Health Care Debate Heads to Town Halls

While Congress is on Recess, Washington has Quieted Down, but Community Meetings are Heating Up

(CBS)  The summer recess is no holiday for Mississippi Congressman Gene Taylor - conservative, or blue dog Democrat.

"We need to keep the promise that we already made," Taylor said.

He's opposed to his party's health care reform bill, yet still taking a beating at home.

"I want to know what price tag does Gene Taylor sell out for?" asked a man at a town hall meeting.

The town hall meeting that usually draws two dozen brought 200 or more this week, reports CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella. Some part of an organized grassroots campaign against the president's health care reform and his party in general.

"They're Marxists, they're socialists and you will not abandon that party," said another man.

In this part of Mississippi where logging and an electric blanket manufacturer are the big employers, the jobless rate is higher than the national average. Nearly one in four people in Wayne County is uninsured. Even so, many have serious concerns about a government solution.

"I don't see how they can put another government funded healthcare plan out there," said Lorie Mills, who works for a local hospital.

Even with insurance, Mills' last pregnancy cost $10,000 out of pocket. Still, she doesn't think the government can do better.

"We can't manage Medicaid and Medicare," Mills said. "I don't see us functioning with another government mandated program."

Congressman Taylor told a skeptical crowd over and over he didn't either.

"You count on me," Taylor said. "If I get an opportunity to get a better price on drugs, I'm going to do it. A better price on generics, I'm going to do it, you can count on me."

Taylor said the crowd at the town hall meeting is against the health care plan - and so is he.

"I don't think they'll change their opinion, I don't think I'll change my opinion," Taylor said.

If he does, he knows there will be even more to answer for on his next trip home.

[ladypirate2]

If you want proof that you can't believe a word that Obama tells you about this bill just go to Newsmax.com. Newsmax reported yesterday that the statement that Obama made Tuesday that said AARP had endorsed his health care legislation is not true!

At the town hall in Portsmouth, N.H., Obama said, "We have the AARP onboard because they know this is a good deal for our seniors." He added, "AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare."

But Tom Nelson, AARP's chief operating officer, said, "Indications that we have endorsed any of the major healthcare reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate."

Newsmax goes on to say that like Obama, AARP wants action this year to cover the uninsured and restrain healthcare costs, but the organization has refrained from endorsing legislation. Nelson said AARP would not endorse a bill that reduces Medicare benefits.

A spokesman said the Medicare cuts that have been proposed so far would not affect benefits.

PEOPLE OBAMA DIDN'T TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS! HE LIED! IT MAKES ME WONDER WHAT ELSE HE'S NOT TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT! HE'S PUSHING THIS BILL THROUGH TOO FAST! HE'S TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING FROM US! PLEASE DON'T TRUST HIM PEOPLE!

[remnr82]

Watching the coverage of these town meetings, I understood that people were upset, but I feel like I've already come to terms with the brokenness of the health care system - it's never been kind to me since I grew up and had to leave my parents' plan. It was a rude awakening to be scraping together a living and shelling out a large percentage of my earnings for temporary health care with a $1,000 deductable, paying the full amount for every doctor's appointment and lab test and prescription on top of it. It was a rude awakening to be sick for weeks because I couldn't afford the doctor and prescription I needed to get better. It was a rude awakening to get my first real job, and "good" coverage through my employer and still have to budget around a huge copay for appointments and no coverage for my $100 monthly prescription. If this is what this system is like now, I think, what will it be like when I'm 50? 60? What will it be like when I have a family and need more medical assistance? As an American in my mid-20's, I saw no representation of my generation in the crowds at the town meetings. We're already living in the world that our elders are afraid of.

[ladypirate2]

People please don't believe a word that Obama and the proponents of this bill are telling you! They are trying to push this thing through congress too fast! They are trying to hide something and are trying to pull one over on us!

[patronejohn]

People on both sides of the aisle have been complaining about healthcare (more like wealthcare) for a long time. Yet, when we finally have a chance of real reform gullible people stage these "protests" because the only information they know on it is from heresay and information put out by the powerful insurance and pharmaceutical lobby.
We regulate everything from television to airports to public schools but hands off regulating not healthcare... but the healthcare industry???!! No one is forcing anyone to take the "public option". I recently saw a clip on CSPAN where the top executives of the insurance industry refused to promise that they would never drop anyone from their plan if they became ill. Shocking! I wonder how these people are going to feel as soon as they have an illness to be dropped from their insurance without any recourse whatsoever?
I would suggest people do some research on this before making a spectacle of themselves. This seems to be more about Obama than healthcare. They don't like Obama personally and seems to be protesting under the guise of healthcare, when the real reason is racism and disagreement over the "liberal" agenda...whatever that is.
Aren't these the same people who called us "unpatriotic" and "unamerican" when anyone dared question Bush about WMD's and Iraq? That we should stand by our President without question and respect the office? Shame on the militant behavior of these folks. Yelling and screaming at their representaives and the President. You can still debate these issues without yelling and being disrespectful. This kind of behavior would get me fired in the real world.

[cdegolier]

Republicans want healthcare reform just not in the form of another wasteful government program.
Obamas town hall meeting.

That was likely never more apparent than at the President's healthcare town hall meeting Tuesday when he actually said:

I think private insurers should be able to compete. They do it all the time. I mean, if you think about, if you think about it, um, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. Right? The, uh, no they are. I mean, it's the post office that's always having problems.

[ed71356]

there must be a big mark up for hospitals & doctors for people with insurance. Because i hull Amish for a living a when i take them to the hospital to pay there bill it ALWAYS get cut into half if not 60% to 75% Answer that can you. why don't we all do that get rid of the insurance company it seems they are keeping cost high. Maybe the WORLD should know of the big discount on health care

[ladypirate2]

I heard today that the republicans have written their own version of a health care reform bill that is much more acceptable! It is HR 3300. It was written by Senator Tom Price. It is absolutely NOT TRUE that the republicans don't want health care reform! We do, but just not the curse that Obama and the democrats are trying to put on all of us!

[smoknmirrors]

"A lot of noise and a lot of heat without a lot of light? pretty well sums up this reported town hall meeting. It always funny to contemplate a millionaire Marxist! Or a parent who sends his children to private schools being a socialist! Is it possible an alien culture descended upon Earth and extracted these people's brains and left them with nothing for their mouths to connect to? Just because these people get loud doesn't get them right. Dinosaurs were loud but now we drive around on their innards.

Our Congressmen have an "Exchange Plan," in which they are allowed to choose insurance coverage that meets their needs, they cannot be turned down for pre-existing conditions, cannot have premiums raised arbitrarily, cannot be dismissed from coverage for filing a claim and cannot lose that coverage because they lose their job. The American taxpayer pays for that coverage. Not one Republican Congressman has rejected that coverage. Not one Republican Congressman has criticized that coverage. Not one Republican Congressman has found better coverage. Just for the record, not one Democrat Congressman has either.
If it is good enough for them, if it is good enough for us to pay for them, why isn't it good enough for us?

[911SRVIVR]

Medicare/Medicaid is a "handicapped" government programme. They have limited funding, lobbyists prevent legislation that allows their expansion and improvement, so it's no wonder that people are cynical. Unfortunately, since not many americans have the luxury of experiencing the health care systems in other developed countries, they can't imagine their systems to be better than ours. If any of those people from Mississippi are reading this, I hope they can get up the courage to go on Facebook or any poral and directly ask a Canadian or European how health care is like. wanting health care doesn't make you a marxist.

[ladypirate2]

Obama's Kenyan birth certificate is online now at http://patriotupdate.com/stories/read/608/Is_This_Really_Smoking_Gun_Of_Obamas_Kenyan_Birth_Att It has yet to be authenticated but there are pictures of it and you can see it and read it for yourself. If it is authentic it's going to turn this country and our government upside down! Then you liberals will know who the real liar is and who has been deceived! It's won't be us republicans!

[ladypirate2]

This is new! This is not the document that was circulated last week on the internet that was proven to be fraudulent. This document was only released yesterday by California Attorney Orly Taitz.

[rhs648]

Anyone in business knows that you can not cut prices and remain solvent unless you cut services or the value of the product you offer. This means that you make the container smaller and provide less in the container. If you don't believe this, look at what is being done with cereal and ice cream and candy bars. My wife keeps telling me that we are getting less and less for our money. If health care reform is going to be paid, in part, by cuts in medicare, it means thar services have to be reduced. How do we do that? By rationing and denying services that people now get. The postal service is removing mailboxes and closing post offices to save money. The lesson is you can't save money in health care unless you reduce services and curtail procedures to patients. The rest of us can expect the same. Further, tax increases will be necessary and will likely end up being paid by both the wealthy and the middle class. By going after the wealthy, we think we are free from increased taxes but that probably won't happen. A British legislator recently stated on the radio that the Brittish have simply accepted rationing and long waits as normal. Perhaps we will do the same.

[robinspp]

Who is eating our health insurance premium: The CEO?s of the private health insurance company. You have been deprived the privilege of treatment, but your money been eaten by few corporate CEO?s. The republicans wanted to protect them. Shame on them. Few company details I got. Once I get all I will share with you.

Ron Williams - Aetna

Total Compensation: $24,300,112

Details: Williams earned $24,300,112 in total compensation for 2008, with more than half of that ($13,537,365) coming from option awards. He also received an additional $6,456,630 in stock awards to go along with his base salary of $1,091,764.

Personal use of a corporate aircraft and vehicle, as well as financial planning and 401(k) company matches added up to $101,487 for Williams...



H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA

Total Compensation: $12,236,740

Details: Hanway took a significant pay cut from 2007 to 2008, due mainly to a drop off of more than $11 million in his non-equity incentive plan compensation. Still, his base salary of $1,142,885 surpasses that of Aetna's Williams, and is supplemented by just over $3.6 million in option awards, and just over $820,000 in non-qualified deferred compensation earnings.

Also, nearly $21,800 in "other compensation" included the use of a company car with a driver, in-office meals, and emergency assistance services relating to medical exams...



Angela Braly - WellPoint

Total Compensation: $9,844,212

Details: Braly, like Williams, earned more money in 2008 ($9,844,212) than in 2007 (9,094,271), increasing her option rewards by nearly $1.5 million, and also receiving a $200,000-plus bump in base salary, from $922,269 to $1,135,538. Braly's stock awards dropped from $2,160,159 to $1,750,015 because, according to the SEC, "performance-based restricted stock units awarded in 2008 were cancelled because our ROE target for 2008 was not met."

Braly's "other compensation" comprised use of a private jet for her and her family on business trips, just under $10,000 for legal services relating to her employment agreement and cash credits....

[mars7578]

This is just what the doctor ordered.The rowdy conduct of the republicans only shows that they don't want the american people to hear the facts,just noise.This will push those on the edge to reevaluate their position.This also will make people start looking at the facts instead of junk talk.THE KIDS ARE HAVING ANOTHER TANDRUM.

[kastner63]

Like Central and South American oligarchs, so Republicans and "blue dog" Democrats refuse to help the people. Under Bush, it was exactly those people who sold out deomcracy and now they continue, as if nothing happened. The yardstick of any democracy is the quality of factual information available and the willingness to help those who cannot help themselves. On both counts, the United States is a banana republic but not a Western civilized democracy. The press refuses to vigorously counter the smears, lies, and general misinformation propagated by Republicans and blue dogs, and thus they fail in the task they are set by a living democracy. - I do not understand why Democrats with the media failing and political culture nom-existent do not go to court, and that way shoot down the lies.

[stillwaters6]

hmmm...is it not ironic that the sickest people who could possibly benefit from health care reform cannot have their voices heard at a town hall meeting because they have a pre-exisitng condition. THEY ARE SICKO.

Isn't it ironic that those who are boisterous at town hall meetings already have medical coverage?

Isn't it ironic that an unborn child can be denied coverage for a heart condition, but am aging overweight diabetic with a heart condition soaks up enough health care and hospital supplies to supply health care to a family of four for over three years?

[ladypirate2]

by notsouthern August 10, 2009 10:23 AM EDT
The supporter of her taxes going to support the USA's Death Squads has spoken, direct from her southern white confederate states hideout in Dixie.



Since when is Dixie 5000 miles to the north in Alaska?

[ladypirate2]

by chitown639 August 10, 2009 12:28 PM EDT
No one is opposed to Republicans expressing their concerns at townhall meetings...thats what townhall meetings are for...for Americans to gather and DISCUSS the issues of the day with their congressional representatives. But when the local buffoons are bused in to disrupt the townhall meetings into shouting matches and intimidation sessions, then the American people lose the rare opportunity that townhall meetings afford to discuss concerns with members of Congress.......



No one is being bused in! Besides, if they are "local" why would they need to be bused in?

The people are simply exercising their freedom of speech rights that are given to them in the US Constitution. You do remember the document that was written over 200 years ago that gives us the right speak freely?

The people at these meetings simply disagree with you and you don't like what they are saying so you are claiming that they are disrupting the meetings. If they just meekly acted like sheep and let you democrats ram this so called "health care reform" bill down their throats you would like that fine! They are not, though! They are standing up and fighting something that they know is wrong and you don't like that!

And another thing, from what I've seen you democrats and the proponents of this bill have been screaming just as loudly and causing just as much disruption at these townhall meetings as the opponents of it! Everyone on both sides of this legislation have been acting worse than a bunch of six year olds on a playground! I'm including you democrats and proponents of this bill, too!

[Mortarman29]

I just heard a GREAT suggestion! Since the libs think that these people at the town hall meetings were bussed in by the drug compaines, GOP, etc...then I say that the Dems come back and hold investigations, where they subpoena those people at the town hall meetings. Bring them in and question them on why they were there and who put them up to it.

As the White Hosue stated, they could do this and hit back hard against their opponents. So Dems, get those investigations going!!!

[Mortarman29]

Here is a question (pick the best one):

1. Healthcare is an individual responsibility

2. Healthcare should be under government control

[chitown639]

Dumb question.....Public health is both government and individual responsibility.

[Mortarman29]

Please show me the enumerated power listed i nthe US Constitution that gives the Federal government a role in healthcare.

[zonkzilla]

From Blue Cross of Texas:
"What should you know before going to the E.R.? The national average E.R. visit costs $383, while the national average doctor?s office visit is approximately $60. Unnecessary E.R. visits can delay care for those with true emergencies, and cost billions of dollars."

We would save hundreds of billions nationwide with a universal health care system and free up hospitals for the really sick and injured.
In Europe people are still free to purchase private health care insurance if they wish the only difference is it is cheaper there because of competition from the government plans.
Look it up.

[Mortarman29]

Wow...you give a guy a little Google action, and they run right off the map with it.