The war to win affordable health care for every Oregonian and reduce the cost of health care to every public institution in Oregon by twenty percent begins in ernest on October 29, 2005 from 1-3 PM at the Historic Kenton Firehouse in Portland*. On that day sixty Oregonians will gather to participate in the Oregon Community Health Care Bill Forum. You might be one of them.

The forum will discuss the Oregon Community Health Care Bill** and how to put it on the governor's desk for signing no later than the close of the 2011 legislative session. This gathering will be the first of many guerrilla war councils over the next six years with this objective.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is a declaration of war against the failures of our state and federal governments to provide affordable health care for all Oregonians.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is a declaration of war against the status quo of skyrocketing unstoppable health care costs for both individuals and public institutions in Oregon.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is a declaration of war against the private health insurance industry.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is a declaration of war against public employees who think they have a right to better health care than the voters and tax payers that pay for public employees health insurance premiums.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill intends to transfer enormous wealth, in the BILLIONS of dollars, FROM the private health insurance industry TO the citizens of Oregon and their health care providers.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill intends to persuade and pressure every public employee in the state of Oregon to participate.

As in the American Revolutionary War, the battles for civil rights, the decades of struggle for a woman's right to vote and the war to end slavery in America, most Oregonians will not be involved.  Those that do fight will find themselves often pointing their weapons at fellow citizens, neighbors, relatives and members of their own household. Those of you who are elected officials in Oregon are already part of the officer corps of one side or another. 

In war laws have no meaning. The victor makes the law. If you think that this campaign is anything less than a war then you have misjudged the crisis of need and the seriousness of this effort. If you think that this campaign will be ignored then we welcome your naiveté. A million or two million or more Oregonians who are already wounded victims on the short end of health insurance protection will support the Oregon Community Health Care Bill when they find out what it can and will do for them as individuals and the public institutions which serve their needs in our state. This is a constituency to be reckoned with. 

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill will be at the focal point, the center of gravity, the touchstone for every serious conversation on public health care in Oregon for the foreseeable future.

You have three choices:
1. Tell everyone you know that you support the Oregon Community Health Care Bill and its introduction during the 2007 legislative session. Demand a committee hearing so that you can speak up for changes and then demand its passage out of committee for a floor vote in both the House and the Senate.

2. Immediately devise and publish your own health care bill for the 2007 legislature which equals or exceeds the Oregon Community Health Care Bill in its ability to provide affordable health care to every Oregonian and reduce health care costs by twenty percent to every public institution in Oregon. Be prepared to debate the merits of your bill versus the Oregon Community Health Care Bill in as many public venues as possible.

3. Shut up and get the hell out of the way.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is NOT a partisan nor regional bill. Greens, Independents, Republicans, Democrats, Urbans, Rurals, Suburbans et. al. are all welcome and invited to support this health care legislation intended to benefit every Oregonian.

If you are a candidate for public office in Oregon or an elected official or a business leader or someone with special interest or credentials and would like to join Pete Sorenson - Lane County Commissioner and declared candidate for governor, Jim Robison - former Chair of the Multnomah County Democrats and declared candidate for a House seat and Sam Adams - Portland City Commissioner - et. al. in telling the forum why you support the Oregon Community Health Care Bill please contact me at ellmyer@macsolve.com .

If you would like to be one of only sixty participants in the forum please RSVP richard@goodgrowthnw.org . 

Join us October 29, 2005 and change the course of Oregon history.

*Historic Kenton Firehouse
2209 N. Schofield 
Portland, Or 97217 
503,823-4524


Richard Ellmyer
President, MacSolutions Inc. - A Macintosh computer consulting business providing web hosting for artists and very small businesses.
Writer/Publisher - Oregon Health Watcher commentary* - Published on the Internet* and distributed to 6000 readers interested in public health care policy in Oregon.
Portland, Oregon
** http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/health.html