One year since our November 4th victory! We hope everyone had a chance to celebrate, to reconnect with old friends and get re-energized for the work that needs to be done. Here is our chance to be part of history again, please read this message from HCAN:

"All the work we have been doing to create a guarantee of quality affordable health care for all is coming to a point: The House vote on HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act is scheduled to take place this Saturday, November 7 at around 6:00 pm.

The vote will be close. We don't know whether we it will pass or not.

It really depends on you. Three members of Congress in Pennsylvania--Jason Altmire, Chris Carney, and Paul Kanjorski--undecided. If we can get more of their constituents to call them, they would be more likely to decide in favor of reform.

Can you take part in phone banking with us from the convenience of your own home?

We will be using a new computerized system called Activate to do phone banking that will connect you with constituents quickly without worrying answering machines or unanswered calls. Then you can immediately patch the people you talk to through to the office of the member of Congress. 

Training conference calls on the system will take place:

Friday November 6 at 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Saturday, November 7 at 10:00 am; 12:00 am, and 3:00 pm.

Call in at 712 451-6000 and use the passcode 275893#.

Once you are trained on the system you can use it at any time. We are encouraging calling from 4:30 to 8:50 pm on Friday and from 10:00 am until a vote is held on Saturday. If the vote is delayed past Saturday evening, we will continue from 10:00 am until 8:50 pm on Sunday and Monday.

If you live in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and would prefer to join a group phone bank, you can.

In Philadelphia, phone banking will take place today, Thursday and tomorrow Friday, starting at 5:10 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to the vote that evening at the Philadelphia Unemployment Project at 112 N. Broad Street. Prizes and pizza will be provided.

On Sunday, phone banking will be from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at the UFCW Local 1776 office, 3031 A Walton Road - Suite 201 in Plymouth Meeting.

To RSVP, If you have questions or if the SEPTA strike has made it hard for you to get to one of these phone banks, contact Athena Ford at  570) 760-1828 or aford@philaup.org for a ride.

In Pittsburgh, phone banking will take place tomorrow, Friday, November 6, 2009 from 1:00-5:00 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm at the United Steelworkers Building (Call Center 2^nd Floor), 60 Boulevard of the Allies. Call  Dave Ninehouser at 412.370.5247 or dave.nine@hotmail.com with questions or to RSVP.

Please make some time for this. The vote is likely to be very close and these three members could be the deciding votes.

Nothing we do in Pennsylvania can have a greater impact on determining if this long campaign leads to the progressive reform we all so badly want.

Thanks for doing all you can for health care reform,

Marc

Marc Stier
PA State Director
Health Care For America Now
MarcStier@hcanpa.org
(215) 880-6142

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