Put People First! PA: Statement on the 2016 Presidential Election

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Two visions were on the table in this election:

One, an America that uses words like “freedom” and “liberty,” but takes us back to a time before social movements won civil rights for women, black people, LGBTQ people, disabled people and others.

The second, an America where anyone can get ahead no matter your skin color, gender or sexual orientation, just as long as you work and try hard enough.

But neither of these visions fits the reality that we, as everyday people, know: People are struggling with poverty and economic decline, from every racial and ethnic background, every gender, every ability and every religion, from rural and urban areas. These struggles come from forces and systems we cannot individually control: the changing global economy, lack of family sustaining jobs, environmental devastation, immigration, discrimination, police and military violence, incarceration, and corporate greed, among others.

The two visions are false choices. But Put People First is creating new choices. Put People First believes that Pennsylvania can have a future in which poor and working-class people come together across all lines of division. If we unite, share our stories, and commit to our struggles and each other, we can take powerful action to change things. We, the everyday people of Pennsylvania, can shift what is politically possible.

Our formula is simple. We unite around our basic needs and see them as human rights. We bring together people who’ve never been brought together before. We wrestle with our assumptions. We build community. We love each other.

We are the ones that we’ve been waiting for. When we’re united, nothing can stop us. Join today.

Dozens Protest ACA Insurance Rate Hikes at IBX Headquarters

On November 3, dozens of Philadelphians demonstrated outside the corporate headquarters of Independence Blue Cross at the height of rush hour traffic in Center City to speak out against rising Affordable Care Act premium rates that are impacting residents across Pennsylvania. Members of grassroots organization Put People First! PA were joined by union allies from the SEIU Home Care Workers Union and Pennsylvania Federation BMW-ED. “Healthcare costs – they’re affecting everyone. This is what our brothers and sisters at [SEPTA Union] TWU Local 234 are fighting for,” said Robert Fields, of Southwest Philadelphia.

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Looming above the crowd was a 12-foot puppet of Independence Blue Cross CEO Daniel Hilferty, who makes $4 million dollars a year. With this as the backdrop, members and friends of Put People First spoke to the impact that rising premium was having on their ability to pay for basic necessities.

“After 8 months of pressure by Put People First, the State Insurance Department held its first ever public hearing on rising premium costs [on ACA plans] in Harrisburg this July.” said Karim Sariahmed, a medical student at Temple University. “But despite a petition with over 500 signatures and testimony from dozens of PA residents, the Department gave Blue Cross an even bigger rate increase than they asked for! It’s clear to us that the PA Insurance Department is on the side of the big insurance companies, and not regular people who are struggling to afford care.”

Communities all across Pennsylvania are faced with an average increase of 32.5% for ACA individual plans. IBX asked for permission to increase their rates by 19.87%, and instead were approved for 27.97%, 40% more than they asked for. In a recent survey conducted by Put People First! PA, which included Pennsylvania residents from over 40 counties, more than 1 in 3 said that in the last 12 months healthcare costs forced them to skip paying for basics like electricity and groceries.

York OC Hosts Healing Halloween

The York OC spent Halloween building community in West York at the Hallo-WE Together Festival. York PPF members stepped up to organize the festival after its usual sponsor backed out. They gathered donations and volunteers from throughout the community to create a safe and fun space for area children, including a “trunk-or-treat,” face painting, and performances from local artists. Approximately 400 people attended!

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via John Pavancello of the York Dispatch

In October, members of the York OC organized to reject racism and unseat the mayor of West York.  The Hallow-WE Together festival was a chance to unite and celebrate the community people had come together to defend. South Central PA organizer Carla Christopher helped organize the event, and she spoke about the importance of PPF being involved in community events like this one.

“Raising our profile and turning Put People First into an South Central PA household name … we are making real progress,” she said. “Aside from West York residents, we had people come from several surrounding municipalities, and many people of color, because they wanted to support a specifically multiethnic, inclusive Halloween festival. I love the diversity considering West York is only 12% minority and known as a very white area. Apparently residents from all over the county came specifically because they wanted a safe, place that welcomed families that looked like them.”

via John Pavancello of the York Dispatch

via John Pavancello of the York Dispatch

Check out local coverage of the celebration:

West York comes together to heal Halloween

West York bands together to continue annual Halloween celebration

Poem: “What it means to be a vibrant woman”

Johnstown member Isabella (Bella) Oliveras is a poet. She penned the following poem after the membership assembly in October, reflecting on the importance of women leaders in our movement, particularly the legacy of Mother Jones and Johnnie Tillmon, who Bella recognized as advocates and leaders. We read Tillmon’s 1972 essay “Welfare is a women’s issue” together at the assembly. Mother Jones is a key foremother in the legacy of movements and movement leaders that influence Put People First.

What it means to be a vibrant woman

To be bold and to stand up for what she believes in.

To dare to speak the truth and show respect where it’s due.

To be loved and be appreciated for who she is.

To know right from wrong.

To be a teacher and be a achiever.

To be a caretaker and to be a friend.

She’s a fighter, believer, lover and supporter but above all she’s a vibrant woman.

2016100695180653951476922304530Bella calls us to action, and she implores us to keep fighting until everyone has their basic needs met, including healthcare. Now, Bella is crowdfunding for a much-needed motorized wheelchair and healthcare. We can join together and help Bella get the care that she needs but that the current system won’t give her.

Bella is a veteran and a former nurse and paramedic. She has several chronic illnesses and health conditions, including carpal tunnel and asthma, which make her manual wheelchair difficult to use. Her GoFundMe reads, “Insurance will not approve Bella’s dire need for a motorized wheelchair despite a clear and justified case for it.” Bella also has “ongoing additional medical expenses and current needs related to wheelchair adjustments, significant dental work, and assistance with medical fees i.e. cost-prohibitive medication.”

To pledge your support to Bella, go to Help Bella Bounce Back!

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