As the health care debate keeps heating up, there is an onslaught of rallies, meetings, town halls filled with people who have passionate feelings about this issue. These are the voters who will make a difference in November 2010. Lamar Smith has voted no on health insurance reform, no to providing health care to poor, uninsured Texas children, and it's time that we say NO to Lamar Smith.
To get our message across, I need your help to print these flyers and distribute them at every health care and political event you care to attend. This will ramp up the pressure on those who want to stand in the way of progress. They can be printed in black and white or color and be cut in half to save on paper. Hand them out, put them on car windows, use them where ever people are interested in health care on both sides of the issue. I want CD21 voters, including those in Smith's own party, to understand that he's not working for The People. And I need them to know that just like you, I already AM working for The People. The intended audience is all voters, the majority of whom agree with these basic principles: stop the pre-existing condition discrimination, make insurance portable, and end financial crisis due to catastrophic and chronic health care.
For my benefit in creating future messaging, I'd appreciate it if you would look at the flyer and tell me what you think. Collectively, we'll create the message that voters cannot ignore. At Ronnie Earle's event the other day all the cars were flyered with John Sharp info. Yes, blanketing the area is a great way to tell voters there is already an alternative to the status quo in Congress. I need everyone who is able to help out with this.
I hear the audience is growing at both the Schertz and Kerrville Lamar Smith town halls on Monday. I hope to see you there!
After weeks of Representative Lloyd Doggett taking the heat from anti-health care reform protesters, the shoe is finally on the other foot. Representative Lamar Smith, who has avoided facing his constituents on this issue up to now, has scheduled two health care forums in our district to listen to his constituents on Monday, August 24th.
This is our opportunity to voice our support for health care reform and show that this can be done with respect, dialogue, and without needing to use vile, divisive language.
Rep. Smith has scheduled these events only for San Antonio and Kerrville, but will be attending a Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Sept 2nd at the Hyatt in Austin. If you want to let him know that you'd like him to change his vote to yes on reform, please go to any or all of these events. He is looking for letters from constituents, so come prepared with lots of letters.
Local grassroots organizations are working on a combined effort to show a united front for reform. Contact Moveon, Organizing for America and your local democratic party for more information.
We need to make it clear to Rep. Smith that we will remember his no votes at the election booth in 2010. I am counting on that! If you are a supporter of health care reform, please support my campaign.
The events:
Kerrville (open to the public):
August 24, 9:30 a.m.
The Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts
910 Main Street
Kerrville, TX 78028
San Antonio (open to the public):
August 24, 12:30 p.m.
Schertz Civic Center
1400 Schertz Parkway,
Bldg. #5 in the Municipal Complex
Schertz, TX 78154-1634
Austin ($55 cost to attend):
Congressman Smith Shares Updates On Policies That May Impact Your Bottom Line
WHEN: Wednesday, September 2, 2009 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
WHERE: Hyatt Regency Hotel, 208 Barton Springs Road, Foothills Ballroom, 17th floor, Austin, TX 78704
This weekend was a testimony to the strength of the community as a whole when organizing pools all the local resources. The Health Care Rally effort led by Organizing for America was joined by practically every local democratic club and organization including the Travis County Democratic Party and the strength of Texans for Obama. The success was particularly due to the additional support lent by our elected officials, Chair Andy Brown, Senator Kirk Watson, Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Council Member Sheryl Cole, Former Representative Ann Kitchen, who all put their names and support behind this important issue. I'd like to think that the rest of us, the candidates, grassroots organizers and volunteers who also supported this effort helped to build the crowd which has been estimated between 600 to 1000. This was the biggest rally in the country, again proving to the Obama administration that you can't mess with Texas.
In addition to the incredible success of this rally, I personally worked with friends in a rummage sale to benefit an Austin family in dire need due to health care crisis. The outpouring of support was awe-inspiring. We had hoped to raise about $1K at best, but when the day was done, it became clear that we more than doubled our expectations and was able to give $2400 to this very needy family. The donations poured in, the street was packed for 2 blocks in each direction, and we were all shocked and amazed all day by the generosity and love in this community.
In one day, I witnessed the very best of our community. I am very proud to be a Texan.
There were some interesting votes in Congress this week that effected District 21. Representatives Gonzales and Smith put out a statement in support of the passage of H.R. 3170, the Financial Services Appropriations bill, which included $4 million for a new federal courthouse in San Antonio. Representative Gonzales voted for passage of the bill, but Representative Smith voted with the Republican party against the bill.
On the same day, another statement was released by the San Antonio Congressional Delegation about the passage of H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which included over $3 million for San Antonio area projects. Again Representative Smith voted with the Republican party against this bill, while the three other San Antonio Representatives voted for the bill.
In one day, the other representatives were able to bring in over $7M for local projects, while Lamar Smith voted no.
Help me say no to Lamar Smith. Please support my campaign to bring change to Texas District 21.
Finally, my domains, linktoaustin.com and laineymelnick.com have transferred to my new host and we are completely up and running. Unfortunately, I lost my top position on the google search results so I'll need to build that back up again. Please post links to my site on your blogs, sites, pages and help me get my position back.
I am starting to collect signatures for the petition to add my name to the ballot. I've had about 35 incredible volunteers offer assistance to go to their friends, family, organizations, neighbors or go to high-traffic areas to collect signatures for my campaign. The signers must be registered to vote in District 21 and commit not to vote in any other primary. If you'd like to help my campaign, print as many petitions as you need. Sign just one in front of a notary after you've completed getting all your signatures and return the petitions to me. I need 500 registered voters to sign by December.
If you'd like to help with any role on my campaign, please fill out the "Join Our Team" form at http://www.laineyforcongress.com. My next goal is to raise $700 to gain access to the Texas VAN database which will give us lists to call and door knock. If you'd like to hold a fundraising house party or meeting anywhere within district 21, please let me know and I will schedule you in.
Thanks to all of you who have been so enthusiastic and supportive of my campaign. We're off to a strong start!
By now, I hope that all the recipients of the multiple email bombardment from my campaign have heard that these were an unfortunate result of a series of technical glitches, malicious attacks, or a combination of both. I have completely disabled my accounts with my former web host and have moved on to a new host.
Now that this issue has been resolved, we need to address the real pressing issues facing our country. We are at a crossroads with health care reform, that's where our focus should be.
It is imperative that we restructure our nation's $2.3 trillion health care system. We can learn from countries who rank highest in the world and learn from their mistakes. I would support legislation that would provide affordable, accessible, high-quality, portable health care to all Americans based on the following main principles:
1. Lower costs
2. Improve quality
3. Offer suitable choices
4. Offer a deficit neutral solution
5. Increase insurance coverage
6. Reduce the bureaucracy
7. Offer portable options
It is important for our success to offer all Americans better care than they have now. We must eliminate pre-existing condition clauses, allow coverage for educational, physical, occupational, speech, disability and rehabilitation therapies, and provide a reasonable out-of-pocket cap to prevent financial hardship from chronic illness. We also need assurance that the government would have limited access to our private health data and that genetic testing results could not be used for discrimination.
We need a working bi-partisan partnership between the administration, legislators, and health care professionals to create a new foundation to build the best health care system in the world.
Lamar Smith was elected to office in 1986, the same year that I became pregnant with my eldest daughter. In those 22 years, I opened 4 businesses; I worked in executive positions with 4 high-tech companies; I lived in 4 states; I gave birth to and raised 4 children; I became a grandmother; and I led a local grassroots movement that resulted in the election and support of the first African American President of the United States. Obviously, a lot of things can get done in 22 years.
But what has Lamar Smith done? He has consistently voted with the Republican Party instead of supporting his constituents. He voted no to children, no to women, no to veterans, no to teachers, policemen and firefighters, no to health care reform, no to Social Security fairness, no to innovation, no to protecting civil liberties, no to renewable energy and no to the environment. Isn't it time we say no to Lamar Smith?
We need someone in Congress who represents us, not special interests, not big business and not the neo-conservative far right wing of the Republican party. It's time the majority moderates in the 21st District had their representation in Congress.
I guess I may have hit a nerve with someone. I was told today from my website host support team that an IP address other than mine has initiated some of the emails being sent out from their site. I am working with them to track this issue and find out where this originated from. In the meantime, to be safe and secure, we've shut down my site, disabled the email panel. The support team told me that they had deleted all the pending messages. I believe that this is now under control. I informed them that I want this disabled permanently.
I am hoping that we'll have the website up and running securely shortly. In the meantime, you may follow me on Facebook, on Twitter, or contribute to my campaign via ActBlue.
I am extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to all of you, and would like to emphasize that no one gave or sold me any email names or lists to use. I made a huge mistake in an attempt to cut back on spam by asking if people would like to opt in to receive my emails, which was then escalated by this malicious act or technical mistake on the part of my host sending out loops of continuous messages. I have received many messages of support urging me to continue my campaign. That's what I intend to do. Thank you for your understanding.
Lainey Melnick
Candidate for US Congress in TX District 21
http://www.laineymelnick.com (when it's back up)
lmelnick@laineymelnick.com
Last week I posted a request on Burnt Orange asking for someone to step-up to run as a write-in candidate against Lamar Smith, US Congress District 21 in the Nov. election.
While attending the Lake Travis Democrats Pre-July 4th picnic, I ran into Trooper Keeton, cousin of Carole Keeton Strayhorn,
Trooper Keeton has agreed to run as a write-in candidate against Lamar Smith!
Please reach out to Trooper and support him in his effort. His contact info is listed at this Real Estate page, http://www.incredibleagents.co...
The interesting play here is since Trooper is related to Scott McClellan, and y'all know how Scott was treated recently by Lamar Smith during Judiciary Committe hearings at the Capitol, http://www.politico.com/blogs/... I'd expect Scott and family to support Trooper in his effort.
We're actively seeking "nominations" for a write-in candidate to compete against Lamar Smith (R) for Congressional District 21, US Congress. (District 21 includes part of Travis, Blanco, Kendall, Comal, Bandera, Kerr, Real...)
