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Frank Pallone Health Care Town Hall - Piscataway

by: Rosi Efthim

Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 01:42:53 PM EDT

Frank Pallone took questions about health care reform in an increasingly heated room for more than 3.5 hours last night, at Piscataway Municipal Hall. Overhead lighting was harsh and the room filled to capacity, with people standing eight deep in back, and down both sides.

So many, that Pallone ran 3 full sessions, emptying out each time for a new crop of people. Each session, its own rhythm. The first had the most organized agitators from the teabag movement. Their antagonizing started outside, even before the doors were opened. Section 2, the most substantive questions - on both sides - and people willing to listen to the answers. The weary third session - most people waiting hours hours to get in - the largest, and the most concerned with preventive care, and with the side issue of abortion.

It was also the only session with many young people.

I was glad to see them show up. Particularly given this, noting that young Obama supprters are AWOL from the health care fight. And that's messed up. This is signature legislation from the Obama era and change still needs the life, drive and energy of young progressives.

Most of the people walked into the room with opinions gelled, looking for that microphone. Pallone, even-tempered even when the room got shouty, sometimes veered into the wonky.

Substantive questions were on mental health parity, fraud prevention, impact of public option on the deficit, and impact on the disabled. But those were high points.

Cuckoo. Liars. Nazis. Socialists. "He hasn't even read the bill!" You heard this, too. People angry, mistrustful of government, certain they're getting bamboozled. A stunning number expressing complete indifference to people without care.

Here's what surprised me:

I expected misperceptions, even deliberate misdirection. Got that. I wasn't prepared for so many of the anti-reform agitators fully believing that what HR 3200is, is single-payer health care.

Make the distinction more effecitvely between the public option and single-payer. Dial down the anger (both sides, I hope).Get me some young blood. And then, maybe we got ourselves a ballgame.

Pallone has another Town Hall TONIGHT 7pm, Red Bank Middle School, 101 Harding Road, Red Bank, 07701. Rush Holt's is Wed 7pm: Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church St., Middletown 07748. John Adler's Wed 4pm: Energy Expo, Burlington County Inst. of Technology, Westampton Campus, 695 Woodlane Road, Westampton, 08060. And Adler needs your help on a course correction.

Rosi Efthim :: Frank Pallone Health Care Town Hall - Piscataway

Tags: teabaggers, Barack Obama, reform, health care, Frank Pallone, (All Tags)

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Frank Pallone Health Care Town Hall - Piscataway | 8 comments

heard whilst waiting in line... (4.00 / 1)

paraphrased "Greed is the penultimate human quality. It's the engine behind innovation and ingenuity. If we take away the profit motive it will be like socialism. Trust me, I've lived under socialism half my life. We should go back and follow the path of Regan!"

by: zora01 @ Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 17:56:21 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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I'll be at Red Bank's tonight (4.00 / 1)

I have a few signs from a rally I attended on Sunday that I plan on bringing, but i would rather see a civil process than an all out war with teabaggers. Maybe I should not attend the first session if he has three sessions. For the record, I am under 30 and working on this fight.

http://outspokenliberal.blogsp...

by: tabbycat31 @ Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 18:31:31 PM UTC

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Tabbycat (0.00 / 0)

I'll be on a white Apple computer with a Corzine bumper sticker on it, and Blue Jersey press tags hanging from its case, if you want to find me to say hi.

I prefer a civil process, too. There was a bit of antagonizing talk on the reform side too, last night, which I understand, but hate to see.

I'd rather take the attitude that many of those folks are reachable -- not the organizers, but others -- but not if we're just hurling insults at each other. My 2 cents.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 19:36:32 PM UTC

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er: reaching others (0.00 / 0)

Rosi, it's an emotional issue. I was amazed that Carol and "reform" peeps kept their energy up and worked the crowd for hours.

re: the "reachable folks", an observation... i was standing in line behind the "greed/socialism" folks. I had to ask the man in front of me to stop trying to engage me in conversation because we were clearly not going to change each others mind. Just like I'm happy to pay for other folks kid's education while i have no children of my own benefiting form my tax contribution I am just as happy to contribute to the health insurance of those children, their parents, and my neighbors.

Behind me were a few senior women who seemed alternately anti and pro reform. You know what made one woman's sympathy turn? After we got into the room and all the seats were taken, Brian offered her a seat after I asked if she could lean on the chair because her knee was aching.

The young man without insurance holding the "medicare for all HR676" sign. "What a nice young man!" obviously not looking to kill or harm "grandmas."

by: zora01 @ Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 21:15:33 PM UTC

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I did not see you (0.00 / 0)

of course I did not get this until after I came home. I had a few signs ("for profit insurance companies are death panels") and I was wearing a pink shirt and jeans (one of the youngest there).

Once inside, there was an attempt of civility, but the wingnuts don't like that.

http://outspokenliberal.blogsp...

by: tabbycat31 @ Wed Aug 26, 2009 at 04:24:58 AM UTC

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I was there. (0.00 / 0)

But without my trusty computer I suggested you look for. You were there; you saw the scene. I had to park far away, so hiking with the big bag seemed nuts.

I'd say session #2 was a near-riot, at least from near the back where I was. I'll write about it all for the morning, and please feel free to jump in.

Sorry I missed you!

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Wed Aug 26, 2009 at 07:00:49 AM UTC

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Rosi (0.00 / 0)

Ya made the papers:

http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_di...

by: SmartyJones @ Wed Aug 26, 2009 at 10:49:52 AM UTC

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The "Direct Loan" of Health Care (0.00 / 0)

Bill Clinton implemented the Direct Loan program to stem the tide of rising costs to finance higher education. It worked for me. And when the Republicans took control of Washington they did everything in their power to destroy the program. John Boehner made it his pet project.

Turns out most people don't like getting ripped off to pay for college and/or a post graduate education. For example, Direct Loans never charged me a Late Fee. There is a strong analogy here which I have yet to hear a politican make.

That may be becuase after the banks realized they were not going to win, they have moved away from student financing and more loans are flowing into the Direct Loan program. Ala, the "back door to single payer" argument. But iI still think the analogy is worth exploring.

by: Got Kids @ Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 19:16:37 PM UTC

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Frank Pallone Health Care Town Hall - Piscataway | 8 comments