Citizen Action Weekly: May 26th – June 1st
May 26th – June 1st
Citizen Action Calls Out Scott Walker’s Latest Health Care Sabotage
Scott Walker knows his record of sabotaging health coverage could cost him re-election. That’s why he has has been falsely claiming to help people with pre-existing conditions and families struggling with massive premium increases. But this week Citizen Action of Wisconsin caught Walker red handed up to his old tricks of sabotaging the Affordable Care Act.
In an obscure bulletin released by the Commissioner of Insurance, we found out that Walker is using new authority from the Trump Administration to allow health insurance corporations to continue to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and sell dangerous plans which leave out critical medical care! Of course, there was no press release from Walker announcing this scandalous cave-in to giant health insurance corporations. He was hoping voters would never hear about it, but Citizen Action caught him in the act.
Walker’s new directive allows the sale of substandard “lemon” plans which are dangerous because they do not cover whole categories of essential medical care and have annual limits. Insurance companies are also allowed to deny coverage to people with health conditions!
Citizen Action of Wisconsin has documented over the years that substandard “lemon” plans increase health insurance prices on the ACA marketplace by skimming off healthier people. Perhaps most importantly, these plans leave individuals without access to healthcare when they need it most. Big insurance corporations tout low premiums to draw lower- and middle-class customers, and then leave them holding high medical bills. The move shows that Walker’s dramatic change in tone in his State of the State Address, where he claimed to want to stabilize the Wisconsin individual health insurance market, was nothing more than an empty promise during an election year.
If Governor Walker really wants to make high quality healthcare more accessible and affordable for individuals and small businesses, he could take the following steps:
- Open BadgerCare to everyone in Wisconsin by creating a public option using the highly successful BadgerCare program. This would reduce premiums and deductibles by an average of 38% compared to private health insurance. It would help people who buy insurance as individuals as well as small businesses.
- Reverse his disastrous decision to turn down the Medicaid expansion money provided by the ACA. This would reduce premiums by about 7%, help healthcare providers by increasing reimbursement rates, and allow people to access the healthcare they need.
National Day of Action for Children: Families Belong Together
On June 1st, Accion Ciudadana members in partnership with the ACLU, Voces de la Frontera, LULAC, and Progressive Moms of Wisconsin rallied in response to the growing number of children and youth separated from their immigrant families at the border or their homes, the disappearance of nearly 1,500 children and the abuses against many. We demand that the Trump administration stops separating immigrant children and youth from their families and account for what is happening to all children in immigration custody.
– Contact your member of Congress to tell them to protect children, end intentional family separation, and stop human rights abuses in the name of immigration enforcement.
– Demand that Congress stop funding the agencies that are infringing on children and their families’ human rights. Children and immigrant youth everywhere must be protected. Claudia Gonzalez was a young woman who was shot at the US – Mexico border by CBP – demand justice now!
Acción Meets with Gubernatorial Candidate Kelda Roys
On Thursday, Kelda Helen Roys (D), a former state representative and attorney who is a candidate for Wisconsin Governor attended a meeting session with members and supporters of Acción Ciudadana de Wisconsin at Myra’s Jugos y Frutas on W. Historic Mitchell Street in Milwaukee, WI.
Roys told the attendees that she supports for the undocumented to apply for driver licenses as a public safety issue. She says, that she is ready to take office with 20 years of experience. If elected, Roys will be the first female Governor elect.
- Stands for reduced mass incarceration
- Believes people should be in power positions to advocate for their rights
- Supports the funding for Public Education and reinstating the $1B that Governor Scott Walker (R) removed from the public education system
- Will work to replace Act 10
- Supports instate tuition for DREAMers
- Believes that every Wisconsin resident should have affordable health care
- A progressive candidate
- Supports legal Cannabis legislation
Roys speaking video session link: https://bit.ly/2LOhwnR
Source: Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
Battleground Wisconsin: Open Political Season
With the deadline for election nomination papers passing Friday, we welcome special guest Senator Chris Larson to dig into the official opening of the Wisconsin political season. We bat around the races for Governor, U.S. Senate, and the critical special election the the 1st State Senate District in Northeast Wisconsin. In addition, it turns out that Scott Walker’s election year pivot to a constructive position on health care was only that, as his administration took new steps this week to sabotage the ACA. Also more “blame the workers” for the lack of economic opportunity rhetoric from conservative politicians, and the latest on the Foxconn scandal.
Listen to this week’s episode here, and also Sunday at 3 PM on Resistence Radio 1510 Milwaukee/Waukesha.
Radio-Active Issue Team Plans Strategy
On Thursday evening the Radio-Active core leadership team had a strategy meeting to map out next steps in the fight to build a progressive voice in Wisconsin’s media. Radio-Active is a project of the Citizen Action Greater Milwaukee Organizing Co-op. The focus of the work during the election season will be to organize in support and build the new progressive radio station in Southeast Wisconsin, Resistance Radio 1510 AM. There will also be a special emphasis on building audience and advertising for the Earl Ingram Show, which airs during morning drive time and on Saturday afternoons. Earl is a member of the Citizen Action Organizing Co-op, and a tireless champion for economic and racial justice. Please stay tuned for the announcement of exciting new public events, and get involved in fighting for a progressive voice in the media!
Citizen Action is Hiring
As we have reported in previous issues of Citizen Action Weekly, were are undergoing a series of staff transitions. As a result, we are currently seeking qualified applicants for the following positions. Please spread the word.
Organizing Director: Citizen Action of Wisconsin seeks a dynamic and socially committed person to direct the issue and electoral organizing of one of the strongest and most dynamic grassroots groups in Wisconsin. This position would be located at our Milwaukee headquarters.
Healthcare Organizer: Citizen Action of Wisconsin seeks a dynamic and socially committed person to join our organizing team and lead a health policy campaign to address opioid addiction and other substance use issues as a public health emergency. This position would likely be located in Wisconsin either at our Milwaukee headquarters or elsewhere in Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Co-op Organizer: Citizen Action of Wisconsin seeks a dynamic and socially committed person to join our organizing team and lead an innovative multi-issue membership organizing project known as the Greater Milwaukee Organizing Cooperative. This position is located in Milwaukee.
North Central Organizing Update
North Central Co-op members continue to conduct rural surveys in Marathon, Wood, Lincoln, Langlade, Sawyer and Rusk Counties. Throughout the summer, Members hope to expand into Portage, Waupaca, Oneida, Vilas, Clark and possibly other more rural counties. For far too long, political leaders have been telling rural WI what they need, and these surveys give the Co-op a chance to change all of that. This gives members a chance to listen to the people, and turn what they learn into action!
North Central Organizer Joel Lewis is organizing house meetings throughout the region, not only to train folks on conducting the surveys, but to train them on the highly successful Relational Voter Program (RVP). The RVP allows people who want to increase voter engagement and turnout, to build a list of their entire network and then, these lists are able to be cross-referenced in the Voter Action Network (VAN). In 2016, RVP was found to be 10 times more effective than other common Get Out the Vote strategies that were tested. If this is used, in addition to all of the other great volunteer opportunities to get out the vote, imagine the possibilities! If you are interested in hosting a house party to learn more about the rural surveys or RVP contact Joel Lewis at 715-551-2525.
