For Immediate Release
March 26, 2009

For more information contact:

Angela Petry
Russell Mokhiber
Single Payer Action
304.258.4454
cell: 202.468.8868
singlepayeraction.org

West Virginia Belly Dancers to Protest for Single Payer Outside Home Office of Congresswoman Capito

On Monday, March 30, 2009 at 12 noon, a group of West Virginia belly dancers and their supporters will be holding a protest outside of Capito’s Martinsburg office. (300 Foxcroft Ave., Suite 102, Martinsburg, WV 25401)

The belly dancers are calling the demonstration “Shake It Up for Single Payer.”

Capito is opposed to a single payer health insurance system.

“A group of single payer advocates have met with her and her staff recently — and she won’t budge,” said Angela Petry, one of the belly dancers who will be protesting. “So, we thought we would have some fun, go and dance in front of her office, and see if we could shake things up a little bit.”

Shake it Up for Single Payer is being sponsored by Single Payer Action, a newly formed non-profit that is organizing protests at Congressional offices around the country.

“According to an Institute of Medicine report, more than 22,000 Americans die every year from lack of health insurance,” said Russell Mokhiber of Single Payer Action. “More than 14,000 Americans are thrown off the insurance rolls every day. More than half of all personal bankruptcies are triggered by medical bills. A single payer system would cost less, cover everyone, and no one would die from lack of health insurance — because everyone would have health insurance. Congresswoman Capito won’t listen to her constituents when they call, write or visit, so, we decided to take it to the streets.”

Mokhiber and Petry live in Capito’s district (WV 2).

Mokhiber and Petry are calling on all West Virginia belly dancers to join in on the action on March 30.

And they are calling on all USA belly dancers to join singlepayeraction.org.

Single Payer Action has posted a belly dancers for single payer flyer on its web site and is encouraging all single payer advocates to print it out and plaster it around their neighborhoods.

“Let’s shimmy and shake until we get single payer,” Petry said.