Bernie Sanders to Speak at Seattle’s Westlake Park – And There’s Music Too
How’s this for a guest speaker? Feeling The Bern yet? By now you must have seen the hashtag #FeelTheBern or the countless memes and T-Shirts support Bernie Sanders. Organizers of an anniversary celebration rally for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid planned for Saturday, Aug. 8 in downtown Seattle announced today that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has accepted an invitation to attend and speak at the event. Bernie will give the keynote address for “Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid: Celebrating Decades of Success,” an event being held in downtown Seattle. It’s gonna be a madhouse down there, can’t wait! Also, after this event there will be a “Bands For Bernie” event at The Crocodile, info HERE. Then a fundraiser at The Comet Tavern on Capitol Hill followed by a huge rally at Hec Ed that is expected to be at capacity which is around 10,000(counting the floor). You’ll need to officially RSVP HERE for that one.
Medicaid and Medicare turn 50 years old this year and Social Security turns 80 as well. To celebrate their birthdays, the Social Security Works Coalitions has organized a big rally in downtown Seattle, complete with all sorts of speakers and music. Sanders, who won’t be campaigning at least for the two hours he’s addressing the crowd, will speak along with Representative Adam Smith and city council member Kshama Sawant. Musicians Geo Quibuyen of Blue Scholars, Daniel Pak of Kore Ionz, and Seattle legend Jim Page will perform throughout the rally.
According to the event page: Social Security and Medicare are crucial tenets of retirement security. These two programs are the most successful anti-poverty programs in the history of the US, but face corporate attack. Join us as we celebrate Social Security and Medicare while calling on our elected officials to protect and expand these program by scrapping the cap on taxable income, adopting the caregiver credit, and using the CPI-E to calculate benefits.
The speakers and entertainment include:
Speakers
Sen. Bernie Sanders, US Senate
Rep. Adam Smith, US House of Representatives
Sen. Pramila Jayapal, Washington Legislature
Hon. Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Council Member
Lynne Dodson – Secretary Treasurer, Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO
Heather Villanueva – Senior Community Strength Organizer, SEIU 775, Board member, Ingersoll Gender Center
Rebecca Saldana – Executive Director, Puget Sound Sage
Gerald Hankerson – President of Alaska, Oregon, Washington State Area Conference NAACP
Marcelas Owens – Youth leader, Washington CAN!
Hugh Foy, MD. Physicians for a National Health Plan Western Washington, Professor of Surgery, UW School of Medicine, Director of the Surgical Specialties Clinic, Harborview
Jackie Boschak – President of Washington Alliance for Retired Americans President
Entertainment
Jim Page, musician and activist
Daniel Pak
Kore Ionz, Totem Star
Geo Quibuyen
Blue Scholars, Food & Sh*t
And if you can’t get enough of Bernie Sanders he is also scheduled for a rally from 6-8 – more details about that event HERE
