TN Gov's Office Occupied! -TennCare Enrollees Fighting Back - Breaking!

[Egalia]

Approximately 30 people, including the sick and disabled, are occupying Governor Bredesen's office as I write. The civilly disobedient Tenncare patients and advocates filed into the Govenor's office at roughly 10:00 am this morning.

They are there to tell the Govenor that taking the axe to healthcare for hundreds of thousands of elderly/disabled/sick/poor Tennesseans is not how you 'fix' TennCare. People will die.

Below is the email alert about the ongoing occupation of Bredesen's office.

It includes the names of some of the people who are occupying the Govenor's office; they are from Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga.

Please do what you can to help stop the Govenor and save the lives of our fellow Tennesseans.

TennCare Enrollees Occupy Governor's Office

TennCare Enrollees, People with Disabilities, Medical Professionals, and other concerned Tennesseans have occupied Governor Bredesen’s Office.

WHEN: JUST NOW, Monday, June 20th about 10am

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:

1. Call, email or fax Governor Bredesen’s Office and offer your full support to your fellow Tennesseans that you stand with them and support the call to stop the Cuts.

Governor Bredesen’s Office:
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

there's more here:

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/06/govs-office-occupied-tenncare.html

[napi21]

1. More power to THEM! Maybe we should do this in every state!

Probably can't get away with it in Washington, but we should be able to do it locally. It's probably going to take more than 30 though. They can arrest 30 for civil disobedience, not so easy to do if there are 1,000+.

[Egalia]

3. Arrests

I think the plan IS for some of them to get arrested. I've heard that one who plans to be arrested is a paraplegic, wheel chair bound. Like to see MSM ignore that!

[rodeodance]

2. brave souls. We do have a US health care crisis-maybe this will

bring attention to it?---if the media wants to bring to focus!!!!!!

[FreedomAngel82]

4. Good luck to them

I wish them luck. I don't like how people are getting kicked off TennCare. I wish Bredesen would pull a Clinton and tax the top 1% more and put majority of that money into TennCare to save it. *sigh*

[Egalia]

5. No Food or Water for Protesting TennCare Enrollees Locked Inside Capitol .

Protesting TennCare Enrollees Locked Inside Capitol for the Night!

UPDATE: Sharon Cobb just talked to one of the protestors inside the Capitol and reports that they will not be permitted to go to the vending machines for food or even water.

Sharon says:

"So, they are trying to starve them out! They're staying. (Hey...they're going to die anyhow at the hands of this Governor, I guess some don't want their deaths to be in vain). "

Call and email the Governor and tell him to give the TennCare Enrollees what they want:

Governor Bredesen’s Office:
Phone: [phone]Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

TennCare Enrollees Fighting for Their Lives . . .

In an effort to avoid the media nightmare of having people who are confined to wheel chairs arrested, Governor Bredesen says they can stay in the building overnight.

The Governor agreed to meet with the TennCare enrollees and advocates on Wednesday. It’s not clear if the protestors plan to stay where they are until then. A number of them are in very poor health; some are confined to wheelchairs.

The meeting offered by the Governor is not what they’ve asked for. They want a meeting that is open to the public/press. Bredesen says he will meet with a few of them privately.

A number of the protestors are featured in Sharon Cobb’s TennCare documentary. You can view it here, scroll down for the link. Sharon will be talking via telephone to one of the protestors later this evening. Check back at her blog for the details.

She also has a must see picture of our DINO Governor here.


http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/06/protesting-tenncare-enrollees-locked.html












http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/06/protesting-tenncare-enrollees-locked.html

[Egalia]

6. Vigils every night

There will be vigils every night that they are in the Capitol, and they're not accepting the Gov's offer of a private meeting. it's going to be an exciting week, what with the sick and disabled leading the fight for healthcare. They may be sick and disabled, but they sure are brave.

[emdee]

7. I want to be there!

Both of my parents will be losing their coverage as will my BIL.
Thanks for this heads-up - wish I'd checked this site yesterday!
emdee

[emdee]

8. Governor to meet with them Wednesday....

<snip>He is scheduled to return to Nashville Tuesday, and his communications director told the protestors that the governor will meet with them on Wednesday.

The protesters have asked for a public forum with the governor, and said they want the media present as well, but Governor Bredesen has said he will only meet privately with a few of the protestors.<end snip>

http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/12252.asp

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Good!

I heard he met with them this morning on the local news. Hurray!

[Egalia]

10. Gov. Bredesen Insists On 'Closed Door' Meeting: Occupation Day #3

The following is from yesterday, today is Day #4.


Update: Bredesen's preference for a closed door meeting is so strong that he cancelled this morning's meeting when protesters continued to insist on an open door meeting.

What's Bredesen got to hide?

The Governor's meeting with TennCare protesters was set to begin at 10:30 this morning. Despite the protesters' requests for an open meeting, Bredesen insisted that he preferred a closed door meeting.


More news from MSM:

Yesterday morning, were joined by two dozen clergy members who came to show support. And last night, dozens of people gathered outside the Capitol to show their support.


Yesterday, the Governor paid an unannounced visit to protesters. Among other things, Governor Bredesen told the people who are fighting to save TennCare:


“I’m not interested in being a prop for some big media event.”

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/06/gov-bredesen-insists-on-closed-door.html

[Egalia]

11. Tensions Mount in Governor Bredesen's Office: Occupation Day # 3 Round-Up

More news from yesterday:

The recent tv coverage of the TennCare Protest at the Capitol is portraying Governor Bredesen as increasingly annoyed, irritated and just plain pissed.

Why won't those pesky protesters taking up space in his office just go away?

Anna Thompson at TNIMC reports on some of the signs of the Governor's increasing annoyance, and summarizes some of the events of Day # 3 of the Occupation of Governor Bredesen's Office:

{snippets}

The Governor refused to speak to the assembled crowd of thirty and held a separate press conference in his office absent any Enrollees. The assembled crowd then organized their own press conference and presented their list of demands to the media. Tensions are mounting in the Governor's Office and there has been an increase in the number of State Troopers assembled in the Capital Building and there is now the continuous surveillance of an officer from the TBI who is controlling who is allowed to enter the Governor's reception area. Enrollees say they will stay until the Governor agrees to their demands.

Lori Smith, who has Lupus and is about to lose her Tenncare, said the Governor is refusing to meet with the Enrollees this morning, "The Governor's spokesperson said he declined to meet with us. He said the Governor is working to save the taxpayers money and this is the best he can do. . .. I have put my job at risk because of this action and I will stay here as long as my health allows me to do this. We remain committed to being peaceful and abiding by our Constitutional rights. If they have us arrested that will be the Governor's decision. The Governor has always been reluctant to talk. We have continuously asked for public forums and he has continuously denied this."

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/06/tensions-mount-in-governor-bredesens.html

[Egalia]

12. Protest Continues

This is Day #6 and night #5. They're still there. No food or water or medicine can be brought to them all weekend, but an ambulance is standing by. Good God!

The Pres. and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Council are joining them Monday and they will be staying overnight.

The Capitol hasn't been occupied in 60 years, so I learned today.

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/