POLI: I Went To A Town Hall Meeting In Texas

[pressimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/59f465e0c884.jpg[/pressimg] In the news we've seen videos of shouting, angry people at town hall meetings. The media has laid out a picture of almost all town hall meetings being in this fashion. To find out the truth I went to a local meeting myself on August 22nd, hosted by Congressman Pete Olson. He resides over Texas' 22nd Congressional District. This district contains the cities of Rosenberg and La Marque as well as portions of Missouri City and Pearland.

August 24, 2009
Virginia Nicholson

The meeting took place at a local school, in which I attended in my youth, Sartartia Middle School of Fort Bend County in south west Houston. It was held in the largest area of the school the lunch room, positively packed with people. Interesting fact: Fort Bend County’s demographic area happens to be the most varied in the entire United States.

I found it interesting I was one of only a handful of younger people in the audience. Almost the entire group of people who came to attend was older and grayer of hair.

I came for the atmosphere and general feeling of the attendees, the found the entire meeting was a wonderful experience. Everyone was courteous and respectful, at one point Mr. Olson even said, "You can shout at me. I don't mind!"

When the presentation began, Mr. Olson introduced himself with an opening on being respectful to everyone in the audience and hopefully not being mad enough to shout curses. The entire attending crowd clapped in agreement to being civil, courteous and polite.

After the introduction Mr. Olson started to describe his stance on the hottest topic of the day. He says on his website, “The health care delivery system in the United States is in need of reform… I believe the “solution” the Congressional Majority has proposed would be disastrous for Americans and further cripple our economy. It includes an unprecedented expansion of government involvement in health care, including the creation of a government run public option that could result in more than 114 million Americans losing their current health care coverage. The public option allows the government to act as regulator and funder for the public option. This will allow them to set rates for reimbursements and bail out the public option if it fails to compete with its private sector counterparts.” The crowd reacted positively and clapped in agreement with the Congressman’s stance on Healthcare reform.

Mid-speech the Congressman showed this chart:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/eaad10f4b4e3.jpg[/atsimg]
Booing followed the showing of the chart and Mr. Olson’s agreement with the attendees. Although there was booing, it was neither aggressive nor insulting, just an agreement that the chart is a completely horrible place to start for national health care.

Check out a larger picture of the graph here

The Congressman finished his presentation with an excerpt from the Bill of Rights, “The 10th Amendment is: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Following the roar of agreement that health care is not for the Federal Government, the Congressman stated that now is not the time for health care reform.

I left feeling rather good about my representative in the House. I agreed with his position on almost all his bullet points and so did the crowd. The entire experience was awesome and I will definitely be going to further town hall meetings in my area to pose questions and show my Texas Pride and Respect.

Pete Olson's standing on the major issues of the day can be found at his website: Congressman Pete Olson's Website

[edit on 2-9-2009 by SkepticOverlord]

Interesting, but I wonder what it would have been like if the congressman weren't on the side of the people, as is the case in the other town hall meetings.

That chart looks more like a circuit board than a healthcare plan

But the chart is telling a lie. It shows the money leaving the IRS. That is not really true, when it leaves the IRS it goes straight to the federal reserve to pay the interest on the debt.



[edit on 8/24/2009 by badmedia]

Originally posted by Tentickles
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/eaad10f4b4e3.jpg[/atsimg]

You need a Phd in cartography or quantum mapping to make heads or tails of this mess. What a joke.

If they really wanted free health care...
You enter the hospital or doctors office
Get examined, receive whatever treatment and medicine
Pay nothing, fill out no forms
Walk or wheel out once done

That is free health care, not the jumble of arrows and boxes at the top

reply to post by warrenb


It is a horrible graph isnt it?

Makes me want to slap the people who came up with it.

That chart is ridiculous. Can anyone really explain to me why, the Defense Department, the President, and Congress needs to be on it--or involved with health care at all? It's funny to me how the "Consumers" are separated from the "Health Care Providers" by an enormous abyss of bureaucracy.

The Office of Civil Rights?! I didn't even know there was such a thing! Ombuds-man? Is that going to the new Healthcare system's mascot/superhero type character? Can we get an office of Majority Health, to counter the office of Minority Health? Probably not, huh. Oh well.

I'm glad that this town hall didn't get as raucous as the others I've heard about. Though I do believe that it was good for some of those Congressmen to be put in their place. I'm happy to see a Congressman actually representing his constituents with some understanding that he is there to serve them and not push an agenda.

in the top left you see two bubbles, "National health services corps", and "Public health workforce corps", and it looks like their only connection to each other and anything else is the "Community health and care centers".

I would call those into question, because it seems like they are trying to mesh "public health" concern into the equation, and that would be a high candidate for "mandates" such as you HAVE to get this shot, run this test, and so on.

what is even STRANGER, is that the only other thing connected to "Community health and care centers" is the big red "Public Health Investment Fund."

So, we have a big blank checkbook going into community health care centers and two new branches of additional oversight for said health centers.

the thing is, one would think that community health centers would be in the MIDDLE of the dang graph, because thats where most people (who already have insurance) go for their primary care.

I still get a chuckle out of looking at that chart.

The first time i saw it i think Warrenb posted it and I really thought it was a joke of his at first. Sad that everything needs to be so complicated.

As far as your town hall meeting, I'm glad it wasn't as bad as some that have had the media there throwing their spin on things.

Cool post nonetheless

reply to post by drsmooth23


I dont even try to understand this graph. I just look at it and go...

No.

You know what is ironic about that chart? That is the type of chart they show in med schools when training doctors on how to handle patients.


A patient comes in with this, you do this, tell them to come back. if they come back, you order these tests, and tell them to come back. Sometimes they die, get better, or your presribe this.....


HHHHMMMMMM

and guess what, this "chart" resides at one of the top medical schools in teh US.

Where doctors will tell you with the current state of things, they don't want their children going into medicine.

[edit on 24-8-2009 by nixie_nox]

Tentikles, are you sure that wasn't an AARP meeting you walked into.

reply to post by Tentickles


That chart sure looked like something else I have seen before.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/95446f0ffe11.jpg[/atsimg]

Anyone remember Rube Goldberg?

Why is it that the system has to be so inefficient?

I understand checks and balances completely but this is getting a bit redundant if you ask me.

All these Town Hall meetings are doing is distracting the public from the bigger picture.

I have noticed the continual complications that are thrown into these "Town Hall" meetings in that the politician's seem to never know what they are there to speak about, I cannot speak for this Texas one of course.

Does the public not realize that the polician's are not the ones writing these bills?

The medical industry is who writes them, paying lobbyists to buy the politician through legal bribery, and the politician then votes for the laws that butter their bread.

Lobbying

Lobbying is the practice of influencing decisions made by government (in groups or individually).

It includes all attempts to influence legislators and officials, whether by other legislators, constituents, or organized groups.

A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a member of a lobby.

Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying

[edit on 24-8-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Tentikles, are you sure that wasn't an AARP meeting you walked into.

It cant have been! AARP promotes the chart and what it represents. Was probably an ex-AARP member meeting.

S and F -

I have to say, I think they purposely made the chart to look complicated - though it probably is not really that way.

I am on the opposite. I find it amazing people are so against health care for the American public. I feel everyone should have health care as a right, not a privilage - which is the way it is right now.

reply to post by Tentickles

Makes me want to slap the people who came up with it.

Well then, you should go find Congressman Kevin Brady's staff member who made it!!!

Lower left corner:

Provided by Joint Economic Committee
Republican Staff
Congressman Kevin Brady


The "chart" is a joke, BECAUSE it is BS! Pure and simple. Moree partisan pollution.....

reply to post by Tentickles


Are you SURE that AARP 'supports' that chart?

I went to their site, and bring this:

Get the Facts

The debate on health reform is dominating the news these days—as it should. We understand why this issue can create such strong feelings, since every person will be affected by the policy choices that are made.

But much of the debate is being driven by special interests that are deliberately kicking up clouds of dust to obscure the facts. So many people are expressing confusion, skepticism, and even fear about what the Obama administration and members of Congress are proposing.

AARP doesn't want misinformation and fear-mongering to dominate this debate. From allegations about rationing care to wild reports of government-sponsored euthanasia, the rumors just keep getting crazier.

Link

Seems like a very rational, reasoned approach to me......

Originally posted by questioningall
S and F -

I have to say, I think they purposely made the chart to look complicated - though it probably is not really that way.

I am on the opposite. I find it amazing people are so against health care for the American public. I feel everyone should have health care as a right, not a privilage - which is the way it is right now.

I'm against Government Run health care, not the health care itself. Lord knows I am so happy I have insurance because my bills would be huge.

Our system does need an overhaul, just not by the government!

Originally posted by Tentickles
reply to post by warrenb

 

It is a horrible graph isnt it?

Makes me want to slap the people who came up with it.

Ah,,, you can't slap the health insurance lobby per say.
But if you find one I will kick him in the nuts for you...

Originally posted by Tentickles

Originally posted by questioningall
S and F -

I have to say, I think they purposely made the chart to look complicated - though it probably is not really that way.

I am on the opposite. I find it amazing people are so against health care for the American public. I feel everyone should have health care as a right, not a privilage - which is the way it is right now.

I'm against Government Run health care, not the health care itself. Lord knows I am so happy I have insurance because my bills would be huge.

Our system does need an overhaul, just not by the government!

So you really believe the industry will do anything to harm their current $ profit model?

Sounds akin to letting a murderer reform on his own terms.

reply to post by mental modulator


You took my words and twisted them wrongly.

reply to post by questioningall


I agree I don't think they want us to understand it, they want it to look

complicated so people don't know what its about.