| 03.11.10 | MESSAGE FROM TERRI
Last Sunday night, I heard one of the Oscar winners say, “My parents taught me that sometimes it’s better to do something that you know may not be popular, but that you know is right.” I’m not usually a political activist, as you know, and taking this stand could lose me popularity, but I have to take one now. Sunday morning I logged on to the Internet news and read yet another roadblock thrown in front of President Obama and the health care changes he’s trying to pass. I can’t take it anymore. I have to say something. What he says is true: our health care system in America is out-of-control not working. Everybody knows that. I’m a woman who can AFFORD to pay for health insurance for my family, and I know how lousy the insurance I’m paying for really is, and how off-the-charts expensive it is. Government has to step in to do something to change this, because the health care business isn’t going to do a thing about it. They haven’t for decades. In fact, they’re openly telling us that they fully plan for the downward spiral to continue. I just opened another notice last Friday informing me of my second premium hike in a single year! This is nothing new for any of us. So now we have a guy TRYING to do something about it, President Obama. Everything I’ve read about his plan makes sense to me. One of his biggest problems is the politicians who have the power to block him ALREADY HAVE THE HEALTH INSURANCE HE’S TRYING TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE REST OF US. It’s government-supplied health insurance, available to Congress, and I haven’t heard one of them complaining about it. What I have heard from these politicians is “GOVERNMENT TAKE-OVER! THE PEOPLE DON’T WANT THAT!” Excuse me, Mr. Loud Politician, but you already have that. YOUR family’s covered great. YOU don’t have to pay the sky-rocketing premiums we all do. Government-assisted health care works great for you, just like it does for millions of people in so many other countries. I have friends all over the globe and I’ve heard only positive things about government-assisted health care from the people who have it. Sure, there are problems with any system, but my foreign friends are a lot happier than we are. This guy Obama needs help. I’m reaching out to the people who at least care about me enough to check in with this website. Check out whitehouse.gov and click on “health care” if you want the facts about his plan, just the facts. There are also FAQs to click on to answer questions your specific situation may have. You can find it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/reform-means-you If you’re one of those people who think our government only lies to us, so why read it, well, as they said in Avatar, “You can’t fill up someone who’s already full.” You can’t teach someone who doesn’t want to learn anything new. If you agree that this health care plan is at least better than what we have now (which isn’t that hard), please join me in doing whatever you can to help this man. TAKE A STAND, popular or not, with your friends and family. Thanks to the Internet, I can easily find out who my legislators are and send this to them. I need THEM to be helping me. Helping US. MY FAMILY. MY FRIENDS’ FAMILIES. NOW. If this hope goes away, maybe it’s not meant to be for us, but we won’t get any more hope for a long, long time. So I hope you’ll take some action now too. Thank you for reading this. $1,115 -- that's the average monthly premium for employer-sponsored family coverage in 2009. Annually, that amounts to $13,375, or roughly the yearly income of someone working a minimum wage job.1 It gets worse: a recent survey found that if we do nothing, over the next ten years, out-of-pocket expenses for Americans with health insurance could increase 35 percent in every state in the country.2 In an effort to put the past year's debate over health insurance reform into perspective, we're launching "Health Reform by the Numbers," an online campaign using key figures, like $1,115, to raise awareness about why we can't wait any longer for reform. We'll be sending out a new number every day. Learn what you can do to help spread the word: $1,115 is more money than what many Americans pay for rent or mortgage. But there's more to the problem than just numbers. Take Leslie Banks, an American mom with a daughter in college. In January of this year, she received a notice from her health insurance provider that her plan was being dropped. To keep the same benefits, the premiums for her and her daughter would more than double. Leslie was told by the insurance company that there was nothing she could do -- it was an across-the-board premium hike. If she paid the same monthly premium amount as before, the deductible would increase from $500 to $5,000, and she and her daughter would no longer have preventive care or prescription coverage. It's important to raise awareness about numbers like $1,115 and stories like Leslie’s because skyrocketing health care costs impact all of us. So take a moment to forward this email to your family, friends and online networks. With all of us working together, we'll send the message loud and clear -- the time is now for health insurance reform. It's time we made our health care system work for American families and small businesses, not just insurance companies. Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform
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| 12.07.09 | MERRY XMAS FROM TERRI
Before this Christmas season is through, I want to wish you all the beautiful holiday that you deserve. This one has been special already for me; thanks to all of your support and love, I’ve had a very successful year. I was able and honored this past Friday to throw a big holiday party for my friends and loved ones. Also one of my good friends just brought home her new adopted daughter from Russia yesterday, as I did 4 years ago. I was able to host a shower/coming home party for her. The little 20 month old girl lost her mother and was sent to an orphanage. Now she has a new family, and a new life. Miracles DO happen all the time!! I am so lucky this year 2009 to be extremely inspired by my new recording and producing partner, Carlton Bost. We’re almost finished with our first studio album of new songs in 6 years, and if all continues well, we’ll be releasing it in 2010. I’m also inspired by my new manager, Gaye Ann Bruno, who’s broadened my horizons and opened new doors for the band and for me. One of them is a new fricking FUN TV show I shot that’s season premiering in February 2010, RuPaul’s “DRAG RACE!” More details soon so STAY TUNED!! I look forward to seeing lots of you at the ..Salt Lake City.. show December 10 and The Canyon show in my hometown of ....Agoura Hills.. ..CA.... December 11. We’ll play not only the hits and songs from the new DVD/CD package, “ALL THE WAY IN,” that came out this year, but also one or two brand new songs that haven’t been released yet. Not to mention a new Christmas song or two that we hope you enjoy, and a SURPRISE GUEST! Our last show of the year 2009 is at The Coachhouse in San Juan Capistrano CA and I hope you come out with us to ring in the New Year together and PARTY HARD!! Thank you for your support, your thoughts, your criticisms, your love, your joys and your passion for great music shared here with each other and with me. For those of you I won't get to see, I hope your dreams for 2010 happen even better than you ever thought they would. With love, Terri Nunn | |
