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ACORN drops off dirty laundry at Boehner’s office

Samantha Grier/ACORN Director of Ohio Amy Teitelman of Cincinnati hangs t-shirts from a clothesline that includes stories written by constituents detailing their troubles receive health insurance and paying their medical bills. Members and volunteers for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and Health Care for America Now (HCAN) arrive at Rep. Boehner's office in West Chester Twp. on Wednesday, May 27 to protest his voting record on health care reform

Photos: Protests at Boehner's office

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 6:12 PM Wednesday, May 27, 2009

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Activists delivered a stack of dirty laundry to U.S. Rep. John Boehner’s West Chester Twp. office Wednesday, May 27, to protest his stance on health care reform.

The 14 T-shirts had messages written on them, many from a nearby low-income neighborhood.

“I have breast cancer — a pre-existing condition. I can’t get health coverage. Please Mr. Boehner, support health care for Americans now,” read one T-shirt signed by “Cassandra.”

“I lost my insurance because I couldn’t get enough hours at work,” another read.

The demonstration was part of a nationwide effort organized by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and Health Care for America Now. They targeted Boehner, U.S. House Republican leader, because of his record of opposing expansion of publicly funded healthcare.

“These health insurance companies have a lot of dirty laundry to air,” said Ohio ACORN Director Amy Teitelman. “We want Rep. Boehner to be on the side of the people who made these T-shirts, not on the side of health insurance companies.”

“(Boehner) has voted consistently against expanding healthcare, and we’re trying to get him to see it’s hurting his constituency,” said ACORN organizer Debra Hentnik.

Boehner wasn’t in his office, but a staffer there politely took the shirts and asked the group of volunteers and organizers — all of whom were from Cincinnati — to fill out constituent comment forms.

When contacted in Washington D.C. for comment, Boehner Spokeswoman Jessica Towhey said Boehner “strongly believes in providing every American access to affordable, quality health care.”

What he opposes, she said, is “rationing care, eliminating employer-sponsored benefits for working families, raising taxes or putting the government in the middle of decisions that should be made by doctors and patients.”

Boehner and other Republican leaders are working on a counter-proposal to what are expected to be far-reaching Democrat-led reforms unveiled when federal lawmakers go back to work after this week’s recess.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.

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