Over 800
activists from a variety of progressive organizations protested in
Austin today against Perry’s draconian cuts on Medicaid. Perry has
proposed a bill that will cut Medicaid for over a million Texans and
prevent them from getting medical coverage. Instead of full coverage
health insurance, Perry is proposing to give all families currently on
Medicaid a five hundred dollar voucher that they can use for their
doctor’s visits. In most cases, a five hundred dollar voucher will not
pay even for a single doctor’s visit and certainly not for medical
treatment, such as chemotherapy or surgery. Unless someone has a hundred
thousand dollars for chemotherapy, he or she will be denied treatment
and die. Perry’s cuts would thus prevent the poor from getting treatment
for serious illnesses and lead to the death’s of thousands of Texans.
People’s World interviewed
Maria Phillipe, a working class woman whose daughter is receiving
treatment for lupus from Medicaid. Phillipe said that “my daughter has
Lupus and can only continue to live if she gets regular treatment.
Medicaid is currently paying for her treatment and she is able to live a
reasonably healthy life. If Perry cuts our Medicaid, my daughter will
no longer receive treatment and will die.” Perry and the Republicans
clearly have no interest in helping working class children and could
care less if their cuts on Medicaid cause people to die.
The
working people of Texas responded in outrage by marching to Austin and
demanding that Perry give them health care now. The Texas Organizing
Project organized buses from all over Texas to come to Austin and
protest against Perry’s draconian legislation. There were bus-loads of
working people and activists from Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, as
well as dozens of activists from the local Austin metropolitan area. The
unions and organizations involved included, the Texas Communist Party
(the Houston and the Austin branch), Texas Organizing Project, Service
Employees International United, the AFL-CIO, and Good Jobs=Great
Houston. This march was unique in that it recruited people to ride the
buses to Austin from working class neighborhoods. There were thus not
only the usual activists from the progressive Left, but average working
people demanding that the Right stop its vicious attacks on the working
class.
The
march started at the State capitol building. About 800 activists
entered the capitol building and filled up all the floors in the round
circular platforms. Their signs said “keep your hands off my
healthcare!” and they chanted “scary Perry!”, and “Rick makes me sick!”.
There was also a progressive group of church singers who were singing a
prayer asking that Perry not take away their health care. After
rallying in the main section of the capitol building, the activists
marched upstairs to Rick Perry’s office. They chanted “open the door!”
for twenty minutes, but neither Perry nor any of his representatives
opened the door. The activists spent months getting signatures on a
petition to repeal Perry’s legislation and wanted to deliver it to Perry
himself (or at least one of his representatives). When the activists
wanted to slide the folder with petitions under Perry’s door, the police
officer said it was illegal and that the activists had to leave.
After
rallying inside the capitol building, the activists marched to the
University of Texas, for Perry was supposed to be speaking there. The
union leaders and their allies had hoped to deliver the petition to
Perry himself, yet when the protesters got there, Perry was no where to
be found. No one was allowed in the building and the protesters were
told to stay outside. Perry and his puppeteers were not interested in
listening to the demands of average working people and have no interests
in how their legislation will affect the working class in Texas.
The
activists and their union allies will not give up the struggle to keep
health care for over 1,200,000 Texans. Until Rick Perry and his
puppeteers decide to listen to the demands of the working people in
Texas, TOP, SEIU, the AFL-CIO, and their allies will continue to
organize for health care. In the coming months, there will be many more
marches, rallies, protests, and electoral struggles until we have
victory. Although the real battle will be in the next Texas elections
for governor, the struggle must continue on the ground until then.
--Fabian Sneevliet
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