Hello From Niki Tsongas’ Community Meeting at the Chelmsford Town Hall. The meeting was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. but the place was packed to capacity at 9:30 a.m. Hundreds of people were in the overflow of the parking lot, with signs, songs and slogans, and a good dose of respect-filled conversation.
The radicals from the right handed out some very scary materials, and there were a smattering of single payer advocates, and an equal number holding signs in favor of reform, but mostly there were people in the middle interested in telling their stories and learning more about what health reform will mean for them. These were the folks asking questions, and very disappointed not to be in the auditorium. At the very beginning I thought that the majority of the crowd opposed reform, but eventually, by about 10:15 the sides were even, and groups were beginning to congregate together, mostly with their backs to the hateful signs and chanting. I talked to plenty of national reform opponents who did not want to be associated with the sad fringe.
I also talked to lots of people who like their current health care and are worried about losing their
health insurance. Several are in treatment for chronic and difficult illnesses. I tried to reassure
them that they will not have to change plans after national reform happens, but I think that we (advocates) should be mindful of the educational opportunities that these forums present. People are hungry for clear and accurate information. Should we walk around with copies of the legislation? I don’t know. I do know that it was helpful to talk through the legislative process with several people
who honestly thought that the House bill was a done deal.
There was an incredibly earnest woman who was in her late 50’s walking away from the crowd carrying about 100 brochures that had some of the most inflammatory and inaccurate information that was being distributed at the event. I asked her whether she worked with the group that had written the materials and it turned out that she did not, but was taking it back to the nursing home where she worked because her “residents have no idea what is going on, and they have to wake up and get involved!” We spoke for a long time, as I thought that it was important that she be aware of how scary and inaccurate the brochure that she proposed to distribute was. I don’t know whether she will slip the information under her residents’ doors, but hope that she will e-mail me and Health Care For All so that we can direct her to some more balanced information.
An awful lot of people after hearing that I was there for Health Care For All demanded to know whether we are for or against reform – and HCFA is for national reform. We know that this is a messy process – and just like in Massachusetts, we will expect to make incremental improvements as we go along. I talked about the need for consumer engagement and empowerment as part of reform, and some people thought that having an analogous HelpLine in national reform would be an important addition.
I was summoned by one group that as adamantly opposed to a public option, but wanted national health reform. We had a terrific exchange, and their concerns boiled down to worrying that all private insurers would eventually go out of business if there is a public option. This was both a wonderfully erudite and substantive conversation and I appreciated the opportunity to talk through serious policy considerations. But my very favorite group was the delegation from the Devon Democrats. A group of about 8 women from Devon who came to support reform – and were advocating civil discourse and respectful disagreement. They were wonderful! As were the nurses who had worked long shifts this week and would return to care for the patients who depend on them. They are really looking for payment reform so that they can be paid for the time spent on ancillary care. I talked to them about the state of payment reform in Massachusetts.
The loudest and most hostile opponents of national reform came from Arkansas, Indiana, Alabama, and Bulgaria (not kidding). The level of fear and anger that some expressed came as a surprise to me as I walked through the crowd handing out HCFA brochures and talking about our work in the state and our support for national reform. It was energizing to hear and see Tsongas constituents really talking to each other about health reform. I listened in on amazing conversations about people’s experience with their own health care providers, and the parts of the system that are most important to them.
The most fortunate guy in the 300+ person crowd was a gentleman who said that he had never had any problem with his health care. He doesn’t have to wait, pay too much, or make life decisions based on his coverage. Not only has he never had a problem, he doesn’t know anyone who has ever had a problem with the health care system. For the rest of us, I think that reform is what we need. We have to get people coverage and we have to make sure that the coverage we have is comprehensive and affordable.
There are more forums being held in August and I highly recommend that you go early, take good clear information and talk and listen in equal measures. There is much to learn during this debate. Health care is a very personal, and complicated matter, and the more straight forward, clear and accurate information that we can provide those who are interested, the better chance we have of making national improvements through health reform. Democracy can be a challenge. Free speech is a wonderful right, but surely we all benefit when all sides can be respected and share the opportunity to be heard.
- Amy Whitcomb Slemmer, Esq.
Executive Director
By Tthe way I do agree in reform Thank You so much for being our Voice, Congress women Nickie Tsongas.
Hi Congress Women Nickie Tsongas, I am an independent contractor for a large commercial home improvement company.I had this question for you.If the home improvement company’s are making what profit I would have made to pay for health care and bennifits for any help I have. Who would be responsible for myself and people I would be doing buisness with.I would not be able to afford this at the present time. I would have to go out of buisness.The large buisnesses also say how much you are going to charge the man hours, having to wear their shirts ,have their sighns and sighn there contracts under duress, that you are a independent contractor. My point is I am really an hourly worker. they have control of the whole buisness.( Low,s Home Improvements Sears , Home Depote , Temp services , Part time help in industry.
I had wanted to attend but wasn’t able to attend Tsongas’ discussion on health care. Thanks for your description-it reminds me of a simlar situation in my town recently where a proposal that seemed like a good idea and seemed certain to pass was undermined by an angry and loud minority who managed to alarm and scare people. They too manufactured misinformation saying that only they and not the voluntary committee was telling them the truth. Some members of this small group attended informational meetings, and angrily accused the members of the committee, who volunteered their time, of having ulterior motives. And so I saw the tide turn against this proposal even though the proposal had seemed like a no brainer from the beginning.
What I learned was that people who aren’t involved and don’t keep up on what’s happening politically, locally or otherwise, fall prey to the misinformation and fears manufactured by people who have an ulterior motive. In this way the few, the loud, and the motivated (though they won’t honestly tell you what motivates them) will assert their agenda. We all need to stay informed and not let others feed us information and brain wash us into making bad decisions. There are no shortcuts to demoncracy. It looks like I need to get involved in this health care issue, rather than sitting on the side lines and complaining about the loud, angry minority. What can my husband and I do?
The reality is that those shutting down discussion are those who advocate the proposals without explaining their content. The substance of which you speak can only be found in the bills’ wording and not the rhetoric from either side. Read it, please
Amy – Thanks for the great 1st hand account of the event. Having read the media reports it helps to have a more personal perspective. It’s clear that the messaging campaign has gone completely into the world of misinformation – although I find it ironic that the critics originally started out bashing the public plan option as “leading to a government run single payer system,” or as a “government take-over of healthcare,” and now have crossed into a strategy of just shouting down and shutting down discussion – with little connection to any substance. I think this reflects the reality that the issue of health reform is now more about national politics than good or bad policy.
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I find it interesting that those who are for reform as it is presently proposed in congress never quote the bills themselves. If the people opposed to the plan pass out materials that do, you call them names. There is no “information” in the above report that would help anyone decide anything, and nothing that the President or congress has said in public is at all illuminating. If you wish to know what the left has in mind for you, READ THE PROPOSALS. They are very scary. Telling people they will not be negatively impacted by the bill does not make it so. Consider reading the bills yourself and defending them line by line. I believe you will find it hard to do.
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