Special BCA E-Alert for California

Hello! This is a special BCA e-alert for our California members. There are some
great upcoming opportunities to do something, besides worry, about breast cancer.
Welcome to any new e-alert members!

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In this issue...

1. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: Take Action on the Precautionary Principle in Berkeley;
Empowering Women of Color Conference, March 4, Berkeley; Activist Meeting, March 30,
San Francisco; Labyrinth Walk, April 29, Oakland
2. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Community Meeting on Health Care, March 4, Los Angeles;
International Women's Day, March 4, Los Angeles
3. STATE-WIDE: Support Universal Health Care in California; Contribute to Breast
Cancer Research in California

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1. Northern California: Take Action on the Precautionary Principle in Berkeley;
Empowering Women of Color Conference, March 4, Berkeley; Activist Meeting, March 30,
San Francisco; Labyrinth Walk, April 29, Oakland

TAKE ACTION: Support the Precautionary Principle in Berkeley

Please show your support for the precautionary principle in Berkeley. The Berkeley
City Council will be voting on the Precautionary Principle Ordinance on Tuesday,
March 7, and Council members need to hear your support for the measure.

What is the precautionary principle? It's the common sense idea behind "look before
you leap" and "first do no harm.'" It's a concept that can guide how we make
decisions about environmental and health issues, and give us the power to reduce and
eliminate our exposure to toxic chemicals. The precautionary principle charges us
to take action to protect public health when there is credible evidence of harm,
rather than waiting for absolute proof. The implementation of this policy in
Berkeley will mean a healthier, more sustainable city for all residents.

How can you support the Precautionary Principle Ordinance in Berkeley?

1) Ask Council members to vote YES for this ordinance. You can contact council
members by phone or email, or you can send them a letter to the address below. A
sample letter is provided; feel free to adapt it to add your personal perspective.

2) Come to the Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 7. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM
at the Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (corner of Allston Way, 3-4
blocks from the Berkeley BART Station). Your presence and comments at the meeting
help show Council members that the public cares about this issue.

The Berkeley City Council
Contact Information

Mayor Tom Bates: mayor [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7100
District 1: Linda Maio: lmaio [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7110
District 2: Darryl Moore: dmoore [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7120
District 3: Maxwell Anderson: manderson [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7130
District 4: Dona Spring: spring [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7140
District 5: Laurie Capitelli: lcapitelli [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7150
District 6: Betty Olds: olds [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7160
District 7: Kriss Worthington: worthington [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7170
District 8: Gordon Wozniak: GWozniak [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us (510) 981-7180

Here are all the emails together in case you'd like to send to all of them:

lmaio [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us, dmoore [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us, manderson [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us,
spring [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us, lcapitelli [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us, olds [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us,
worthington [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us, GWozniak [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us, mayor [at] ci.berkeley.ca.us

Or you can send or fax a letter to the Berkeley City Clerk requesting that your
letter be distributed to all Council members.

City Clerk
City of Berkeley
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, California 94704
FAX: (510) 981-6901

Dear Council Member _______:

I am writing to urge your support for the Precautionary Purchasing Ordinance which
will come before the City Council on March 7, 2006. As a Berkeley resident (or
other descriptor), I care deeply about the health and sustainability of our city. I
believe the precautionary principle is a sensible policy tool that will promote
better public health and environmental decision-making.

The precautionary principle stipulates that we should first do no harm – a "better
safe than sorry" approach. It charges us to take action to protect public health
when there is credible evidence of harm, rather than waiting for absolute proof.
The precautionary principle encourages innovation by emphasizing a full assessment
of alternatives to ensure progress that is sustainable in an economic, social and
environmental sense.

The Precautionary Principle Ordinance will further Berkeley's accomplishments in
protecting the health of its residents and the wider environment. The City again
has the opportunity to demonstrate its leadership on environmental health issues.
By adopting the Precautionary Principle Ordinance before you, Berkeley will be
identified as a model for other communities concerned about public health and the
environment. Please help Berkeley lead the way by passing this ordinance.

Sincerely yours,

Name
Address



Empowering Women of Color Conference, March 4, Berkeley

The purpose of the Empowering Women of Color Conference (EWOCC) is to build bridges
between graduate, academic and community women of color, to assist them in sharing
resources, strategies and visions that will empower them at all levels of society.
The conference also strives to build networks between different generations, ethnic
and racial groups, socioeconomic levels, sexual orientations, and physical
abilities. The theme of this year's conference is "Nourishing Mother EARTH" and
speakers will include various women of color environmental justice activists. For
more information and to register, visit http://ewocc.berkeley.edu/home.html

Saturday, March 4
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Barrows Hall
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley


BCA Activist Meeting, March 30, San Francisco

Calling all activists: Come join BCA in our downtown San Francisco office for an
evening to discuss universal health care and what it means for women's health. The
discussion will also provide an opportunity for taking action to ensure that all
Californians are able to access the health care they need. This will be a great
chance for BCA members to connect with one another, share ideas, and learn more
about the work of BCA. A light dinner will be served. Please RSVP to Pauli at
pojea [at] bcaction.org or (415) 243-9301 x11

Thursday, March 30
6:00 - 8:00 pm
BCA Office
55 New Montgomery St. Suite 323
San Francisco


East Bay Labyrinth Walk, April 29, Oakland

Please join Breast Cancer Action, Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic, Women’s
Cancer Resource Center, and singer-songwriter-activist Margie Adam for a facilitated
labyrinth walk. This unique act of community-building offers an opportunity to
reflect, re-energize, and reaffirm our commitment to the work ahead. Space is
limited; please call (510) 601-4040 x101 to RSVP.

Saturday April 29
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Montclair Women’s Club
1650 Mountain Blvd.
Oakland
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2. Southern California: Community Meeting on Health Care, March 4, Los Angeles;
International Women's Day, March 4, Los Angeles

Community Meeting on Health Care, March 4, Los Angeles

This community meeting, sponsored by the Citizens Health Care Working Group, is an
opportunity for the public to provide information about their experience with health
care benefits, coverage, and financing. This federally-funded, bi-partisan
Citizens' Health Care Working Group will gather information across the country to
make recommendations to the President and Congress. Participation is encouraged at
these hearings to ensure that voices for quality, affordable healthcare for all in
the U.s. are heard loud and clear. For more information visit
http://www.uhcan.org/campaign

Saturday, March 4
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles


International Women's Day, March 4, Los Angeles

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is U.S. Policies and their Impact
on Women Throughout the World. Workshop topics will include: Reproductive Justice,
Environmental Justice, Economic Justice, Militarization and War Violence against
Women. An exhibit hall of resources, agencies and community based organizations as
well as women vendors will be included in the celebration. For more information
visit http://www.psrla.org/calendar.htm or call 213-553-1847.

Saturday, March 4
9:00 am - 4 pm
Foshay Learning Center
3751 S. Harvard Blvd. (2 blocks west of USC)
Los Angeles

Event is FREE with pre-registration; $10 for on-site registration
Light breakfast and lunch provided
Child care and translation services available

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3. Statewide: Support Universal Health Care in California; Contribute to Breast
Cancer Research in California

TAKE ACTION: Support Universal Health Care in California

BCA supports SB 840 (Kuehl), the California Health Insurance Reliability Act. This
bill will provide affordable health insurance coverage to all Californians, allow
Californians the right to choose their own physician, and help control increasing
health care costs. Visit the Health Care for All website at http://www.healthcareforall.org
for more information on SB 840.

One in five Californians went without insurance in 2004. Health insurance costs
continue to skyrocket, and employers are reducing coverage or dropping benefits as a
result. Half of all bankruptcies in the United States are related to medical costs
and ¾ of those bankrupted families had health insurance at the time they became ill
or injured.

Californians want and deserve access to high-quality, affordable health care. We
need real health reform, and California can serve as a leader for the rest of the
country in tackling the current health care crisis. Take Action by writing to your
Assemblymember to express your support for SB 840. A sample letter is below.

Find your District/Assemblymember at http://www.assembly.ca.gov

The Honorable __________
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA

Re: Support for SB 840 (Kuehl)

Dear __________

I am writing to express my support for SB 840, the California Health Insurance
Reliability Act. This bill would provide affordable health insurance coverage to
all Californians, provide Californians the right to choose their own physician and
would help control increasing health care costs. If passed, SB 840 is expected to
save $8 billion, in the first year alone in statewide health care spending, and
would reduce costs for families, businesses, individuals and local governments.

One in every five Californians went without insurance in 2004. Health insurance
costs continue to skyrocket, and employers are reducing coverage or dropping
benefits as a result. Half of all bankruptcies in the United States are related to
medical costs and ¾ of those bankrupted families had health insurance at the time
they became ill or injured.

In the United States, we spend more per person than all other industrialized
countries on health care, yet we receive fewer services and are the only
industrialized nation where people go bankrupt because of medical bills. For all
that spending, our health care outcomes rank at the bottom of industrialized nations
(37th in the world) according to the World Health Organization.

Californians want and deserve access to high-quality, affordable health care. Most
importantly, they want a health care system that they can rely on. CHIRA gives every
Californian reliable health insurance along with freedom of choice. We need real
health reform, and California can serve as a leader for the rest of the country in
tackling the current health care crisis.

I strongly urge you to support SB 840 (Kuehl).

Sincerely,
Name
Address


TAKE ACTION: Contribute to the California Breast Cancer Research Program this Tax
Season

There is an easy way to support breast cancer research in California--and it doesn't
include buying something pink! Simply select the CA Breast Cancer Research Fund on
line 57 of your California state income tax form 540. Your tax deductible
contribution will help support innovative research for preventing, detecting and
curing breast cancer. Previous tax check-off contributions have helped support
research on:

- Environmental toxins that potentially cause cancer
- Earlier detection methods such as optical detectors or blood tests
- Reliable predictors of aggressive disease
- Better support networks for socially or geographically isolated women

For more information about the Tax Check-off program, or to see what other
innovative research has been funded through this program, visit the California
Breast Cancer Research Program website at http://www.endbreastcancer.org

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That's it for this edition! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or
comments about this listserv.

Thanks for your continued support of BCA. Until next time,

Pauli Ojea, Community Organizer
Toll free at 877-2STOPBC (278-6722)
http://www.bcaction.org
http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

Our members are the driving force behind our efforts to end the breast
cancer epidemic. Because Breast Cancer Action does not accept funding from
the government or the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, we need
your support. You can donate on-line at
http://bcaction.org/Pages/SupportUs/Donate.html, or call 415-243-9301, or
toll-free at 1-877-278-6722. All gifts are deeply appreciated.

Breast Cancer Action has received the highest four-star rating from Charity
Navigator, America’s premiere evaluator of charities. To view the details of our
rating, visit
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/8165.htm


Breast Cancer Action is funded in part by a grant from the California Wellness
Foundation (TCWF). Created in 1992 as an independent, private foundation, TCWF's
mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for
health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention programs.