Ever since our July meeting, demonstrators have rallied around the club banner each Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. at the Topa Financial Center sidewalk to express support for real health care insurance reform.  These demonstrations began as a reaction to an Organizing for America presentation, concluding that immediate public pressure for real and deep health care insurance reform was necessary. Otherwise, Blue Dog Democrats and market fundamentalist Republicans would use their power in the Senate to block real reform and to force Obama to abandon  public competition with the insurance companies who have led us into an impasse parallel to the meltdown of the financial markets.

Since then demonstrators have rallied every Friday at 5 p.m. Their number increased from twelve the first time to eighteen August 14, each with a home-made sign.  About thirty individuals have participated. Email action alerts and word of mouth have brought in friends as well as members. The Financial Center demonstrations are expected to continue until Congress acts.  In the meantime we joined with CAUSE,  SEIU 721,  Tri-Counties Central Labor Council, League of United Latin American Citizens, and VC CLUE for a much bigger  media event on August 26. These demonstrations have added significantly to public awareness of our presence as a Democratic party voice in the Oxnard area. Email alerts will continue to publicize our planned activities.
Al Dirrim