We can assume the health insurance industry will do everything inhumanly possible -- after all, the companies that compose it are the spawn of vampire squid from Wall Street -- to stop this bill from becoming law.

Which means that it's up to us to do everything we can do, humanly, mutantly and extraterrestrially, to see single payer health care enacted. 'Cause there ain't no one else.

That means, if you're a Californian, picking up the phone and calling your own State Senator and then other Senators who, more birdies tell me, are on the fence.





If you are not sure who your California State Senator is, or how to contact them, find out here.



Senator Michael Rubio

Phone: (916) 651-4016

senator.rubio@sen.ca.gov

Senator Roderick Wright

Phone: (916) 651-4025

senator.wright@sen.ca.gov

Senator Ron Calderon

Phone: (916) 651-4030

senator.calderon@sen.ca.gov

Senator Lou Correa

Phone: (916) 651-4034

senator.correa@sen.ca.gov

Senator Juan Vargas

Phone: (916) 651-4040

senator.vargas@sen.ca.gov



Here's a list of Democratic Senators who are thought to be "on the fence" as far as SB 810. Calling them will make a difference! (If only to your phone bill -- no, that was a joke, son.)If you can think of something else concrete to do I'm all ears and these diaries are wide open to your suggestions, but as far as I know calls and emails, given the short time until January 31st, are the only things -- maybe short of a $10,000 contribution -- that's going to have an effect.

Again, if you are not sure who your California State Senator is, or how to contact them



Pick up the phone and call. All you need to say is one sentence:

I would like Senator XXX to support SB 810, Single Payer Health Care for California.



If and when we get SB 810 through the Senate, then we can work on the Assembly, whose members have until as long as September to find ways not to vote for it, and then Jerry Brown. (For more information on the steps necessary to enact and implement this legislation, see this diary.)

It's time to get the insurance companies out of the business body of health care.

One last time: if you are not sure who your California State Senator is, or how to contact them, find out here.

If you want to get involved and do more:

California One Care.

URGENT: YES Votes Needed For SB 810



Single Payer Now.

We Need Everyone to Call Their Senator

And We Need Volunteers to Call Constituents in Key Senate Districts to

Encourage calls to their Senator for SB 810 We need you to contact your State Senator to encourage him or her to

vote for SB 810, the California Universal Heatlhcare Act... We also need volunteers to call constituents in key senate districts

today. I will send you a script and numbers.

We have the names and phone numbers of thousands of SB 810 supporters

who do not have emails. Our experience has shown that people are

activated 20 times more by a phone call than an email alert.



Health Care For All

Where do things really stand in the Senate?

I'm not on the inside, so I don't know much. There are 40 Senators, ten of whom are sponsors or co-sponsors. In Monday's diary it was reported by Kossacks that at least two other Senators, Senators Curren and Wolk had confirmed their support. There are runors swirling around many others, naturally, since it would be hard to get to twenty or twenty-one votes with just twelve!

Senator Leno is the sponsor of the bill. These are the nine co-sponsors:





Senator Alquist

Senator Evans

Senator Corbett





Senator Lieu

Senator Lowenthal

Senator Hancock





Senator Yee

Senator Pavley

Senator DeSaulnier







"CEOs? I say, if we don't break them, we'll all be broke."



Si Se Puede

If one of them is your Senator, call them and thank them and also encourage them to do all they can to insure that the bill passes.

Thanks to Cedyn for a diary that helped kick this one onto the rec list!

Update: People have suggested LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Which is a good idea. You can generally submit them electronically; insofar as time is off the essence here, that should work.

Contact information for all California Senators can be found here