MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING

People for Peace, Justice, and Healing met on December 3, 2011, at 10 a.m. at the Antique Sandwich Company.  Present for check-in were Sallie, Sheila, Colleen, Mark, Carl, Rob, and Sol.

AGENDA

1. OCCUPY TACOMA (Carl)
At Wednesday's general assembly of Occupy Tacoma, Carl's intervention changed the focus of next week's demonstration away from a focus on opposition to cuts to first responders (police and firefighters).  Carl proposed seeking donations for occupiers needing waterproof boots; also, to invite PJH people to use his tent, which is now encamped in Occupation Park.  Discussion.  Endorsed.

2. BILL OF RIGHTS ANNIVERSARY (Colleen)
Colleen proposes going to Occupation Park for a reading of the Bill of Rights on Thurs., Dec. 15, 2011, the 220th anniversary of the Bill of Rights.  Carl will do a "temperature check" on this at Occupation Park.

3. OCCUPY THE COURTS (Sallies)
There will be a conference call on Dec. 5 respecting plans for Occupy the Courts on Jan. 20, a day of education, demonstrations, and street theater around the themes "Corporations are not people; money is not speech." (Jan. 20, 2011, is the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC.)

4. FREE MEDICAL CLINICS (Sol)
Sol said she knows someone interested in setting up a free medical clinic.  Sallie pointed out that St. Leo's has one (the St. Leo Neighborhood Clinic, 1323 S. Yakima, Tacoma 98405 [627-6353]). Discussion of flu shots for those who need them.

5. WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT (Sallie)
Carl mentioned a proposal for large monthly meetings for the broader community.  There is also talk of a spring mobilization.  What is to be done? Discussion.

POINTS OF INFORMATION

1. Rob noted that health care costs are now approaching 20% of GDP. ["Healthcare spending accounted for about 11 percent of GDP in 1987; today it's more than 16 percent, and by 2017 it's very likely to be almost 20 percent." --Rick Newman, "Industries Hurt Most by Soaring Health Costs," U.S. News & World Report, Aug. 4, 2009.]

2. Rob recommended The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care (2009).

3. Rob also recommended a newly published book:  Remedy and Reaction: The Peculiar American Struggle over Health Care Reform (Yale UP, October 2011).

4. Rob recommended "Friday Night Lights" as a TV series worth watching.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark