Dear House Speaker Merkley and Senate President Courtney:
The current legislative debate over health care reform in our state does not include our view that the profit oriented private health insurance industry must not be the model upon which a solution to Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis should be based and that Oregon elected officials - public employees - voters and taxpayers must have equal access to the same level of health care not a perpetuation of our current multitiered health insurance class system.

We request that you find a place holder bill in each chamber which would substitute in its entirety the language of the Oregon Community Health Care Bill (see attached) so that an alternative choice may be discussed and debated this session. The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is the only current fully formed piece of proposed legislation which supports our vision of health care reform. We would welcome others that also meet our requirements.

Thank you for your attention.


Sincerely,
Richard Ellmyer - Oregon Community Health Care Bill author 
Sam Adams - Portland City Council
Jeff Cogen - Multnomah County Commissioner
Darrell Flood - Mayor of Lafayette
Bill Hall - Lincoln County Commissioner
Jim Needham - Mollala City Council
Michelle Ripple - Wilsonville City Council
Mary Schamehorn - Mayor of Bandon
Pete Sorenson - Lane County Commissioner


If you are an elected public official who supports this letter then please join your "A" Team colleagues by sending the same message with your signature to House Speaker Merkley, rep.jeffmerkley@state.or.us and Senate President Courtney, sen.petercourtney@state.or.us and a copy to me, richard@goodgrowthnw.org .

If you are a voter who agrees with the contents of this letter then please support the efforts of the "A" Team by sending the same message with your signature to House Speaker Merkley, rep.jeffmerkley@state.or.us and Senate President Courtney, sen.petercourtney@state.or.us , your state senator, your state representative and a copy to me, richard@goodgrowthnw.org .


Richard Ellmyer
"A" Team Captain
Oregon Community Health Care Bill author and project champion
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 17,000 readers interested in public health care policy in Oregon.
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/health.html