Elin's Minutes from May 19th Change Gang Meeting

Minutes: “65th Change Gang”
19 May 2009

Richard Hodgin
Report on our event, “Winning Health Care for All:

164 people showed up / The Seattle media recorded it and will play event on TV. Also Radio will do and a Pod cast will be available.
Liked Brown Paper Tickets. Process Fee $1.11 on each $8 ticket was good.
In retrospect wished we’d charged $5 rather than $8 per ticket: might have had more folks attend (amt psychologically more appealing).
Good idea = getting emails out to large group of nurses at the last minute, asking them to come.
A member reported hearing talk about the event and concluded we made a good impression.
State Rep McDermott was “really pleased” and Reverend Bev was great in the role of panel moderator. She called Richard several times to get all the facts; she was very prepared.
Richard expressed gratitude with how everyone and everything worked so well at the event. Also he commented on the tables, which were set up, created “a buzz” and the synagogue’s wonderful participation.
Tee Shirts Project – acquired and there’s more discussion
We then turned to future planning:
Folk Life Festival – volunteers to advertise the May 30th March & our group
Discussion on how to be effective (accomplishing our goals).
Disseminating information – i.e., Handing out the cards advertising the march and saying, “We need you to be there.”
Need to Lobby for a true non-profit plan (AMA, this week, endorsed the single-payer system
Contacting our Representatives by any form of communication; in person most desirable.
Burke Gilman Trail Event
New Obama Team Organizers – at Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave, Seattle, Monday, June 01, 6 – 8 p.m.
Brainstorming about how to get more name recognition (work on the web): Chain letter idea, join Community site and use 65th as key word, etc.

Respectfully submitted,
Elin Bengtson-Leiter
27 May 2009
Please edit, correct as needed.