Single Payer censored at the State Fair?

[dflprincess]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=432177189276&id=1105367226

Censorship at the State Fair by Zack Farley on Friday, September 3, 2010 at 7:31pm

The Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition (http://www.muhcc.org/) had plans to promote single-payer health care and the “Campaign for the MN Health Plan” at all 12 days of the Minnesota State Fair. There is such strong grassroots support for a sane, equitable, and sustainable health care system that we had lined up 90 individual volunteers to staff our small table for the 12 days.

We were to be hosted at the booth of one of our coalition partners (who, is not relevant). This host organization has long supported the MN Health Plan, been active since our organization’s inception, and has had single-payer on their legislative agenda for years. We’ve had our petitions at their booth in years past.

For 8 ½ wonderful days we stood by our table handing out small leaflets, collecting petition signatures, answering questions, and hearing story after story about people’s struggles to find affordable health care.

Half way through day 9, Bob, an employee of the state fair, showed up to boot us out. He said we could not be at the fair since our names were not registered at the booth. Despite our host organization’s explanation that we were invited, that we were coalition partners, that our issue is their issue, and that they’d had petitions for years- we were kicked out of the fair.

I am sure the fair would give some mumbo-jumbo fine print explanation. But here is what is clear: there are issues being presented at lots of booths this year, there are folks lining the sidewalks in some places to pass out their literature- no one is kicking them out. Seems to me Bob, the state fair employee doesn’t like single-payer and he is making sure no one visiting the fair the last three days is going to hear about the Minnesota Health Plan.

I'm guessing this is the same group Lydia Leftcoast talked about in her post http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=160x40136">Tabling For Single Payer at the State Fair

The table was located at the Farmer's Union. When I was there yesterday it was at the front of the building where all passers by could see it (unlike when LL was there). At least my niece & I got to sign it before it was shut down.

[glinda]

1. If other issues are allowed then I would have asked for proof of who they were. It could have been

a single employee taking it upon themselves to do it.

[Minnesota Raindog]

2. Contact the State Fair Board and ask them whether Michele Bachmann had anything to do with it

She is, after all, their endorsed candidate isn't she?

Fair Board Media Office: [e-mail]

Phone: [phone]