VOTE November 4 and  CONTRIBUTE to help us change the male-dominated Georgia legislature that abandoned 340,000 uninsured Georgia women….one in eight will develop breast cancer.

As you know, we are nearing the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Coincidentally, I am nearing the beginning of chemotherapy to treat breast cancer (starting Election Day… after I vote).   So why am I sharing this?  I am the Exeuctive Director of Georgia’s WIN List, and we are an organization dedicated to electing women (so that women have  full participation in the legislative decisions that affect us all). Having gone through diagnosis, surgery and treatment planning,  I believe I need to speak out for those whose experience will be very different than mine….because I am incredibly lucky.

Due to the cosmic lottery, I happen to be somewhat upper middle class, employed and white.  Like most women in my demographic, I have INSURANCE, which allows me to concentrate on getting better instead of worrying about how to pay for treatment.

In the last two months, my care has exceeded $90,000, and I have not even started chemotherapy. I will pay a tiny fraction of that.  But for the over 340,000 non-elderly uninsured women of Georgia, a diagnosis such as mine could mean financial ruin, or worse, waiting until it’s too late for treatment at all.

In the 2014 Georgia legislative session, I watched in disbelief as the GOP, male-dominated General Assembly arrogantly passed a bill that allows them to continue to deny Medicaid expansion.  The impact on 600,000 Georgians without insurance was not seriously discussed or analyzed.  And, despite the efforts of courageous leaders such as Senator Nan Orrock (who spoke out in opposition) a bill that endangers the lives of mothers, daughters, sisters and grandmothers with breast cancer was easily passed due to partisan political grandstanding.

Our state’s representation in the General Assembly is over 75% white and male.  But our state’s diverse, multicultural population (composed of 51% women) is not.  Why do these men dominate? Because they own the extra advantage of being funded by groups who support their callous policies.

The women we are endorsing in next week’s election represent a vital component of the authentic population of Georgia in 2014.  Our candidates include African-American women, women from diverse cultures, working mothers and single moms.  And, they are intelligent, hard-working women who care deeply about the repercussions of their decision-making on ALL Georgians, not just the privileged few.

That’s why we must CHANGE THE FACE OF POWER IN GEORGIA. 

Please help us protect and elect the progressive Endorsed Women we are working to keep and send to the Georgia Legislature next week.  Lives may depend on it.