Rep. Tim Walz met the jeers and cheers head-on in Mankato. Points were sometimes shouted, but in the end all applauded.
By WARREN WOLFE, Star Tribune
Last update: August 20, 2009
MANKATO - About 700 feisty and energized people crammed into a high school auditorium Thursday night to tell First District Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., that he should -- and shouldn't -- support legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system.
At times, the town hall audience erupted with applause and boos -- often simultaneously. Questioners supported a government-backed option to private insurance, decried profit in health care, took a side step into energy policy, bemoaned that millions have no health coverage today and urged that the congressional health proposals be completely scrapped.
Though the session was scheduled to last two hours, Walz let it run an extra half-hour because dozens of speakers still were lined up behind microphones as the two-hour mark neared.
It was Walz's first in-person town hall meeting on health care, although he held a "tele-town-hall meeting" Tuesday, during which people could call in to ask questions of him and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Walz's staff said he likely will hold a similar town meeting on health care next month in Rochester.
"It's important to be here," Gloria Platz, of Springfield, Minn., said as she waited for two hours with her husband, Albert. "I'm worried that some of this money is going to pay for abortions and that our Medicare health care may be rationed."
The meeting Thursday was far noisier than the teleconference, with a lot of arguments both for and against making major changes in health care. But it was more civil than many similar sessions around the country, which have seen lawmakers shouted down or have degenerated into mutual name-calling.
"Nobody came here to change their mind," said Terrence Cunningham, 54, an organic farmer from south of Albert Lea. "Either people know we've got a broken health care system that should have been fixed years ago, like I do," he said with a smile, "or they're uninformed and want to stay that way."
Waving a copy of the Constitution, Mankato insurance agent Jerry Longstreet said the founding document "does not say you can take over health care, the banks, auto dealers ..." The shouting and applause drowned out the rest of his sentence. "... How can you do Obama-care?"
If you buy that, Walz shouted out, "then we have to drop [veterans] VA medical coverage and Medicare, along with the National Park System and a lot more." The Constitution, Walz said, says Congress is responsible to for the country's "common defense and welfare, and that's what we're doing."
People started lining up three hours before the town hall meeting began at 6 p.m. at Mankato East High School. After an initial half-hour during which nearly every question and answer was interrupted by yelled comments, hoots, applause and laughter, the audience began to settle down after the moderator, former Republican U.S. Sen. David Durenberger, urged them to "mute it down a little so people can talk." At the end of the meeting, all of those left in the room applauded.
"This was bigger and noisier than the town hall meeting [Seventh District Rep] had,'' Durenberger after the meeting. "There were no new questions, but there certainly was passion -- passion like you normally don't see at forums like this. It's good to see people care, even when they're noisy, about health care policy,'' a topic on which he is a national expert.
"If victory is seen as doing nothing, recognize we'll be in exactly in the same place we are today," Walz said at the start of the forum. "The status quo is not sustainable. Since 2001, the average family insurance premium is up 74 percent where income is up 17 percent. We can't keep going that way."
After one questioner said he's concerned that "doing something may cause more damage than doing nothing," Walz said, "that's exactly right. We know we will be in terrible trouble if we don't do something. Something worse would be even more disastrous. We can't do that."
Walz and Peterson, both Blue Dog Democrat who generally are fiscal conservatives and thus potential "no" votes against the current bills before Congress, have been the target of Republican Party ads urging constituents asking them to oppose health system overhaul. Walz said the ads are misleading and designed to scare people.
Warren Wolfe • 612-673-7253
Showing posts with label Congressman Tim Walz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congressman Tim Walz. Show all posts
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Outside the forum, signs of passion
Crowd was just as vocal outside
By Robb Murray
Free Press Staff Writer
MANKATO —
Flanked by the Teamsters on one side and a guy carrying a “Live Free or Die!” sign on the other, Matt Johansen stood quietly among the group of “protesters” outside Mankato East High School Thursday night.
A Waseca resident, Johansen works in Brown Printing’s collections department. And he’s seriously opposed to the government getting into the health care business. That’s why he came to the town hall meeting held at East Thursday. To let people know.
“We do need reform, I’m adamant about that,” he said. But, from what he’s heard about the government’s intentions, he’s not interested in Obama’s or any other politician’s plans.
One thing he was happy about, though, was the fact that his congressman held a public meeting. He says he wrote a letter that was published in the Waseca County News saying Walz should hold a town hall meeting like representatives in other parts of the country.
The day after his letter was published, he says, Walz announced plans for the Thursday’s meeting.
“He listened,” Johansen said.
Johansen wasn’t the only guy with a sign Thursday. The Teamsters — clad in black T-shirts, carrying uniform signs, their semi positioned imposingly in the lot — stood like guards while holding signs with various messages including, “Unfair: Premiums rising three times faster than wages.”
On the other was a man angry with the Teamsters and carrying a signs that said “Live free or die!” and “No Obama care.”
“Why are you here?” he was asked.
“Haven’t you seen what they’ve been doing to people all over the country?”
“No.”
“Well then you’re blind, I can’t talk to you,” he said.
Other signs included: “Abortion is not health care.”
“It’s my life — Extend it, don’t end it.”
“Obama care is a nightmare.”
“Stop government interference in your health care.”
“Kill the health care bill! I choose freedom, I choose my health care plan.”
Perhaps the oddest sign is one that has been showing up at town hall meetings across the country. It is a head shot of Obama. Painted under his nose is a Hitler mustache.
It reads, “I’ve changed.” It was produced by LaRouchePAC.org.
Not everyone came with a sign.
Kim Georgiana of Mankato came because she’s opposed to public health care being offered to illegal immigrants. And Jeff Ambrose of Eden Prairie said he’ll support the administration’s efforts as soon as every American gets the same health coverage as Walz and other congressmen get.
He called the town hall meeting “the cartoon version of the road to serfdom.”
Nearly 750 were allowed inside, and police estimated another 200 were not let in. A large group huddled around the entrance after being turned away, and many stayed until the event was over.
By Robb Murray
Free Press Staff Writer
MANKATO —
Flanked by the Teamsters on one side and a guy carrying a “Live Free or Die!” sign on the other, Matt Johansen stood quietly among the group of “protesters” outside Mankato East High School Thursday night.
A Waseca resident, Johansen works in Brown Printing’s collections department. And he’s seriously opposed to the government getting into the health care business. That’s why he came to the town hall meeting held at East Thursday. To let people know.
“We do need reform, I’m adamant about that,” he said. But, from what he’s heard about the government’s intentions, he’s not interested in Obama’s or any other politician’s plans.
One thing he was happy about, though, was the fact that his congressman held a public meeting. He says he wrote a letter that was published in the Waseca County News saying Walz should hold a town hall meeting like representatives in other parts of the country.
The day after his letter was published, he says, Walz announced plans for the Thursday’s meeting.
“He listened,” Johansen said.
Johansen wasn’t the only guy with a sign Thursday. The Teamsters — clad in black T-shirts, carrying uniform signs, their semi positioned imposingly in the lot — stood like guards while holding signs with various messages including, “Unfair: Premiums rising three times faster than wages.”
On the other was a man angry with the Teamsters and carrying a signs that said “Live free or die!” and “No Obama care.”
“Why are you here?” he was asked.
“Haven’t you seen what they’ve been doing to people all over the country?”
“No.”
“Well then you’re blind, I can’t talk to you,” he said.
Other signs included: “Abortion is not health care.”
“It’s my life — Extend it, don’t end it.”
“Obama care is a nightmare.”
“Stop government interference in your health care.”
“Kill the health care bill! I choose freedom, I choose my health care plan.”
Perhaps the oddest sign is one that has been showing up at town hall meetings across the country. It is a head shot of Obama. Painted under his nose is a Hitler mustache.
It reads, “I’ve changed.” It was produced by LaRouchePAC.org.
Not everyone came with a sign.
Kim Georgiana of Mankato came because she’s opposed to public health care being offered to illegal immigrants. And Jeff Ambrose of Eden Prairie said he’ll support the administration’s efforts as soon as every American gets the same health coverage as Walz and other congressmen get.
He called the town hall meeting “the cartoon version of the road to serfdom.”
Nearly 750 were allowed inside, and police estimated another 200 were not let in. A large group huddled around the entrance after being turned away, and many stayed until the event was over.
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