Thousands of Text Messages sent to the Governor on Healthcare Reform

Californians Spooked by Governor's Plan to Require Health Insurance Regardless of Affordability; Labor and Consumer Groups Launch "Don't Be Tricked" Campaign for Halloween

WHAT: Multiple media events around the state. It's OUR Healthcare will organize commuters to send text messages to Governor Schwarzenegger demanding affordable healthcare reform, with messages to be broadcast in real time on a huge digital screen during today's statewide healthcare reform hearing in Sacramento.

Morning media events (6:00am) in Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Sacramento and Riverside will feature Halloween-costumed healthcare activists engaging morning commuters at public transit hubs and having them send text messages to the Governor. The campaign theme: "Don't be tricked by the Governor's plan. Demand real, affordable healthcare this year."

There will also be a press conference and rally as a kickoff to the hearing in Sacramento where these thousands of text messages will be displayed in real time on a large digital screen outside today's healthcare hearing.

WHEN &: Wednesday, October 31, 2007

WHERE:

6:00 am (Statewide):

Sacramento: Amtrak Station, 401 I St, Downtown Sacramento

Bay Area: Macarthur BART station, 555 40th Street, Oakland

Los Angeles: Pershing Square Station, 500 S. Hill St, Los Angeles

Riverside: Corona North Main Metrolink station, 250 Blaine St, Corona

9:30 am (Sacramento):

Press conference and rally (kickoff event for hearing); text message display begins and continues all day until 5 pm
North side of the capitol building - add address details - speakers

9:30 - 11:00 am (Sacramento):

Continued Sacramento outreach with local residents to generate text messages

WHO: It's OUR Healthcare! - a coalition of seniors, healthcare consumers and labor. Members include Consumers Union, Health Access, Service Employees International Union, AARP, California Teachers Association, the California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and more than 100 other groups.

WHY: While tens of thousands of people have contacted the legislature and the Governor this year to demand real, affordable healthcare, the Governor's recent proposal reflects little progress over his initial plan in January, and still requires that people buy insurance regardless of whether they can afford it or whether it does them any good. Californians can't afford to wait any longer for real, affordable healthcare, and won't let the Governor walk away from healthcare reform this year.