For Immediate Release: July 26, 2006

Contact: Tom Garvey
http://www.thepolicycenter.org
(516) 379-6812 or (800) 442-6177
Fax: (516) 377-1108
E-mail: tgarvey@thepolicycenter.org

Tom Garvey, The Policy Center, July 26, 2006

Merrick, New York – The people of Massachusetts are now launching a counterattack
on the recent assault on democracy committed by State Senate President Robert Travaglini (D-East Boston) and Health Care Financing Committee Co-Chairs Senator Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge) and Representative Patricia Walrath (D-Stow) at the behest of corporate special interests (HMOs, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and others) led by the trade group Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).

This citizen initiative to amend the Massachusetts state constitution seeks to enact a permanent constitutional guarantee - creating a legal right - to comprehensive, affordable, and equitably financed health insurance for all state residents. It is a volunteer-led campaign that has been underway for over three years.

A deceitful stealth maneuver involving the enactment of “special rules” allowed the Massachusetts legislative leadership to send the amendment, which enjoys the support of 70% of the public and a majority of the legislators, to a special study committee. The study vote prevailed only after blatant and excessive “leadership strong-arm tactics were applied to individual legislators, as reported by many legislators who fell victim to these nefarious acts.”
Outraged citizens, from Massachusetts and throughout the United States, are beginning to flood the Massachusetts State House with calls to State Senate President Travaglini at 617-722-1500, demanding his written commitment to have the Health Care Amendment “study committee” commence its work, hold a public hearing, and place the citizens’ Health Care Amendment on the November 9, 2006, ConCon Calendar for a straight Yes or No Vote on its merits. It needs only 50 (out of 200) Yes votes from legislators to advance to the November, 2008, statewide ballot.

Anything less than an up or down vote on November 9th will be seen as a denial of voting rights, both the legislators’ voting rights and the voting rights of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

We Must Stop Death by Uninsurance and Health Care Industry Profiteering!

For more information please contact: Tom Garvey, Chairman, Board of Directors, The Center for Health Care Policy Research and Analysis, (516) 379-6812 or (800) 442-6177, 15 Argyle Road, Merrick, NY 1156 tgarvey@thepolicycenter.org or go to http://www.thepolicycenter.org.

Click here to download this press release as a Word document.

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