Published: Wednesday, August 19, 2009
About 2,800 turn out for Baird town hall
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Supporters of health care reform and skeptics exchanged heated views outside the Amphitheater at Clark County as they waited for U.S. Rep. Brian Baird’s town hall meeting.
The Washington state Democrat said the turnout on Tuesday night “demonstrates clearly the importance of health care.”
Still, police indicated few problems as a crowd that arena management estimated at about 2,800 filed into a site normally booked for concerts.
Noting the crowd’s civility, Baird apologized again for saying that “close to Brownshirt tactics” — a reference to Nazi stormtroopers — had been used to disrupt other town halls nationwide.
Baird had previously planned telephone conference calls with constituents during the congressional recess. But he has now scheduled five town hall meetings. Tuesday night’s was his first.
Kathy Slocum, 61, of Camas, told Baird she was a nurse nearing retirement. She said the federal government has bungled recent attempts to get involved in traditionally private enterprise, specifically the bailout of the banking system.
Given that track record, she wondered, why should she trust the government when it came to health care?
At the word “government,” a number of people stood and roared their approval of her question.
Baird replied that the government has an obligation to try to control health care costs and to provide care for those who have none.
In his opening remarks, Baird said he hadn’t decided how he would vote on the health care reform bill before the House.
Later in the evening, he said, “We need to come back after this recess and share what we’ve learned with people, see what we can do as an alternative. If anyone tries to press it through without time to read it, I will vote no.”
Most of those posing questions opposed government involvement, but Jeff Forsythe of Camas asked Baird why a single-payer system, which would involve greater government involvement, wasn’t considered.
Baird said it had been but that any such proposal would not stand a chance of congressional approval.
“It would be dead on arrival,” the Democrat said.
The Washington state Democrat said the turnout on Tuesday night “demonstrates clearly the importance of health care.”
Still, police indicated few problems as a crowd that arena management estimated at about 2,800 filed into a site normally booked for concerts.
Noting the crowd’s civility, Baird apologized again for saying that “close to Brownshirt tactics” — a reference to Nazi stormtroopers — had been used to disrupt other town halls nationwide.
Baird had previously planned telephone conference calls with constituents during the congressional recess. But he has now scheduled five town hall meetings. Tuesday night’s was his first.
Kathy Slocum, 61, of Camas, told Baird she was a nurse nearing retirement. She said the federal government has bungled recent attempts to get involved in traditionally private enterprise, specifically the bailout of the banking system.
Given that track record, she wondered, why should she trust the government when it came to health care?
At the word “government,” a number of people stood and roared their approval of her question.
Baird replied that the government has an obligation to try to control health care costs and to provide care for those who have none.
In his opening remarks, Baird said he hadn’t decided how he would vote on the health care reform bill before the House.
Later in the evening, he said, “We need to come back after this recess and share what we’ve learned with people, see what we can do as an alternative. If anyone tries to press it through without time to read it, I will vote no.”
Most of those posing questions opposed government involvement, but Jeff Forsythe of Camas asked Baird why a single-payer system, which would involve greater government involvement, wasn’t considered.
Baird said it had been but that any such proposal would not stand a chance of congressional approval.
“It would be dead on arrival,” the Democrat said.
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