Here’s to Mob Rule
Sadly, the Connecticut Republican Party doesn’t have the money to buy seven chicken suits. Actually, five suits would do since we wish U.S. Rep. John Larson, CT-1, and U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd full recoveries from their medical procedures.
The rest of the able bodied Democratic members of our Congressional delegation are hiding from a real debate on the 1,016-page health care bill – HB 3200. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, CT-5, held a meeting at the Meriden Public Library which appeared to be a scrubbed event featuring people who have been given the shaft in life.
There were no other people questioning how a $1 trillion program will somehow make insurance more affordable and accessible. Amazing, no on in Silver City disagrees with would be the largest tranfer of wealth in this country’s history.
Murphy gave his usual non-sequiters about the need to move forward.
“I really feel we can get a system of health care in this country that covers everybody and costs less than what we have now,” Murphy said.
George Moore, the Record Journal reporter dutifully noted
“While the bill would seek to fix a “broken” health care system, Murphy said, it is not about dismantling the private insurance market. The bill would provide tax credits for people to buy insurance on the private market.”
Murphy said: “I haven’t given up on private insurance companies,” adding that incentives and the rules have to be set in the right way.
What Murphy didn’t say was he opposed allowing citizens to apply for the same health care program that he enjoys. Nor does Murphy explain how a public plan, which can provide itself with endless subsidies through taxes, would not eventuall drive out private insurance. Nope, because with Chris Murphy math you can spend another $1 trillion in taxes and everything becomes cheaper.
And there is other math to deal with that Murphy and others have no answer for – like where are the doctors going to come from when we add another 40 million to the health care load, along with illegal immigrants? Under this plan, benefits will be pegged at 70 percent of current standards and will be regulated by a 26-member Health Benefits Advisory Council with only one member being required to be a health care professional. Imagine that?
Murphy plans to be out, meeting the people today at the Stop N Shop in Simsbury from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. It’s a good opportunity to share your thoughts with him.
U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney, CT-2, and Jim Himes, CT-4, are holding public meetings Thursday. It will be interesting to see if these are hand-picked audiences or the general public will have a chance to ask serious questions about the plan.
Efforts by the Democrats, including the White House, to paint all who object to HB 3200 and other plans as “mobs” or dupes of insurance companies and right-wing organizations is beyond silly. It shows how scared they are of the people, and how they are willing to show up on a hot night to make things uncomfortable for the political class.
One’s perrson’s mob is another person’s concerned citizen’s group. People should be vocal, direct, but polite and respectful. Most of the yourtube tapes show that. If Members of Congress get upset because people are shouting at them, maybe they should listen.
Himes, to his credit, is having a series of meetings throughout his district.
Courtney is holding his at Woodstock Academy in Colchester at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro,CT-3, probably the biggest fan of nattionalized health care, is no where to be found. She held a “tele-town hall” meeting recently, which allows her to screen callers and keep her distancec.
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-CT, has indicated he doesn’t support a public option, but hasn’t ruled it out completely. He is a critical player in the debate when the bill moves to the U.S. Senate.
Sen Dodd, who will undergo surgery to remove a cancerous prostate at Sloan Memorial Kettering hospital in New York City, will be back in the middle of the debate in September.
Larson, who underwent heart surgery in Hartford, has an undisclosed recovery period following his elective surgery.
It is fair to revisit how Larson and Doddwould have fared under the system they both vehimately support. They would continue to enjoy their health care at government expense, but if they had to swim with rest of us with the new administrative boards and layers of bureacracy that one sees in Canada and Great Britiain, both Larson and Dodd’s families would be clamoring for more immediate care.
Himes’ meeting is Thursday, August 6th at 5:30 p.m. at the Stamford Senior Center, 888 Washington Blvd. Second Floor.
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DeLauro did have at least one public meeting on health care, in Branford about a week and a half ago. It was kept pretty quiet, though. By my estimate, those of us in the audience opposing the further socialization of health care were outnumbered about 10-1, but we still spoke up. We were perfectly polite and willing discuss the costs and different aspects of the bill, but DeLauro avoided all debate. She was only interested in talking to people in the audience that basically already supported the plan but just needed a little reassurance. Pressuring Lieberman to get on board was also discussed. I don’t know why Lieberman would vote against it. He seems to support every other piece of unconstitutional legislation that he can find.
I believe you people have made a fatal error…Here is why. You are implying a freedom of speech argument ,But at the same time forcibly denying those same protected rights of others . What public hearing or senate debate or any other kind of public respectful discussion is possible with these tactics…? My friends ,I believe you have really stepped in it this time …I see this working out against you (Thank God)…I was a Conservative for twenty years .Now i will fight for the rest of my life agaist Neo-con Evil..
Jim, I’ve attended a number of town hall meetings held by Larson and Dodd dealing with this and other issues of interest to CT voters over the last four years. Almost invariably, my legislators have courteously listened to questions being posed by voters who have been selected pretty randomly from the audience. If you didn’t hear many questions supporting your wrong-headed assessment of the current health care system, I would suggest it is because most of the voters in CT don’t agree with your view. Taking questions at random from the audience will simply not offer only the opponents of the health care proposals the chance to speak. Isn’t that what really eats at your guts? Only you and your colleagues feel you have the right to speak. Trying to take over these meetings and to deny your fellow citizens the chance to speak their voices simply exemplifies the authoritarian character streak which seems to dominate the modern conservative mind.
Linksmann,
I’ve read about what seems to be happening at other meetings, but I can assure you that at the DeLauro meeting in Branford there was no yelling or shouting. Everyone was courteous and given a chance to speak. Everyone waited their turn to be called on. DeLauro did take questions at random from the audience; I did not suggest otherwise. I am sure most people in Connecticut would prefer government run health care and that is why there were more of them in the audience. All I said was that she just ignored questions that she didn’t want to answer.
And I’m not a conservative. I wasn’t a conservative even when I was a Republican. There is still a libertarian wing of the party, ostrasized, though it may be.
If anyone would like to get involved and help out the Branford Republican Town Committee please visit us at http://www.BranfordRTC.com for more information.