, (Secretary, General Welfare, Health and Human Resources Committee), Rep. Jeanne Richardson, (Member, Health and Human Resources Committee; Vice Chair, Subcommittee on Public Health and Family Assistance) and Rep. Johnny Shaw signed onto a letter along with 700 state legislator from every state, to the President, HHS Secretary Sebelius and leaders of Congress, asking them to support key ingredients for real health care reform. Today, a delegation of legislators from around the nation will be on Capitol Hill to meet with the White House and deliver the letter.

State legislators are at the forefront of good health care reform with states like Tennessee's TennCare, a government-operated medical coverage program for residents who are eligible for Medicaid and some uninsured children. CoverTN is an additional state program that covers TN small business owners.

From the letter:

Key priorities for reform are reflected in recent state initiatives and public opinion polls which show that Americans want more choices and options for quality health care. Americans recognize that the private sector alone has proven incapable of creating a high-quality, fair, and accountable health care system that works for all families. Therefore, a key priority for reform is the choice of a public health insurance plan that is available to businesses, individuals, and families.

These are elected officials who have been legislating on health care reform for years, and have a keen understanding of how burdensome our broken health care system is for state budgets and for people's pocketbooks.

Read the entire letter being delivered on the Progressive State Network's website.

President Obama in his health care reform address to the American Medical Association in Chicago, mentioned Becky and Chris Link, two small business owners and Change that Works Tennessee activists:

"Small business owners like Chris and Becky Link in Nashville are also struggling. They've always wanted to do right by the workers at their family-run marketing firm, but have recently had to do the unthinkable and lay off a number of employees - layoffs that could have been deferred, they say, if health care costs weren't so high. Across the country, over one third of small businesses have reduced benefits in recent years and one third have dropped their workers' coverage altogether since the early 90's."

Across the state, family businesses like the Links are being forced to lay off workers to offset the rising cost of health care. Becky and Chris Link support a public option and want a health care insurance safety net for their laid off workers and other persons without affordable coverage for their families.

Take the small business pledge and join concerned Tennessee small business owners to support the President's push for health care for all.

Watch the President's full speech here:

Tennessee Change that Works campaign joined together with President Obama's Organizing for America and Tennesseans from around the state to hold house meetings to discuss what we want health care reform to look like. Meeting in libraries, homes, community centers and coffee shops, Tennesseans from Nashville, Jackson, Hermitage, Hendersonville, Gallatin and Murfreesboro shared their stories about the broken health care system.

Congressman Jim Cooper attended the Organizing for America house meeting at the Tennessee Democratic Party Headquarters in Nashville-- and one of our Change that Works field organizers captured his support of the public option.

In the upcoming weeks, stay tuned to the Tennessee Change that Works website for exciting events in support of health care reform, including the OFA day of action on June 27.

All eyes will be on health care in the next couple of weeks, as language is expected from the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Across the country SEIU members and Change that Works activists worked at a feverish pace to spotlight the value of reforming our broken healthcare system.

• In Nebraska, organizers earned coverage across the state from Lincoln to Grand Island with 24 stories in 24 hours.
  
• Change that Works teamed with Democracy for America this week to promote a public health insurance option. In the Buckeye State, Change that Works Iowa teamed with SEIU Local 199 and state Senator Joe Bolkcom to encourage Senator Charles Grassley to support a public health insurance option.
  
• Pennsylvanians for Healthcare released a video profile of an advocate for healthcare reform and encouraged residents to "share their story" with elected officials.
  
• Change that Works Montana attended Senator Max Baucus' "Listening Tour" across Montana and encouraged him to remain a strong advocate for a public health insurance option.
  
• In Ohio, SEIU 1199WKO members delivered a book of Healthcare Worker Stories to Representative Marcia Fudge.
  
• Change that Works Tennessee delivered over 500 petition signatures urging Representative Gordon to support a public health insurance option.
  
• Wednesday at First Unitarian Church in downtown Denver, Colorado, former Governor Howard Dean discussed the need for a public option with more than 350 town hall attendees. On Friday, Governor Dean co-hosted a town hall of nearly 100 participants in Wilmington, DE, with SEIU Change that Works.

SEIU's Change that Works campaign released a report on rising health care costs and the value of reform in Tennessee. Health care reform will go a long way towards fixing the broken economy and addressing the health care needs of Tennesseans-- from our rural areas as well as the cities. Government, families and businesses large and small stand to save trillions from fixing health care. Reform will strengthen Tennessee's businesses, help us retain jobs, and provide greater access and choices to Tennesseans in need of care. Read some of the impact from the report below:

America's families and businesses will both be stronger with health reform. In order to fix our broken economy, we must first fix our broken health care system. The high level of uninsured Americans, 45.7 million and growing at a rate of 14,000 per day, creates not only a moral crisis, but also avoidable economic costs. Covering everyone will not only increase coverage for the uninsured, but also reduce costs for those with insurance.

And specifically the fiscal impact on Tennessee and its residents:

Tennessee's economy lost as much as 3.57 billion because of the poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured in 2007. That equates to $4,000 per uninsured Tennessee resident.

This year, Tennessee faces a $1.5 billion, or 13.4 percent, state budget shortfall. As a result, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 seriously ill people are expected to lose hospitalization and other needed medical services provided through TennCare, the state's Medicaid program.

With unemployment skyrocketing across the state, the health care crisis is becoming even more pronounced, especially in the rural areas of West Tennessee, where the unemployment rate has reached 27% in Perry County. For most people - especially in rural areas - losing a job means losing health insurance.

Jerry Callis, a truck driver from Trenton in Gibson County weighs in on the new realities he's facing since he's become unemployed:

At the present, I don't have a job and I don't qualify for any aid. If I have to go to the doctor, I have to pay full price for the service. If the charges went through an insurance carrier they would only have to pay the doctor a small fraction of what my charge would be. Where a doctor may charge me $100 for a service, they will only charge a provider about $25. Why should I have to pay $75 more just because it's out of my pocket instead of the provider's pocket?
My last visit to my cardiologist was about a 15 minute consultation for him to tell me that he thought I might have a blockage in an artery on the bottom of my heart and he wanted to schedule me for a stent; but he wasn't sure that I would need one. That 15 minutes cost me $190. I had no insurance at the time to cover that. Two and a half years ago, I had open-heart surgery. After the dust settled, I was still over $3000 in debt and that's with me paying a provider about $400 per month for coverage. Now I am out of work and I have no coverage. If I were to have another heart attack I would be stuck with the entire bill for services rendered and because of my history, it would be hard for me to even get the coverage that I need.
People die every day because they don't have the coverage or the money to take care of an illness. People who have always had everything they need would never understand that. Come live my life for a year and survive on my income and see how long it will take them to change their minds about the current healthcare system.

Momentum is building for real reform to take place at Bank of America.

Today thousands of taxpayers will tell Bank of America it's time for reform - and for CEO Ken Lewis to be fired - by gathering at "Take Back the Economy" events around the country. The purpose of these events is to show Bank of America it's time for reform - you can collect "taxpayer proxy cards" that we'll deliver to Bank of America's annual meeting on Wednesday.

Here are events that are happening in Tennessee this week:

Nashville (Bank of America: Enough) event April 29, 2009 from 12Noon -1PM Bank of America 1634 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203

What kind of impact does Bank of America have in Tennessee?
Here are the facts:

Bank of America is the largest bank in the United States, with an estimated $2.3 trillion in assets and counts almost 1 in 2 households as customers. Bank of America is also the country's second largest issuer of credit cards. In Tennessee, Bank of America is the fourth largest bank and number one mortgage lender.

Bank of America is a major small business lender in the state, with more than 7,726 loans to small businesses totaling $116.7 million.
Bank of America has put taxpayers on the hook for as much as $200 billion in bailout money, making it one of the top two recipients. And it's estimated that Bank of America costs Tennessee taxpayers an additional $712,000 annually for uninsured and underinsured employees who are forced to rely on publicly-funded state health care programs.

Bank of America in Tennessee by the numbers:

Branches: 87

Deposits (2008)
Deposits: $6.3 million
Deposit Rank: 4

Mortgages (2007)
Mortgages: 27,211
Mortgage Value: $3.8 billion
Mortgage Rank (2006): 1

Small Business Loans (2007)
Total Small Business Loans: 7,726
Total Small Business Loan Value: $116.7 million

Employees
Branch Workers (est): 730
Health care Cost to Taxpayers (est): $712,000

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) had these encouraging words to say about health care reform in a recent conversation with the Tennessean:

"I am more excited about this issue than I have been in my whole life. This is incredible. Now, we're a long way from home, but the opportunity is huge... It's like a bird in hand and yet our (party) leaders are slow-walking this."

Congressman Cooper is on the right track, but he still has yet to embrace the public option plan that President Obama believes has to be part of true health care reform.

Make your voice heard on this issue by joining with us on the Change That Works campaign. Together, we can make health care reform a reality for the people of Tennessee and throughout the nation.