Grassroots Legislative Organizer's Blog #4
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday – Save Long-Term Care Day
Monday was fantastic; I had so much fun with our members. There were so many first time members at our lobby day. Everyone brought a lot of energy, which we needed. The tent was full, the weather was great, and there was a lot of walking and talking. The march around the capital brought out a lot of staffers and lobbyists and the governor. She stepped out of her office and waved from the Capitol Building.
We had members from all 49 legislative districts. We gave the same message to each of our lawmakers: “Raise Revenue, Stop the Cuts to Long-Term Care.” Everyone was heading home by 5pm, tired but full of fight. We had several members sign up for Purple Presence, house visits, and other events we are having over the next few months.
Tuesday - Recovery
Tuesday, people around the Capitol were talking about how loud we were on Monday. If they don’t start doing the right thing for our clients and long-term care workers, they will keep hearing some noise. I have to admit, I was a little tired Tuesday. How about you? I spent part of the day tracking down the dates in February when our legislators will be holding town hall meetings. Having members turnout to these town halls and speak up for revenue to fight cuts will be very important. Keep an eye out for more details.
Planning for Next Week’s Purple Presence
Even though there’s no Purple Presence this week, I worked on getting ready for next week’s Purple Presence on February 4th. We have members coming in from Eastern Washington and we’re planning a special action to raise awareness about the cuts. One of my jobs for Purple Presence is to schedule appointments and make an agenda, keeping in mind that things can change quickly. That’s why my motto is “Change would not happen unless you work on it.” so change is good, especially if you really work at.
Reminder
Tuesday, February 2nd at 6pm is a statewide conference call for members to call into to find out what happening down here in Olympia. Call our Member Resource Center toll-free for details on how you can participate.
Personal Note
At the home front my client is doing better. Her case mangers gave her another 30 hours for the month, so now she gets three hours a day.
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