The vast majority of Americans go to work everyday, creating something of benefit for others. Some are self-employed. Some own and operate small businesses. Most are employed by a small, medium, or large organization. They show up and do the work.
They—we—have a moral right to a fair share of what all of us produce together. But that’s not the capitalist way. The capitalist way says the legal owner of the business has a legal right to extract as much work for as little pay as possible. Exploitation is built into the system.
It’s not morally right; but we’ve known that for 200 years.
As a result of this system, a miniscule few have obscene levels of wealth and income. They buy themselves large yachts, airplanes, and multiple mansions. Millions and millions of Working Americans can’t afford day care, health care, or housing. The working poor—as Barbara Ehrenreich demonstrated in Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America—struggle even to survive from paycheck to paycheck. We all benefit from the work they do. Yet, the working poor get shut out from the fruits of their labor.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE
Over the past 35 years, the corporate class captured the Democratic Party and many of its leaders. Those leaders do the bidding of their wealthy donors. They rarely stick their necks out for Working Americans.
We need leaders who will make a fuss for us. We need leaders like Graham Platner:
My theory is this. There’s a lot of nuanced conversations around a whole bunch of topics in this country that we will all get to expend an immense amount of energy talking about once everybody has healthcare. Once everybody has healthcare, I am happy to expend all of my wind talking about these other things. Until that day comes, until everybody can go to a hospital and get the care that they need to live the type of life that they want to live, to get the type of dignity and fulfillment out of life once people don’t have to worry about over 50% of their income going to rent. Once we’re past that, I’m happy to talk about all that. right now down here in the real world, those two things especially are destroying people’s lives. And that’s not like a it’s not hyperbole. It’s not a it’s not a talking point. It’s not a campaign slogan. It’s actually true.
Join the Campaign for Publicly Funded Health Care
We need leaders who will make a fuss for us. YOU can be that leader.
We must require our elected representatives and government officials take up the cause of publicly funded health care. They aren’t likely to do that unless you and I demand it. One way to demand it is to grow a campaign for publicly funded universal health care, like the one taking shape in Vermont right now.
H.433, a bill introduced three years ago in the Vermont House, will phase in publicly funded health care for all Vermonters over 10 years, beginning with universal primary care. But the bill is languishing in the health care committee.
So, dozens of Vermonters across the state have started a petition to put a resolution calling for passage of this bill on Town Meeting agendas across the state.
If you live in Vermont, you can get involved and help make universal health care a reality for Vermont and Vermonters. (If you live in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or New York, we certainly don’t mind if you come over the border and help out too.)
Here’s how:
Go to the Toolkit for Volunteers.
Read the Step-by-Step Guide for Volunteers
Download the Template for the Petition and change [NAME HERE] to the name of your town.
Recruit friends and neighbors to help.
Collect signatures from at least 5% of the legal voters of your town.
Submit the signed petitions to your Town Clerk no later than January 15.
You don’t need to register with anyone. You don’t need permission. Just do it.
Register for the webinar on Monday, January 5, at 5:15, in which several activists will answer questions about the bill and gathering signatures. (Register to get the recording if you’re not available at that time.)
You can learn much more about the bill from materials in the toolkit, including from a video on Pass 433 Now.
Democracy Belongs to those Who Show Up
We defend democracy by doing democracy. Joining the campaign for universal health care by gathering and submitting signatures on the Pass 433 Now petition is doing democracy.