Next PFPVC/ PNHP Ventura meeting Thursday 10/5/23 + City Council Resolution Update

[Leslie-Lynn Pawson and Dean Ryan]

All PfPVC/ PNHP Ventura ,

1. Meeting Thursday 10/5/23 7:00 -8:30 PM via ZOOM . Invitation to be sent separately closer to 10/5. Agenda below. And additions? Feel free to add by letting me know or at onset of meeting.

Agenda Thursday 10/5/23 
1.     Follow up Ventura City Resolution 
2.     Taking Our Show on the Road:
a.     CME presentation review - 8/10/23 0800-0900 VCMC Medical Staff CME
b.    Planning for  Next presentations 
3.     Status of AJR-4
4.     Status of CA 770
5.     PNHP CA Steering Committee update on actions and functioning 
6.     Begin work on PNHP National's Major Action this year on Protecting Traditional Medicare -by fighting against Medicare Advantage and ACO REACH –PNHP has several ACTION recommendations and ways for us to get involved in this fight against the privatization of Medicare. 

2. Update on City Council Resolution. Quick Summary: Our resolution was supposed to be on the agenda for a vote 9/25/23. It was removed because so much time of the Public Meetings in the last 2 months have been spent on the General Plan and resistance to that plan. I don't know yet when we will be back on the agenda - only that we will be. When we are, and it could be soon, we need to be prepared to testify on behalf of the resolution during the City Council meeting after 6:30 PM when our agenda item comes up. City Council meetings are on Mondays.  

A. Councilmember Liz Campos, our champion on the Council, is compiling a folder for each councilmember of our collected letters to keep the issue fresh in the minds of all councilmembers for when the resolution comes up for a vote. I am aware of letters having been sent to the City Council from the following PfPVC/ PNHP Ventura members- Donaldson, Finger, Rockney, Guan, David, Phang, Soliz, Francke, Nichols, Pawson. If any of you not listed here have sent a letter please let me know so that I might provide Councilmember Campos with an accurate list so she doesn't miss any as she compiles the folders. 

B. I have attached our submitted Universal Single Payer Health Insurance  Resolution: Supporting Expanded and Improved Medicare for All

C.Things you all can do to help us pass this resolution:

a. Send letters. It is not too late to send more letters of support to the City Council members. Send your letters to city...@cityofventura.ca.gov .Put "Deliver to all Council" in the subject line. All you need to do in your letter is say who you are, ask them to Vote YES on  Resolution: Supporting Expanded and Improved Medicare for All and describe a patient's story illustrating how our current system hurts your patients. When you send your letter I would appreciate knowing that you did so.

b. Speak at the City Council Meeting during the meeting time where the resolution will be discussed. We don't know the new date yet.

You can speak in person or virtually. I plan to speak in person. Upon arrival you will complete a card indicating your intention to speak. The maximum time allotted is 3 minutes. I will send an updated WebEx link when the new meeting link is available for those who wish to speak remotely.

c. Attend the City Council Meeting as a member of the chamber audience. Indivisible Ventura Chairperson Adriene Coulter has printed 8"x11" Medicare For All posters. Supporters, like you, can hold up these posters when any of us are giving our 3 minute speech asking for the YES vote in full view of the Council members indicating community and community physician support. I will provide them for you upon arrival in City Council Chambers.

Let's get our Universal Single Payer Health Insurance  Resolution: Supporting Expanded and Improved Medicare for All  passed!

Thank you,

Leslie-Lynn Pawson