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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, August 14, 2009 Sens. Murray and Cantwell urged to hold town halls they have no plans to host a health care forum anytime soon. By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer Julie Martinoli figured if Congressman Rick Larsen can stand in front of 2,500 people to talk health care than Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell should, too. Thursday, the Monroe resident appealed to the two Democratic senators to do so. She shouldn’t hold her breath. Neither senator plans to host a health care forum this month — and maybe never. “Sen. Murray is not doing any town halls. They are not a form that she uses to interact with constituents,” said her spokeswoman Alex Glass. Though Cantwell hasn’t set one yet, “it is entirely possible” she will this fall when the Senate Finance Committee on which she serves should be considering specific legislation, said her spokeswoman Cieran Clayton. Pressure is slowly building on the senators to get in front of a crowd with a microphone and moderate an untethered conversation on what is becoming the most fiercely debated issue in this country since the war in Iraq. It’s coming from individuals and interest groups, such as the Skykomish Valley Seeds of Liberty of which Martinoli is a leader. “It is clear that the people want the opportunity to express their opinions on both sides of the issue,” Martinoli wrote Murray and Cantwell in an open letter shared with reporters. “We believe it is your sacred duty as representative senators to provide a venue for this discourse.” Martinoli said late Thursday she’s not heard back from either one. She’s hoping they’ll stop “hiding out” soon. “The people want a response. They want to be able to have an open discussion on health care,” she said. Murray, a member of Senate leadership, is showing little interest in large-scale dialogue such as the forum Larsen held Wednesday at Everett Memorial Stadium. Murray will continue discussing health care reform with small numbers of people at roundtables and in meetings with organizations such as chambers of commerce, Glass said. She did this July 2 at The Everett Clinic. The conversation focused on how to ensure there are enough nurses and physicians to serve all the people who are expected to gain medical coverage under any proposed reform. Murray intends to hold another health care-related roundtable in Everett later this month, though Glass had no details Thursday. Murray, who has held telephone town halls on health care, set up a page on her senate Web site where residents can share stories, and concerns, on health care. There have been more than 6,000 responses, Glass said. Cantwell has held six panel discussions on health care since April. The public could attend these and submit questions, Clayton said. Roughly 200 people showed up at a June 30 event in Seattle. “We’ve had people inquire about us doing a town hall,” Clayton said. Though none are scheduled the senator is not afraid of hosting one, she said. Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com. Inslee schedules town hall Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., announced Thursday he will host an open forum on health care on Aug. 30 in Edmonds. It is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. and will be in the gymnasium at Edmonds-Woodway High School, 7600 212th St. SW. Inslee’s congressional district includes south Snohomish County. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Why? These forums have become shouting matches. Anti-government types who think anarchy is liberty and that there is no health care crisis vs. people who want reform and are concerned with more than just taxes and themselves (guess which side I'm on)shouting and waving signs is not productive. As far as I'm concerned, the media is giving way too much time to a group of attention seeking malcontents. Obama won the election. He campaigned on reform. There will be reform. If you don't like it, tough. Debate over. Chantel Robertson | Aug 14, 2009 10:43 am | 1 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal (No heading) OH Please! They can invite anyone they want to a closed town hall (just like Obama)...you know... a STAGED town hall with softball questions and sob stories. Judy Benson | Aug 15, 2009 10:09 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal our useless senators when you write to them you get back email saying reform is a good thing and that they understand the bill better than you do and they will vote for it (.) period. They are not here to listen and do what we ask they have their own agenda and since they keep getting elected they keep doing what they want - GET THEM OUT NEXT ELECTION !!! this is the only way to get what we want around here. these gals are useless. rita stanwood | Aug 15, 2009 3:37 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Where is Rep Norm Di cks? Rep Norm Di.cks also is AWOL. (* Herald porn filter delete's Norm's last name) He refuses to meet with his constituents. He figures he's a shoe-in for re-election. Let's prove him wrong. VOTE OUT ALL POLITICIANS who fail to meet with and represent their bosses. The only meeting Dicks will attend is one in which only Democrats are invited. Question: Who really wants ALL their health records available online to hackers, and millions of doctors, clerks, political hacks, and corporate spies? Question: Why should 10+ million financially secure citizens be COERCED into buying into a bad health care system, when they neither want, nor need it? Question: Canada PM Steven Harper, when he took office in Canada, even said the "single payer" system didn't make sense. Why would anyone not want the rich to use their own money to pay for their own care, thus taking them off the public expense? The only reason I heard was that many wanted the rich to suffer along with them. We often heard "why should they get to have better care than me? They should wait in the queue like the rest of us!" Randy Dutton | Aug 14, 2009 7:04 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Where is Dicks? Rep Dicks also is AWOL. He refuses to meet with his constituents. He figures he's a shoe-in for re-election. Let's prove him wrong. VOTE OUT ALL POLITICIANS who fail to meet with and represent their bosses. The only meeting Dicks will attend is one in which only Democrats are invited. Question: Who really wants ALL their health records available online to hackers, and millions of doctors, clerks, political hacks, and corporate spies? Question: Why should 10+ million financially secure citizens be COERCED into buying into a bad health care system, when they neither want, nor need it? Question: Canada PM Steven Harper, when he took office in Canada, even said the "single payer" system didn't make sense. Why would anyone not want the rich to use their own money to pay for their own care, thus taking them off the public expense? The only reason I heard was that many wanted the rich to suffer along with them. We often heard "why should they get to have better care than me? They should wait in the queue like the rest of us!" Randy Dutton | Aug 14, 2009 7:00 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal No Town Hall Meetings for Cantwell and Murray speaks volumes! The mere fact that neither Maria Cantwell nor Patty Murray are willing to stand up in front of their constituents, like Rick Larsen did here in Everett on Wednesday, is a clear indication of their true feelings in regards to the people who elected them. I attended Rick's town hall here in Everett last Wednesday. Other than the yelling and hollering coming from the "for the bill" side and the fact that they were getting in the faces of those who "oppose the bill" (a photo of which was on the front page of The Herald Thursday) I found the whole experience incredibly educational. I was, however, very happy the venue for the 'town hall' had been moved to the AquaSox stadium because that fact alone stopped 99% of the demonstrations that took place in the parking lot for hours prior to the event and for 2.5 hours during the event there was a fairly good back and forth discussion of the issue at hand. It was quite clear that Rick had his 'talking points' memorized and he did extremely well dancing around questions he didn't know the answer to and even admitted that he didn't. However, I doubt any of us changed Rick's mind as to how he will vote on H.R. 3200, at least he knows where he stands with the people who helped elect him. I have known a local politician for the past 11 years and we have had many conversations about a variety of issues. He mentioned to me once in a casual conversation that the #1 thing that is forefront in the mind of 'all' politicians is getting re-elected. With the uproar that is occurring across America by ordinary every-day citizens against H.R. 3200, I wonder how much getting re-elected will affect their vote (on both sides of the isle) who are up for re-election in 2010 and in 2012? Personally I feel there are many things wrong with our health care system today that need to be fixed. Let's fix the things that aren't working, instead of starting over. Because if 'starting over' doesn't work we are stuck with it 'forever'! Diane Thomas | Aug 14, 2009 12:58 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal FORUM AND SHOUTING, NO THANKS! Hmmm... Some of the "public forums" on health care reform have seen some very angry people. There's been some shoving, shouting, and general bad manners. I believe that if I were a U.S. Senator, I would not want to host or sponsor such a shouting match. There really is a simple solution to this whole mess, and President Obama should know this. Whatever the healthcare plan is for member of the U.S. Congress, it should become available, at reasonable cost, to all people who are U.S. citizens. That should put an end to the issues involving health care reform. Whistle Berries | Aug 14, 2009 10:12 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Murray and Cantwell These two have their own agenda and do whatever the current administration tells them to do. It is too bad they have forgotten who elected them and who they represent. All they are concerned with is preserving their future presence in D.C. Both are a good example of why we need term limits. Lets just vote them out when they come up for election. Jeff Riley | Aug 14, 2009 7:43 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal (No heading) Our Senatrixes represent the Obama Administration and the DNC, not the people of Washington State. They have no need to hold a Town Hall meeting and listen to the concerns of Washingtonians who are angry about their blank check tax and control program being crammed down our throats. The GOVERNMENT is responsible for the high prices of the medical industrial monopoly. Instead of allowing a citizen to buy inexpensive non-monopoly medicine, or even order from other nations, they are writing a blank check drawn on our accounts. When corrupt politicians are running our lives they do not want to hear our opinions. Bob Knows | Aug 14, 2009 6:59 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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