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Miller’s Tuesday health town hall oversubscribed
August 24th, 2009, 5:14 pm · 25 Comments · posted by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
After hearing from hundreds of his constituents, Rep. Gary Miller scheduled a town hall meeting on health reform for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the East Room of the Nixon library.
But the session is already oversubscribed. Miller press secretary Jessica Baker told me that they had upwards of 500 calls from people who said they wanted to hear directly from the Yorba Linda Republican that he doesn’t support the health care plan being pushed by President Barack Obama and the Democrats.
Miller made it clear from day one that he didn’t want the government to get more involved in health care and that he agreed with the GOP’s position on this issue.
Baker said the East Room filled up quickly with reservations and they even set up an overflow room that sits 200 and that’s also filled with people who heard about the session from friends and called the congressman’s office to ask to attend.
It will be interesting to see if this session gets as raucous as many of them around the country have been. Check out the column I did a couple of weeks ago on the town hall protesters and this week’s piece giving my prediction that whatever passes won’t have a public option.
Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, is the only other member of the Orange County delegation to hold a live town hall meeting. Health reporter Courtney Perkes covered that session Saturday when hundreds turned out.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, did a teleconference session.
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
JOEL WALSH, Washington bureau intern, 202-628-6381 or jwalsh@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
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Republicans are going to be falling all over themselves to get votes on this thing. Healthcare is even better than bashing illegals to energize their anti-government base. If the GOP doesn’t like a public option to cover people insurance companies don’t want then what is the Republican option? They don’t want the status quo and they don’t want a publc option so what do they want? Royce, Calvert, Miller? Hello? If anyone of them has a position and I’m sure they do, introduce a bill otherwise, shut up.
You mean like this one that’s been languishing in the Democratically controlled Ways and Means Committee and stalled by the Speaker since late May of ‘09:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2520
Hey, regularguy7- maybe you,re living out there on that weird planet with barney frank but republicans arn’t bashing anyone. Hey, hello yourself, the republicans don’t have the votes to pass anything and we have brought some great proposals to the table but your “smart” president ill not listen. Even the intelligent democrats realize the president’s plan won’t work. It seems he is just interested in control and power and giving our tax dollars to the wind.
ramjet baby,
“republicans arn’t bashing anyone”
Well then I guess Rush Limbaugh is preaching to empty pews in his church of destory by hate.
He and Palin…. together they have trashed ideas of the health plan that even REPUBLICANS have offered…
They are not reasonable people anymore. It used to be a few John Birchers, but they were never in the majority. Now the maniic panic has spread. Fortunately those in power, even Republicans can see that it’s just a tactic to get reelected, nothing more.
these Flighty Righties are loonies looking for a bin.
the truth is scary for you, isn’t it grandma?
We surround you.
Your fool man child in the White House, you know, the one who can’t form a simple thought into a sentence without a teleprompter will be the end of the Democratic party…the party of the KKK (oh, do they always forget to tell you Dems that, don’t they” the party of eugenics (oh, gosh, they always forget to mention that Margaret Sanger was a racist eugenics proponent), the party of “poverty”…poverty of the mind.
Liberals have been fooled into thinking that you are so progressive….such gullable tools, and that is what the leadership counts on. They make millions off you and your mental poverty.
grandma102,
I’m pretty sure that ramjet was talking about legislators, not about far-right, radio talk show hosts or a whacky former Governor. Do you want the Democratic legislators to be compared to the pro-socialist moveon creeps, former single payer supporter, and far nuttier than Palin, Howard Dean; and the dual know-nothing dipsticks - angry, illogical Maddow, and sports reporter, Olbermann?
If you’re going to argue the issue, it might be wiser to discuss the opinions of those that will be voting on any potential bill, i.e., current Repiblican legislators, rather than getting on a typical liberal rant.
As I said above, and ramjet also indicated, the Republicans HAVE introduced legislation (they will likely introduce yet another Bill when the House reconvenes), but per house rules they can’t even get a Bill to the floor without the Speaker’s okay. An occurrence which is unlikely at best. Talk about being unreasonable ! And, if anyone is a loonie looking for a bin, Pelosi is the poster child.
**Republicans aren’t bashing anyone? What about death panels? Paid healthcare for illegals? Obama is Hitler? Obama is a Nazi? Obama is a Socialist.? Democrats want to take over your doctors and your bodies. Let’s tell the soldiers to kill themselves (death books). Republican leadership (there’s an oxymoron for you) has done nothing to further the debate, They only lie about it. Remember that when your premiums go keep skyrocketing. Republicans have given the healthcare industry everything they want.
Ramjet? great name. Maybe you are living out there on that weird planet with Larry Craig but the Republicans ran the governmment lock stock and barrel for almost eight years. All they have done is put us in a situation that’s costing us plenty to get out of. These “intelligent” democrats you are referring to - are these the blue dogs that are getting health insurance industry cash? You need to do some catching up - the communist boogie man thing went out with the Berlin Wall.
Regularguy7: Just an FYI for your uninformed mind: The Republicans submitted 31 Amendments to the House Bill 3200 in committee, and the Democrats rejected all 31 of them without any discussion. I suggest you either get informed, or else follow your own suggestion!
The Republicans have been pushing tort reform for years. This would solve most of the cost related problems with health care, but Democrats are in the pocket of the attorneys lobby. There will be no improvement in our health care in America as long as the Democrats bow down to their union and attorney bosses.
mnedrow: I do not believe this is the case.
First, tort reform in states that have it in some sort or the other (including CA and TX) has done almost NOTHING to bring down insurance costs for the same reason complaining about insurance hasn’t forced a change for its consumers.
Second, I am not a real fan of tort reform. I believe people really SHOULD have the right to sue for malpractice which is something that occurs far too often. It actually happened to me, in fact, but I did not litigate. I chose to deal with it myself and it took ALL of my savings to undo what had been done incorrectly, then done right; two surgies to repair one doctor’s mistake.
Looking back, I probably should have sued, but really didn’t have the will or time to do so.
When a physician brings up tort reform instead of how to make health care (not insurance) more available for all, I tend to see a physician that really has only his/her interests in mind. While I do not for a minute believe this is the case with most physicians and surgeons, etc., I DO think it is the case for some.
Best to you.
Don’t be so hard on the republics regularguy7, they do have a plan. Keep things going the way they are or de-regulate the industry so maximum profits can be realized by the insurance industry and big pharma. The average US citizen really doesn’t matter to the republic party because you don’t contribute a couple of million bucks to their campaign. Remember that the military-industrial complex, banking, energy, big pharma and insurance industries are way more important than you, thats all we need to know.
No sure we need to provide “insurance” for those not insured. We already provide health care.
Why do we need both?
When King Henry taxed his people to the max by his spending, he could tax no more - but he noticed, the people still gave to the church their tithing so he created the COE (Church of England) and forced their tithing to go to him.
It is why our first Amendment says the government will create no church/religion .
This debate is not about health care even obama says over 17 million will remain without insurance - it is about the government creating a new taxing authority to take from the people.
no
Talks to somebody in Canada.
Or Germany
They cannot understand the American mentality on this.
I guess because the mentality is lacking altogether. People like you label everything as socialist and worse.
And don’t pull out those phony stories that are circulating about how they have to wait in line. At least don’t tell them (in Canada or Germany) They don’t know they have lines. They just have a system that works…with state of the art medicine.
Read about it.
Grandma102, please step away from the keyboard. Don’t surf the net angry.
California already provides “free” health care it is doing a poor job on but, seeing your id and understand your educated years, I’ll assume you have read the Constitution.
Why duplicate at the fed level what is at the state? I go to my doctor, get my prescriptions and never cross the state line. It is a state and local issue.
In fact, by the Constitution, the only federal involvement would be between the states and access across state lines.
Gramdama102, when have you ever spoken with someone from Canada?? I was born and raised there, our healthcare is lacking compared to the care in the US. The head of our the Canada Health Assoc just came out to announce the system is imploding, those were her words. She announce they aren’t giving quality care to there people and that they need to work on how to fix a program that is out of money and unable to care for the most basic of needs. Since you seem to be a know it all look it up and actually speak to someone from those country before you claim be the be-all-know-all on healthcare.
You need to read about it. The only thing I see wrong with this country is how uneducated its citizens are, watching five mins of news everyday seem to make you the expert.
Actually, we do NOT provide health care for those uninsured. I know. I am a cancer survivor and uninsured and uninsurable. The only time I can get care is if I am bleeding or broken. That is not health care, that is emergency care.
As far as help with my actual health, I have NO health care and no place to go, either.
So no, we do NOT provide health care.
Because of this (and because of some who have hit their medical lifetime or illness cap or are otherwise underinsured), 1400 people a day die. That is no small number.
50 families a day declare medical bankruptcy, and many of them also end up homeless having exhausted EVERY dime to their names. That is also not health care.
I think the best question that has been asked in relation to insurance companies is WHAT VALUE DO they bring to the table?
With profits of 25-50%, it seems to me that a 2.5-3% gov administration overhead is far more appropriate.
Without the public option, there will be NO reason for the insurance companies to regulate costs downward and policy quality upward because there will be no competition. You can imagine what my costs would be–costs I absolutely could not pay.
best to you.
How about a private option for schools for competition?
What is the value insurance co’s bring to the table - well I have a bill here in my hand. They paid $96.00 and I have to pay $18.00 so in this case about 4 times more then I did.
Why doesn’t Do Nothing Dana hold a Town Hall Meeting in Huntington Beach. What is he afraid of and why? It was my understanding that he was a duly elected Congressman for 22 years and refuses to do anything.
Why are you hiding Do Nothing Dana?
Do nothing Dana.
God, help us… nobody looks in his closet… he’s a piece of work. There’s a guy who just soaks up your money, folks. It’s the good life with lifetime benefits for him only. So why should he really care?
He’d rather be flying under the radar on his perpetual vacation..
I read this morning that by 2019, at the rate we’re going, the National debt will be about 22 thousand billion dollars (22 Trillion)
Right now our National debt costs about 450 thousand million dollars a year (450 Billion) in interest. Next year it’s expected to cost around 500 thousand million dollars and this doesn’t even touch the principle. This is the interest payment.
People in California, especially in California, have a hard time understanding when we can’t afford something. This would be a good place to take an honest look at a proposal and learn to say “It would be nice, but we can’t afford it right now.” but… good luck with that.
I love how all these people are telling others to live within there means but Obama is spending money like water, oh that right it not his money.
Since when did healthcare become a “right?”
The next thing you know, cell phones and free cable TV will be a “right” as well.
I would consider it covered under general welfare and life… both things covered in our founding documents.
You may not agree, but that is how I view it.
TV was designated as a “right” just recently, as a matter of fact. Remember how your tax dolars were used to buy converters for those people who couldn’t afford to switch from analog to digital?
It’s a sad state of affairs.