CAMPAIGN BEAT!
Bulletin of the Sault Health Coalition
May 3rd – 10 days left!

723 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie ssmhealthcoalition@hotmail.com 705-945-7077

PUBLIC HOSPITAL: YES

Photos flashed and radio recorders rolled at our press conference yesterday. Then steering committee members Marie and Folgo, as well as Sister Leila, spelled-it out about the Sault P3.

The nurse and former CEO of Thunder Bay Hospital spoke with seriousness and passion. “I’m happy to donate to our local hospital fundraising campaign, but with a proviso," she said. “The hospital can only use our money if it does not go to any for-profit company or consortium.”

Please visit the office and read a copy of the proviso. More details about private financing is inside!

-Johan Boyden, campaign organizer

OUR MAIN TASK: VOLUNTEERS

More and more people are getting in touch with our campaign. We’re putting them into motion.
If you know people who can help, we want to hear from them.

The key tasks are flyering neighborhoods, door knocking for signs, and coming into the office to help out.

MEDIA

Yesterday we held a media event covered by the Sault Star and Q104. From an occasional story, the P3 issue now has frequent coverage.

The issue is being debated out in the court of public opinion, and the community is responding with many informative letters to the editor.

TRUNK SALE

The coalition is holding a fundraiser car trunk sale this Saturday at Wellington Square Mall Parking Lot. Do you have junk you’d like to donate to the coalition? Could you bring your car? Please give us a call!

FIRST NATIONS VOTE

One of our first advanced polls is over. Thanks to Batchewana First Nation and volunteers Amy Boyer and Lynn Tegosh for distributing flyers and running an advanced poll at that community.

Don’t forget that every day now, there is an advanced poll at our office.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Several highschoolers have started to come in and join the campaign. Not only are they getting volunteer hours, but they’re having a lot of fun. Give us a call if you know somebody who is able to come.

SIGNS ARE HERE!

We excited every time a new volunteer comes into the office and picks up flyers. Of course, it is always great when the office fills up with volunteers, but now that flyers are arriving on doorsteps our phones are starting to ring. “How do we get a sign? Could we please have a sign?”

This response is great! Since our last newsletter, 500 signs have come into the office. We are going to get the signs out this week! Together, the Sault can do it.

PRIVATE HOSPITAL FINANCING EXPOSED!

(The following is a re-print of the backgrounder we used at our Tuesday Press conference).

This is the method used to pay for private financing (AFM/AFP/P3) hospitals to date. If there is anything different about the Sault Ste. Marie arrangement, the hospital and the provincial government need to provide that information to the people of Sault Ste. Marie.

1. Consortia (group of for-profit companies) bid on the hospital. Hospital chooses finalist bidder. Local hospital and officials from Ontario government negotiate contract with for-profit consortium.

2. Local hospital officials forge an agreement with the Ontario government regarding the money provided by the provincial government towards the project.

3. Local hospital continues to fundraise its share of the cost.

4. The Ontario government commits to a percentage of the total cost of the new hospital. The difference between the government’s commitment and the total cost of the hospital is the local share. This is what the local hospital is fundraising.

5. For-profit consortium builds the hospital at their own cost.

6. Once construction is finished, the hospital starts to pay back the consortium (group of for-profit companies) in a stream of payments that extends for the duration of the deal (20+ years)*. These payments cover the financing of the building and all the service privatization and profits included in the deal. The payments to the for profit consortium are made up of a combination of the money flowed to the hospital by the provincial government and the money the local hospital fundraises.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to every one who has helped out, especially the nurses who came out on Saturday, Amy, Marie, Folgo, Sister Leila, Richard, Henry, the wonderful person who fixed our printer – the list is now far too long to mention.

WHAT WE NEED!

The number one item is volunteer power – and not just for e-day! We also need:

* donations for fundraiser garage sale
* newspaper clippings of any coverage we receive!!!!
* fold-up card tables for e-day
* an old TV/VCR so we can show our volunteers a brief P3 video
* any “nibbles” like cookies for volunteers
* Vacuum cleaner (please!)
* A megaphone and noisemakers for the rally
* a big piece of fabric (like an old sheet) for a sign – and paint/brushes

Again, the coalition really appreciates all the material support we can get.

CAMPAIGN BEAT!


Issue #2
April 27th – 16 days left!

Bulletin of the Sault Health Coalition
723 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie
http://www.saulthealthcoalition.blogspot.com/
ssmhealthcoalition@hotmail.com
705-945-7077

OVER 61 POLLING STATIONS!

Getting a polling station isn’t easy. They don’t grow on trees, you know. Of course, we have the best argument: keep our hospitals 100% public. Build it right! But that doesn’t mean the local business owner is going to say yes to a poll. Last week, with the team getting more ‘no’ than ‘yes,’ we were beginning to wonder if our goal was too high. Could we get 50?

But if you’re organizing a vote, people have to go somewhere to cast a ballot. And Mac and Sharron were persistent. There’s a lesson in this. We’ve just got to keep pushing. Well done e-day team!

- Johan Boyden, campaign organizer

OUR MAIN TASK is getting volunteers

The challenge is out: 200 volunteers for e-day. It’ll be a small army. With everyone working together, we’ll have a lot of fun.

So please don’t just give us a call. Call your friends. Call everyone you know. You're public Hospital needs YOU!

FLYERS AND SIGNS

Our flyering tactic has shifted this week and we are placing more emphasis on neighborhood drops now, and less on flyering parking lots. If you are able to flyer your neighborhood or an apartment building, please tells us what area you are going to do – we have big maps you can easily write on.

Also, the signs arrived from the printers to their drop-off point in the Sault today, and tomorrow morning (Thursday) they will arrive at the office.

If you haven’t already got a sign, order it today! If you can help with distributing signs, call the office. They will go fast. If you know any person, business, or organization that could take a sign, today is the day to ask them!

MEDIA

The Committee got excellent coverage from the opening day, and will be appearing in the Soo This Week and Soo.news as we write.

UPCOMING:

Please mark your calendars

Saturday 29 Big Blitz
Saturday 6 Garage Sale
Thursday 11 Rally at Hospital
Friday 12 Fundraiser Social
Saturday 13 E-DAY !!!

POLLING STATIONS LIST: please call our office

WELCOME RICK MOON

The campaign team has gained another member, Rick Moon. You may have heard from him already – Rick’s been working the phones looking for volunteers.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to every one who has helped out, especially Henry, Melissa, Tony, Ted, the Nurses who came down today and folded 1,000 leaflets and then cut as many ballots. We also greatly appreciate all the people who have been calling for signs. Thank you!

WHAT WE NEED

The number one item is volunteer power – and not just for e-day! We also need:
- newspaper clippings of any coverage we receive!!!!
- fold-up card tables for e-day
- Ball point pens
- ink for our printer/fax
- desk-top “in-box/out-box” style file folders
- an old TV/VCR so we can show our volunteers a brief P3 video
- any “nibbles” like cookies for volunteers
- more photocopies of our pamphlets and this newsletter
- donations for fundraiser garage sale
- material for signs for the rally
- A megaphone and noisemakers for the rally
- a big piece of fabric (like an old sheet) for a sign – and paint/brushes

Again, the coalition really appreciates all the material support we can get.

Campaign launch photos -- cheers and smiles at the opening ceremonies -- coalition co-chair and local Doctor hold the sign -- volunteers send the McGuinty Liberals a message -- Dave and Phil cut the ribbon!

CAMPAIGN BEAT!

Bulletin of the Sault Health Coalition

April 23rd 2006 – 19 days left!

723 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie
ssmhealthcoalition@hotmail.com
705-945-7077

NOW, THAT’S A GOOD LAUNCH!

“What a great start!” Those were the words from one woman who came down this Saturday for our campaign launch, and I couldn’t agree more. Phil and Dave cut the ribbon, announced the terms of the plebiscite (see below), and cast the first votes. Around them were over forty people, cramming into our 723 Queen St. East office. We scored good media coverage and showed our strength. A great volunteer and staff team are coming forward. Mr. McGuinty: don’t privatize our Hospital! If we stick to that message, unite the community, and push hard, this campaign will be a tremendous success.

- Johan Boyden, campaign organizer

SIGNS
By Wednesday our signs will have arrived from the printers! We have a total of 21 sign requests at the office – a good start, and we can up that number by six in a week.

One way to get them up will be door knocking. We will be sending out teams going door to door in targeted areas, getting out signs, and are looking for volunteers.

If you haven’t already got a sign, order it today! They will go fast. If you know any person, business, or organization that could take a sign, today is the day to ask them!

POLLING STATIONS
Currently, Mac and Sharon have 32 polling stations – and they are working hard getting more each day.

It isn’t easy, but the smallest number we can use is 50. We aim to have that sum by Tuesday. Then, the list will be sent to the printers, printed in the newspaper and inserted into all our flyers.

MEDIA
Have you read Glenda Hubley’s Soo today.com article on the new Sault Hospital and AFPs? You should – and you can read it on our web page (find the link at the bottom of this page).

We’re getting coverage on radio and in print. But the coverage – like the April 20th editorial and 22nd story in the Sault Star – shows that we’ve got to counter the big fib that McGuinty is putting forward.

PLEBISCITE TERMS
The voting age for the plebiscite, a citizen-called vote, is 14 years of age. The geographic area will include Sault Ste. Marie, Echo Bay, Garden River, St. Joseph’s Island, Richards Landing, Bruce Mines, and Thessalon.

To ensure the integrity of the vote, voters will sign a pledge confirming they are over 14 years of age, live in the designated communities and have not voted previously. The pledge list will not be used for any other purpose that to provide evidence of the validity of the vote.

The ballot question: “The new Sault Area Hospital must be 100 % publicly funded, financed, owned administered and operated. Yes or No.”

STEERING COMMITTEE
The steering committee is meeting this Tuesday at 7:00 sharp. On the agenda: events, fundraising, outreach.

WHAT WE NEED: VOLUNTEERS
The number one item we need right now are volunteers – and not just for e-day! If you just have a small bit of time, we need your help. Please give us a call, or say “yes” when one of our phone volunteers asks you: can you help?

A special thank you to all the community groups and individuals who have donated office supplies, equipment, and refreshments! At this point, we need:

* a big piece of fabric (like an old sheet) for a sign – and paint/brushes
* pens
* petty cash box
* plastic grocery bags for flyer squads
* a second heavy duty paper cutter
* any batches of photocopies
* another computer
* newspaper clippings of any coverage we receive
* donations for fundraiser garage sale
* a suitcase full of gold bars

Again, the coalition really appreciates all the material support we can get.

HEALTH COALITION RELEASES TERMS OF PLEBISCITE

Sault Ste. Marie – The local health coalition released the terms for its May 13 plebiscite to keep the Sault Area Hospital 100% public, including the ballot question.

“We want a new hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, but we want it built right and the ballot question will reflect that,” said Coalition Co-chair David Harasymiw at the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening the coalition’s campaign office.

The ballot question is a key term of the plebiscite. The geographic area and the age of voters are also included in the terms.

“The terms of the plebiscite will ensure the integrity of the vote,” said Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalition Co-chair Phil Morehouse at the official opening of the campaign office.

The local health coalition’s plebiscite follows on the heels of similar plebiscites to keep our hospitals public in Hamilton, North Bay, Woodstock and St. Catharines. In St. Catharines 98 per cent of the voters supported public hospitals and while 97 per cent of the voters supported public hospitals in the remaining three communities.

Attendees at the Sault Ste. Marie official opening ribbon cutting took the opportunity to vote in the advance poll located at the Queen Street East campaign office.

TERMS OF PLEBISCITE

The Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalition has agreed to set the voting age for the plebiscite, a citizen-called vote, at 14 years of age. The geographic area will include Sault Ste. Marie, Echo Bay, Garden River, St. Joseph’s Island, Richards Landing, Bruce Mines, and Thessalon.

To ensure the integrity of the vote, the Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalition will have voters sign a pledge that confirms they are over 14 years of age, live in the designated communities and have not voted previously. The pledge list will not be used for any other purpose that to provide evidence of the validity of the vote.

The ballot question is:

The new Sault Area Hospital must be 100 % publicly funded, financed, owned administered and operated.

Yes
No

(Voters will mark an “x” in either the Yes or No box.)

For more information, contact Johan Boyden at 945-7077.

The Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalition believes area residents deserve to have at least something to say in the development of a new local hospital, particularly when it affects cost and quality. Here’s how residents in other Ontario communities have spoken:

2005 JUNE 27
St. Catherines Ballot Statement: “I support a new hospital for St. Catharines that is 100% publicly funded, owned, administered and operated. Keep our hospital public and non-profit” Results: YES 12,164 NO 215

2005 NOVEMBER 20
North Bay Ballot Statement: “I support a North Bay and District hospital that is 100% non-profit, publicly owned and publicly operated.” Results: YES 8,545 NO 249

2005 NOVEMBER 26 Hamilton Ballot Statement: “The new Hamilton Hospital must be 100% publicly funded, financed, owned administered and operated.” Results: YES 27,995 NO 664