In this Washington CAN e-newsletter, you will find:

Thursday, March 15, 2007

In this Washington CAN! e-newsletter, you will find:

Put Some Green into Basic Health. Take Action this Saturday!
It's Federal Budget Decision Time

1. Put Some Green into Basic Health. Take Action this Saturday!

Basic Health – the popular state health program that provides sliding scale coverage to Washington’s working poor – is a cost-effective solution to address the growing number uninsured.

Despite broad support and a dedicated funding stream, legislators have failed to sufficiently invest in Basic Health. Because of under-funding, the program currently has over 20,000 fewer spaces than it did in 2001. This year, we’re asking lawmakers to restore 20,000 slots to the Basic Health Plan.

Join us this Saturday, St. Patrick's Day, at a townhall in your district to say "Let's Put Some Green into Basic Health!"

Visit our website to find out when and where your legislators are hosting a town hall.

You can also find sample questions to ask on health care.

Let us know if you plan to attend a town hall meeting.

Can't attend a townhall? Contact your legislators today!

Contact your legislators today!

Message: Restore 20,000 Basic Health slots.

1-800-562-6000

http://action.washingtoncan.org

2. It's Federal Budget Decision Time
If you call, Congress will make your priorities their priorities.
If you don't, they won't.

Our “First Things First” agenda is based on our shared values that each of us deserves the opportunity to succeed, to have access to adequate health care, food, housing, education and the economic security to live with dignity.

Call Thursday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 20
800-459-1887, toll-free

Call your legislators toll-free and help convince Congress that it must provide enough funding so that more people get the health care, housing, education, nutrition, and other services they need. Time is of the essence. The House and Senate Budget Committees are now creating the spending outline that will determine whether the budget pie is big enough to provide adequate funding for human needs.

Over the next week YOU can make a difference! Here's how:

Step 1: Call 1-800-459-1887 and ask the Capitol Switchboard operator to connect you to your member of Congress' office. (If you don't know your Representative's or Senators' names go to http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm)

Step 2: Make 3 calls - one to your Representative and two to your Senators. Deliver this message to the staffer that answers the phone:

Please put “First Things First” and work to pass a budget resolution that includes a significant spending increase for pressing needs that have been neglected for years, such as (Mention examples that mean the most to you, such as, housing, child care, services for senior citizens, education, Head Start, Food Stamps, children's health coverage, child support collections…). Our nation needs these investments - we don't need billions in tax cuts for the wealthy.

Step 3: Help Spread the Word!

Call any day that's convenient - but you may want to join with groups around the country who are focusing their efforts on specific days. Below are the issue areas some advocates will focus on with links to issue pages that provide talking points on the issue. But if you miss the suggested day, it doesn't matter: please deliver the message that means the most to you when you can.

Thursday, March 15: Children and Youth Issues (http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/support_kids)
Friday, March 16: Workers' Issues (http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/support_working_families)
Monday, March 19: Education Issues ( http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/fund_education)
Tuesday, March 20: Housing and Nutrition Issues (http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/nutrition_and_housing)

The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee. AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of non-partisan budget goals and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.

With over 30,000 members across the state, Washington CAN! is the state’s largest grassroots community organization. Washington CAN! fights for progressive social change at the local, state, and national levels, with a focus on issues that most directly affect the lives of Washington residents. Our mission is to achieve economic fairness in order to establish a democratic society characterized by racial and social justice, with respect for diversity, and a decent quality of life for those who reside in Washington State. www.WashingtonCAN.org

You are receiving this message because you are a member of Washington CAN! or you have signed up to our free e-mail update service. If you have had this message forwarded to you and would like to continue receiving our action alerts, or you need to change the e-mail address to which these notices are transmitted, please email us at subscribe@washingtoncan.org. If you wish to no longer receive our e-newsletter, please send a message to unsubscribe@washingtoncan.org