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Campaign Update
Wednesday, October 4, 2006

It's crunch time--the November 7 election is five weeks away! We want to share with you the latest available polling on Proposition 86 and ask that you get involved in moving us towards victory for children's health coverage in November.

Inside This Issue:

  1. Polling Numbers
  2. Action Alert--You Can Help
  3. More News
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Polling Numbers

A recent SurveyUSA poll conducted for KPIX-TV (the Bay Area CBS affiliate) found Prop 86 leading with 56% of the vote. This is exciting news for all of us who have been working hard to ensure passage of this measure that will keep 700,000 teens from smoking, save lives, and ensure that all of California's children have access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance. It is especially encouraging considering voters have been barraged with negative, misleading ads from Big Tobacco.

However, we know that Big Tobacco won't give up without a fight and will continue to do, say, and spend anything to defeat Prop 86. The final vote will likely be very close. While we are getting our message out to voters on the airwaves, our biggest strength is our solid and broad-based support in communities throughout California. Your voice can make the difference.

For additional information, please visit:
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Action Alert--You Can Help

Here are some of the ways you can help ensure passage of Prop 86:

  • Phone banking. From now through Election Day, we need thousands of volunteers to contact voters in their communities to encourage support for Prop 86. Please click here for information about how to get involved. If no location near you is listed, we still need your help – contact us for assistance on starting a phone banking effort in your area.

  • Writing letters to the editor and op-eds. As we get closer to Election Day, we will see many articles and editorials about Prop 86. Whether accurate or inaccurate, positive or negative, we would like to respond quickly to every item with a letter to the editor or op-ed, as appropriate. If you are interested in submitting letters or op-eds in a local paper, please contact us for some samples to get you started.

  • Spreading the word. We would like your help in getting the positive message about Prop 86 out as widely as possible through your networks. If you would like assistance with drafting newsletter articles, e-alerts, or other communications, please contact us. You can also find useful information including *new* Spanish language fact sheets here.

  • Supporting local events. Please attend 'Yes on Prop 86' community events to show your support. Here is a sample of upcoming events:

    • October 7
      Merced Heart Walk at the Mercy Medical Center/CHW Dominican Campus, 7-11 AM. Contact: Matt Cervantes, Matt.Cervantes@heart.org, (916) 446-6505

    • October 16
      Children's Public Enemy #1: Big Tobacco, Santa Clara County, 11:15 AM. Contact: Sarah Muller, smuller@atwork.org, (408) 269-7872

    • October 18
      Community rally, downtown Sacramento, 11 AM. Contact: Timothy Gibbs, timothy.gibbs@cancer.org, (916) 448-0500

    • October 18
      Youth rally, Modesto City Hall, 1010 Tenth St, 4 PM. Contact: Timothy Gibbs, timothy.gibbs@cancer.org, (916) 448-0500 or Christine Loomis, christine.loomis@cancer.org, (209) 524-7242
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More News

For the latest information on the Prop 86 campaign, please visit their website and read the October 2, 2006 newsletter. The newsletter details the recent endorsement of Mayor Villaraigosa, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, State Superintendent Jack O'Connell, the Latino Issues Forum, and many others.

The Department of Health Services recently released the California Student Tobacco Survey, indicating that smoking among middle school and high school students has risen over the past two years. While this trend is discouraging, Proposition 86 will help by preventing over 700,000 kids from starting to smoke!

For additional information, please visit:

Thank you for all of your efforts on behalf of children's health coverage. If you have any questions or would like additional information about supporting this crucial measure for the health of California's kids, please don't hesitate to contact Kelly Hardy at khardy@childrennow.org or 510-763-2444 x126.
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The 100% Campaign, a collaborative effort of Children Now, Children's Defense Fund and The Children's Partnership, was created to ensure that all of California's children obtain the health insurance they need to grow up strong and healthy.
www.100percentcampaign.org

The PICO California Project is the united effort of 20 California congregation-community organizations affiliated with the PICO National Network. Collectively, we represent 350 congregations and 400,000 families statewide and are actively organizing in over 70 cities in Northern and Southern California.
www.picocalifornia.org