Mad as Hell Doctors first event in Sequim was a rousing success!

From my email--

the event in Sequim was beyond all expectations. I can give a synopsis tonight if you want. Probably 600 people and not one heckler. Explosive personal stories, moving testimony by "the doctors," a rousing spontaneous powerful atmosphere. Not all MAHD events can be this good, but let's do our best to keep the momentum sparking in Seattle. Their advance PR must have been incredible.

Here's the only "publicity" I could find in the Sequim Gazette:


Documentary describes health care system

A DVD called "Health, Money and Fear" will be shown from 2-4 p.m. today, Wednesday, Aug. 12, and again from 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim.

Dr. Paul Hochfield, an emergency room doctor, produced the documentary that describes why the health care system is ailing.

Each showing will be followed with discussions of single payer and public options as possible health care reforms.

and wish they were stopping in Raleigh

Check their website. I'll ask about video at my single payer meeting tonight

He sounds awesome. I can imagine him swaying a lot of people if they'd only listen and be open-minded. It was really interesting to hear why he wants not the public option but single-payer; he explained the problems with anything not-single-payer very clearly.

you can watch it there.

'Mad as Hell' doctors tout single-payer system at Sequim rally

By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News


SEQUIM -- Nearly 700 people packed the Sequim High School auditorium on Tuesday to rally for universal health care.

A group of Oregon doctors who call themselves "Mad as Hell Doctors" led a discussion that promoted the single-payer option for reform. The crowd largely agreed with the 10 panelists who led the 21âÑ2-hour event.

Questions to the panel were pre-screened, but the public was allowed to comment openly at the end of the evening rally. Most of the speakers were in favor of a universal plan. None supported the status quo.

The rally was sponsored by Reform Health Care Now, a coalition of North Olympic Peninsula citizens and activists.

The donation funded "Mad as Hell Doctors" group used the Sequim rally as a springboard for a 20-city tour to Washington, D.C., which begins in Seattle on Sept. 8.

"This is one heck of a crowd to do your first rehearsal for," said Adam Klugman, master of ceremonies.

Klugman opened the event by musing on the difference between anger and rage in a call for civility.

"Anger is a healthy, productive feeling, but rage is very destructive," he said.

The crowd never booed or spoke over the speakers.

Musician Bob Wickline and Klugman whipped the crowd into a "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore" chant before the panelists gave one-minute responses to the question: Why are you mad as hell?

Why are you mad?

"People can't afford to get reasonable insurance," said Dr. Penny Burdick of Sequim, who volunteered to join the panel after someone pointed out that there were no women on it.

"Many insurance companies don't cover preventative medicine . . . I can't stand seven-minute office visits where I can't help anybody."

Panelist Joseph Eusterman, a retired internal medicine physician from Portland, said he was angry at the fear mongering over the single-payer, or universal, option.

"We don't need any more fear in this country -- it's been going on long enough," Eusterman said. "I'm mad as hell about all the fear mongering."

Dr. Robert Seward, an internal medicine physician from Portland, said people are going bankrupt trying to pay their medical bills, which doesn't happen in other developed nations.

"I think that is intolerable and an outrage," Seward said. "Millions of Americans aren't getting basic health care."

Dr. Paul Hochfeld, emergency room physician in Corvallis, Ore., showed a 15-minute clip of his film "Health, Money and Fear."

He asked everyone in the audience to raise their hand if they think the current system is broken.

Nearly every hand went up.

"That was a trick question," Hochfeld said. "We don't have a health care system."

Congress manipulated

He said Congress is being manipulated by the insurance and drug companies to the detriment of the public.

Dr. Tom Locke, health care officer for Clallam and Jefferson county, argued for the public option in a staged debate with Hochfeld.

Locke said proponents of a public option see it as a first step to a single-payer option. He said a public option in 2009 may be the best that political realists can hope for.

"The partisan rancor in Washington, D.C., is at an absolute all-time high," Locke said.

U.S. Rep Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, will hold a town hall meeting on health care reform in the Fort Worden State Park Commons in Port Townsend on Monday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

________

Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.

http://www.washblog.com/story/2009/8/26/211320/643

When 600 people stood up during the dialogue from the movie "The Network", our jaws dropped.
Exceeding all expectations and giving us a great base to improve our format, Sequim really showed up in support.

There were no boos. There were no "teabaggers" or "brown shirts."

Well actually there were, but it quickly became evident to them that they were welcome and could participate in creating a solution that isn't a bailout of the insurance industry like Obamacare.

About a dozen left halfway through. I guess we took the fun out of disagreeing, when you have doctors and facts on your side

Check back on the website for video of the event in the coming days.

This is really happening.

And it is going to be phenomenal.

Over 20 stops in about just as many days. And if the rest of America is anything like Sequim, WA, we will surely create waves for Single Payer.

So take a moment to find Sequim on a map of Washington. And in a little over a month when we pull into DC with a trail of cars and supporters, you'll know where it all began. In the most unlikely place with a great communi

Start off with the Car-a-Van from Tacoma to Seattle at 3PM.

Stay for the Town Hall meeting from 5-8 PM
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
104 -17th Ave S, Seattle

Sponsored by

United for Single Payer
PNHP-Western Washington
Health Care for All--WA
HeathCareNow
Single Payer Action
Jobs wwith Justice
Progressive Democrats of America


http://www.madashelldoctors.com/
http://www.unitedforsinglepayer.org/
info {at} unitedforsinglepayer

I'm grateful to read this.

Wednesday September 9:
Rally and Press Conference- 3:30 pm, Foley Federal Building, Riverside and Monroe
Town Hall- 7 to 8:30 pm, Gonzaga Law School- Barbieri Courtroom


I was asked to redo, adding "Senator" before Max Baucus. I replied that I'll show him that respect when he starts working for the people he supposedly represents and not the insurance companies.


Stevens County Democrats NE Washington Fair (in Colville) Display entry, "Health Care For ALL!: Not an option, economic and social necessity," won a 2nd place ribbon, despite insisting on a public option and heavily promoting single-payer.

--Walter Kloekhorn