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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=840464218-19092003>Well, 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)" </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=840464218-19092003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=840464218-19092003>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.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P><SPAN class=840464218-19092003><FONT face=Arial size=2>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.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=840464218-19092003><FONT face=Arial size=2>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. <STRONG>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."</STRONG> Senator Bruno can be reached at (518)
455-3191.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=840464218-19092003><FONT face=Arial size=2>Please forward this
message on to all of your friends and have them join the
ever-growing movement to pass Timothy's Law.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=840464218-19092003><FONT face=Arial size=2>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".</FONT></SPAN></P><SPAN
class=840464218-19092003>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana><STRONG>James Franco: Action needs to be taken on
Timothy's Law</STRONG> <BR> Troy
Record 09/18/2003 <BR> <BR> It was not your
typical rally on the east steps of the Capitol Tuesday.</FONT></DIV><FONT
face=Verdana>
<DIV><BR>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I would. I just drank a cup of coffee that cost $1.46.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>As Jenna Lehr, a friend of suicide victim Josh Graham, sang at the rally:
"make them listen."<BR></DIV>
<DIV>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. </DIV></FONT></SPAN>
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