Working Families

We were out in force to let Rep. Dan Maffei know: Healthcare Reform Now! As Channel 10 reported:

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Healthcare advocates and labor unions delivered thousands of signatures on Thursday to Congressman Dan Maffei’s office in Syracuse.

Members of 1199 SEIU, Citizen Action and the Communication Workers of America, are calling on the freshman Democrat to support President Obama’s campaign for comprehensive health care reform.

Why  is this happening? Six members of New York’s Congressional Delegation, all Democrats, spoke on the record against Obama’s healthcare reforms. For most of them, it was because the funding program required taxing those with incomes above $1 million.

We think President Obama was elected on a promise to reform healthcare, and that much of the criticism – even when well-intentioned – contributes to a right wing narrative that aims to block reform. And we’re not afraid to hold Democrats accountable when we they aren’t right on the issues:

More than 6,000 6900 signatures were collected online from New York State residents frustrated over the healthcare initiative getting stalled over objections from House Democrats.

“I think it’s been well looked at and there is a system set up to pay for it right now, at least the way I understand it. The bill is not written yet, also. I haven’t seen the whole thing, at least get it into the next phase where it’s out of the committees and we can start working forward,” said Rick Oppedisano, co-chair of the Syracuse chapter of the Working Families Party. The Working Families Party says in 2008, they endorsed Congressman Maffei, providing him with more than 9,000 votes on the ballot line.

See the video of the protest here. Thanks Rick for all your hard work!