Sit In Today at Blue Cross

**ridgeabilly** · November-04-09, 06:48 AM

SIT IN TO SUPPORT SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE AND FAIR COVERAGE FOR ALL!!

Where: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan
600 E. Lafayette Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48226-2927

When: November 4, 2009, 12:00 p.m.

**Det_ard** · November-04-09, 11:18 AM

Will you be providing lunch?

**Bcscott** · November-04-09, 03:08 PM

Single payer and "fair" should never be mentioned in the same sentence.

**gnome** · November-04-09, 03:35 PM

Why would anyone annouce at 7AM a NOON protest and expect anyone to show up?
Why would anyone join such a fly-by-dawn disorganization?
Why would anyone march on the BCBS HQ, when the place to do such a protest is in Lansing?
This protest smacks of Call-em-Out/BAMN looney tune antics.
The only reason for such a protest is to gain news coverage for their lame group, and not to affect real change.

**Savoyard** · November-04-09, 03:47 PM

Looks like around 20-30 people showed up. Have no idea who this group was, but almost everyone was wearing "funny" hats. Like with antenna, or giraffe heads sticking out or bird wings on them. Whatever. One person tried to get into the building and was carted off by police, which had two cars sitting there. Security was prepared for them, since they were good enough to advertise a "sit in" so early this morning on a public forum. Their message was totally unclear. TV20 was there, but that's it. Yaaaaaawn.

**ridgeabilly** · November-04-09, 04:14 PM

Not sure what alternative conciousness you were viewing from, but that's not at all what transpired. Does it feel good to report it that way? That's the Albom school journalism. Nothing to do with BAMN, just folks concerned about health care. God, this thread has a lot of deep thinkers on it.

**Det_ard** · November-04-09, 05:20 PM

So, what happened?

**Detroitej72** · November-04-09, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by ridgeabilly

Nothing to do with BAMN, just folks concerned about health care. God, this thread has a lot of deep thinkers on it.

So why sit in at the one non-profit organization that provides health care for all, regardless of pre-existing conditions?

Why not choose HAP or some other for profit company HQ to have your demonstration?

**BVos** · November-04-09, 09:33 PM

Are posters on this board really this stupid based on the comments to ridgeabilly's comments? Has the Freep board migrated over to here?

**Lowell** · November-04-09, 09:47 PM

Now I am as much for single payer health system as anyone, but I do think it incumbent on the thread-starter to supply some ~details~ as well as some lead time. Why the not-for-profit Blues and not one of the many for-profit insurance agencies? Also a report as to what actually transpired would be considerate.

One reason for this is that there is a lot of pranksterism on the web. You know, people saying there is something happening for some reason when it is actually for another reason, or not even happening. Some of the responses are impolite, but I think a lot of it reflects the frustration of opening a thread with a catchy subject line and finding nothing there.

So what was it about, why the Blues and what happened?

**1KielsonDrive** · November-05-09, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

Why would anyone annouce at 7AM a NOON protest and expect anyone to show up?
Why would anyone join such a fly-by-dawn disorganization?
Why would anyone march on the BCBS HQ, when the place to do such a protest is in Lansing?
This protest smacks of Call-em-Out/BAMN looney tune antics.
The only reason for such a protest is to gain news coverage for their lame group, and not to affect real change.

1. Agreed.
2. To protest.
3. Are you the arbiter of where, when and how protests are to be held? Like protesting in Lansing is going to get some attention? Michigan has the lamest bunch of legislators in the country. Have we had a budget agreement on time in the last how many years?
4. Only someone who is too lazy to protest or opposed to the protest would make this kind of statement. Obviously you don't agree with Health Care Reform, ergo protests are "looney tune antics".
5. Gaining news coverage is a realistic and important part of affecting change. [[What do you think the teabaggers did?)

**1KielsonDrive** · November-05-09, 12:21 AM

I protested at BC/BS in A2 a few weeks ago. We only had about 3 - 4 dozen people show up, but we got lots of attention including press interviews and photos and people riding by screaming, "get a job", and, "pay for your own coverage". There were also lot's of people showing their support. BC/BS hired security guards to remove and keep us off of their property. I felt bad for the $8.00 an hour security guards. I think they would've liked to join us. We respected the job they had to do. I always feel much better and more empowered after a protest, even if it's not a big splash.

**reddog289** · November-05-09, 02:54 AM

As a former member of BC/BS, I can say I liked it. I 'm a member of HAP and have never had any problems with them either. I guess I am lucky. I also know firsthand the difference in price between the two. I myself had the job of going to Greektown and paying the bill.
I agree there needs to be healthcare reform. Yet I don't see where everyone should get a free ride.I should actully get married cause of the whole health care deal. I don't need the "wife" to have to pay a fine for not having insurance.
But to announce a protest the day of the deal, Well thats a short notice.

**ridgeabilly** · November-06-09, 08:27 AM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/justbeamensch/4076639568/

We'll be sure to get the invitations out earlier next time.

**1KielsonDrive** · November-06-09, 09:10 PM

[quote=Lowell;86451]Why the not-for-profit Blues and not one of the many for-profit insurance agencies?

I'll tell you why BC/BS. Because BC/BS has been trying to shed their non-profit status for years. A non-profit status that's obviously a thin veneer. They began by raising their executive's pay beyond levels that most any serious, concerned and involved non-profit would pay. They've also acquired for-profit companies to eventually meld their business into to create a hybrid or a complete, unabashed, for profit entity as many other BC/BS companies around the country have become. You can never keep too close of an eye on corporations. BC/BS recently raised their premiums something like, 25% or more, while spending money fighting health care reform. The BC/BS we knew as kids growing up, no longer exists. BC/BS is not an 'agency'. It is a corporation. My family's business was an insurance 'agency'. We were insurance agents. Small business owners making a living. BC/BS is a huge corporation paying high wages to it's executives and providing them with bonuses and perks such as memberships to country and private clubs. They also spend inordinate amounts of money lobbying. That's a couple of reasons 'why the not-for-profit Blues'.

**Quonset Hut** · November-07-09, 11:47 PM

Look, you have to be smart about how to get a crowd. You need to feed them, donuts and coffee early, and hot dogs and two beer or drink tickets after at the SEIU hall, After all, Cuba can get 50,000 folks just by giving them a bus ride to the rally, a box lunch and a new T-shirt!