[Timothy's Team] Timothy's Team Rally wrap up and moving on

[Bryan O'Malley]

Untitled DocumentWell, for those of you who were able to make it to Albany
on Tuesday, you witnessed firsthand what some in Albany are calling "the
most impressive rally I have seen on the storied east steps (of the
Capitol)"

For those of you who were not able to get to town that day, a brief recap of
the days events.  We were able to show the Senate that we meant business as
about 300 people came to Albany to demand that their Senators "Pass
Timothy's Law Now".  The rally included moving speeches by Tom and Donna
O'Clair and Debra Graham, all of whom lost their chidren to suicide because
of untreated mental illness.  Assemblyman Paul Tonko, the sponsor of
Timothy's Law in the Assembly, gave a rousing speech and led a cry for
Senator Bruno to "Let this bill pass!"  Nikki Cleary, friend of Timothy
O'Clair from school and a rising sensation in the pop music world provided
some light hearted entertainment, and more somber and soulful songs were
supplied by two friends of Joshua Graham, Debra Graham's son who completed
suicide in April.
The highlight, or lowlight, of the day was the press conference held by
Senator Jospeh Bruno minutes before the march from Washington Park to the
Capitol began.  In a post- session interview, Senator Bruno was asked about
"Timothy's Law" and if his house was going to pass the legislation.  He
responded by saying the bill, as it was written, is "...too broad and too
expensive.  If that bill ever became law, you could not even afford
healthcare in this state."  Senator Bruno's obvious disregard for those who
have lost their loved ones provided further impetus for the already inspired
crowd, and added fuel to an already burning fire.

Now, as we move on from this rally to continue the momentum that we have
maintained all summer, it is time that we let Senator Bruno know that we
heard his remarks and that we could not disagree more.  We urge you to call
Senator Bruno and tell him, "My loved ones are worth $1.26, and I want you
to Pass Timothy's Law now."  Senator Bruno can be reached at (518) 455-3191.

Please forward this message on to all of your friends and have them join the
ever-growing movement to pass Timothy's Law.

Thank you for your continued support, we would not be where we are today
without you.  An editorial from the Troy Record, Senator Bruno's hometown
paper, has been attached.  It is a great call for "Timothy's Law".

James Franco: Action needs to be taken on Timothy's Law
 Troy Record   09/18/2003

 It was not your typical rally on the east steps of the Capitol Tuesday.

They weren't paid political hacks told by the higher-ups to put on a shirt,
wave a sign and applaud when appropriate. They were not members of SEIU, who
are told to take a vacation day, hop on a bus and come to Albany where a
boxed lunch will be waiting. And they weren't members of any other union,
lobbying state government on behalf of themselves.


They came with a modest army of about 150, made up mostly of high school
kids and young parents. Yet it was the most impressive rally I have seen on
the storied east steps.

The crowd gathered to urge the state Senate to pass Timothy's Law, named
after Timothy O'Clair, a Schenectady boy who committed suicide in 2001 when
he was 12 years old. The law would bring insurance parity to those suffering
from mental illness.


Assemblyman Paul Tonko, who is known more for detailed analyses of the power
grid than firing up a crowd, gave an impassioned speech that would have done
Carl McCall proud. He screamed into the megaphone, pumped his fist and
demanded that state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno put Timothy's Law to
a vote.

The senator has refused, although it would probably pass his chamber. He
claims the bill, as drafted, would cause insurance rates to go through the
roof, and thousands of New Yorkers would lose coverage.

A recent actuarial study by PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that Timothy's
Law would cause premiums to go up by $1.26 per month. A poll by Zogby found
that 81 percent of New Yorkers would be willing to pay the money.


I would. I just drank a cup of coffee that cost $1.46.

The Senate thinks it would cost substantially more, but New York modeled its
law on Connecticut's, where the insurance costs went up 1 percent. In
Vermont, aggregate cost actually went down, because people are physically
healthier when they are not plagued by mental illness.


Right now, most policies limit the number of times a person can visit a
mental health professional. Timothy's Law would give the same coverage to
those suffering from mental illness as those suffering from physical
ailments. So, a person being treated for schizophrenia would not see any
difference in coverage than a person being treated for cancer.

Sounds reasonable, and what a deal for a buck and a quarter a month. Odds
are, however, the insurance companies are lining the pockets of the
senators, so Bruno will hold out for as long as possible.


Maybe Bruno and some other senators should have been at the rally. Maybe
they should have seen Timothy's father, Tom, sitting next to Timothy's bike,
the bike he gave his son on his 12th birthday, with the gothic, intimidating
state Capitol looming in the background.

Tom and Donna O'Clair are not lobbyists and they are not politicians. They
are parents who lost a son because of greedy insurance companies. And they
want to make sure that does not happen to any other parent.


Again and again they open old wounds and tell their story. How they could
not afford to give Timothy the help he needed once the grossly inadequate
number of visits provided by the insurance company expired. How they gave up
custody so Timothy would automatically qualify for Medicaid. How they were
then forced to pay child support for a child they did not want to give up.
How Donna and Timothy's brother, Christopher, then 14, found Timothy hanged
in his bedroom closet.

As Jenna Lehr, a friend of suicide victim Josh Graham, sang at the rally:
"make them listen."

With the heartfelt conviction, blind determination and the genuine human
compassion I saw Tuesday, it is appalling to think they are still being
turned a deaf ear.
      Refer A Friend
      Friend's Name:
      Friend's Email:
      Your Name:
      Your Email:







-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://kilakwa.net/pipermail/timothysteam_kilakwa.net/attachments/20030919/adb2e3e6/attachment.html>