[Nyclocal] Fwd: [coalitionagainstprivatization] Report-Back - June 7th

[William Wharton]

--- noprivatization <noprivatization at yahoo.com> wrote:

> To: coalitionagainstprivatization at yahoogroups.com
> From: "noprivatization" <noprivatization at yahoo.com>
> Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:22:43 -0000
> Subject: [coalitionagainstprivatization] Report-Back
> - June 7th
> 
> Friends,
> 
> Last Saturday CAP held a day of outreach in support
> of the June 19th
> "National Day of Protest Against Health Insurance
> Companies." 
> Activists spread out throughout the boroughs and
> brought the message
> of single-payer healthcare and no privatization of
> GHI/HIP to
> different communities.  Despite the 90 degree heat,
> we managed to
> distribute more than 1,200 flyers and collected 70
> new contacts on our
> sign-up sheets.  In the process, we met with transit
> workers, nurses
> and even folks from other countries who described
> the benefits of
> national insurance.
> 
> Here are some brief report-backs:
> - The Bed-Stuy table was up from 10:30 am until
> 12:00 pm
> The Bedford-Stuyvesant outreach was overall very
> successful.  We
> handed out many fliers, talked to people and made
> some valuable
> contacts.  The response from the vast majority of
> people was very
> positive.  We were able to reach transit workers and
> nurses who all
> expressed support in regards to our campaigns to
> stop the GHI/HIP
> privatization and to push for national health care. 
> We were also able
> to make contact with a writer from Time Out New York
> who is interested
> in our campaigns and promised to forward any future
> press releases to
> the right people.      
> - One person from the Bed-Stuy split-off and did a
> leafletting of
> Ditmars Park in Brooklyn.
> - The Coney Island table was up from about 10:30
> until 12 - Masses of
> people streamed by and the CAP activist in charge
> recommended
> targeting the area in the future
> - The Harlem table was up from 1:00p until 4:30p -
> Eight people showed
> up to help to help at various moments.  We split off
> into groups to
> cover both sides of the street.  The spirit of the
> leafleting was
> upbeat and we received many positive responses.  We
> met with an
> organizer in the Carpenter's Union who wishes to
> endorse the rally on
> the 19th.  People on the street seemed genuinely
> interested.
> - The Sunset Park table was a bust so activists
> headed over to
> Tompkins Square Park and handed out many leaflets
> - The Union Square tabling was tough since the
> restaurant construction
> in the back of the park forced everyone into a now
> chaotic front
> section of the park.
> 
> All in all it was a good day and I am happy to say
> that there were no
> fatalities on our part from heat-stroke!
> 
> This afternoon I opened my mailbox and found a
> letter from a retired
> NYC school teacher.  He now lives in NJ and cannot
> make it out to
> demos because of a disability.  He sent a check for
> $25 for CAP to use
> to continue the struggle against the privatization
> of GHI/HIP.  I hope
> we can use this type of solidarity as inspiration to
> keep our movement
> going!
> 
> Peace,
> Billy
> 
> 
>