Does Every Woman Count?

Breasts. Mammary glands. Our first and most perfect source of nutrition and bonding. Great source of sensory and sexual stimulation. Art. Perfection. Imperfection and impermanence.

I travelled to Sacramento on Monday to attend the budget hearings on the Every Woman Counts Program, which has curtailed all new breast services enrollments since January first, on my day off. It was an opportunity to have lunch with my dear activist friend Darien as well as to take part in the Press Conference put on by the Women's Legislative Caucus and help carry out goodies for the Komen bake sale.

At the podium is Pedro Nava who sponsored successful legislation to help hold down the cost of mammograms last year and this year has co-sponsored legislation with Noreen Evans to restore the funding for breast screening and diagnostic services to low income Californian women. One thing was clear is that breast cancer cuts a very broad swath through many people's lives. Another thing was clear and that was the funding to provide the needed services were swamped by the numbers of eligible women in this bad economy and the safety net is falling apart, one inadequately funded program at a time.
If women, men and children really counted the governator wouldn't veto the Single Payer bill that is heading to his desk.

Sacramento is a nice city in the winter and I didn't mind the visit although I did go into the domed church you see here to meditate when at a loss with what to do with my upset energy about what is happening to the safety net. Driving home through the valley, with it's huge flocks of wintering birds, still mostly unpruned fruit trees, and beautiful clouds, I was just glad to be away from the structures and identity of the city.