JOHN LEWIS' HEALTHSCARE TOWNHALL MEETING

This just in from an old friend who is a retired high ranking military officer who took HIS oath more seriously than the clowns in Washington and is as angry as most of the rest of us at the travesty unfolding before us.

I've cleaned out the email addys and names to prevent ACORN from picketing or firebombing their homes.

Monday morning , I heard that our Rep. John Lewis (an unchallenged Civil Rights "icon" who, due to gerrymandering was given the N Atlanta, Fulton County and Sandy Springs district once represented by Dr. Tom Price) had called a virtually unannounced Health Care "Town Hall" meeting for later that day. I sent a note to a couple neighborhood mail lists announcing the event in case anyone wanted to attend at the last minute from the more Conservative part of his district. I also stated that if someone attended and would send me a recap, I'd publish it. Below is a report from a friend of one of my correspondents, who OK'd my passing it on. It was the only feedback I received from someone who actually attended. From a concerned housewife and mother of two, I "passed it on" without edits. As one might expect, I received a nastygram from most of the Liberals on my list. Gave me an opportunity to cull down my emails a bit.

I'm passing this on because it demonstrates the Democratic mindset and where they apparently would like to see us heading with this legislation. Assuming this is not a fait-accompli before the August recess, I hope everyone will contact their representatives and senators about coming up with a reasonable bill with Tort Reform and less control of medical practices so they can afford to cut costs, etc., without this draconian government intervention As it is, it's another example of government's attempt to keep their power and "follow the money". Old folks like me would also appreciate removing the legislation that gives some bureaucrat the option of deciding when I've lived long enough. I'd like to keep that in the Hands of the Lord. (I'm reminded of the '70s movie, "Soylent Green".)

Here's an update from a friend of a neighbor who attended the meeting this morning. You can draw your own conclusions about whether you were fairly represented by this Congressman....

"I just returned from Congressman John Lewis' healthcare 'town hall forum'. When I drove up to the Ebenezer Baptist Church, there were already some people organized outside with Obama signs, 'Organizing for Healthcare', complete with the Obama communist propaganda logo he used during the campaign. You could tell these were 'hired volunteers'. They were asking every one to sign the petition for healthcare reform. No thanks. I went on in.

Once we got in, there were about 150 people in the church, probably about 10% conservative opposition from what I could tell. John Lewis sat up front at a table facing the 'congregation', along with a member of his staff (his 'healthcare consultant' - I'm not sure if she has actual work experience or medical experience) and about 5-6 people from the local community who were in support of this healthcare bill (one man was the local representative for the AFL-CIO union - I am not kidding about this, one woman was a medical professor for Morehouse College, three were doctors for local hospitals - Grady Memorial, Emory and Southside(?)). He had nobody on this panel who was in opposition to the bill (although there were several of us in the audience). It was clear that he wasn't looking for open, honest debate. Each person on the panel had about 10-15 minutes to talk about why they were in support of this bill, and then they left about 45 minutes for the crowd to ask questions. John Lewis wanted us all to know that this is 'still a work in progress', and he is leaving this afternoon to arrive in Washington DC at 4pm to meet the Democratic Caucus to start reading the entire bill, and will do so until 9pm tonight.. How can anyone read something that's over 1000 pages of legalese in 5 hours and possibly try to begin to understand it all? In the SAME BREATH, he told us that they hope to vote on it this week.

Several of the first audience members with questions stood up to give their testimony as to why they want this bill, since their insurance premiums are going up every year (so are the prices of gasoline and milk!!), and they had some story about a child or family member needing extensive medical care but it was just so expensive and they just really wanted this FREE healthcare because it will solve everything. One man was really armed with facts about the cost of this 'free program' - the CBO's analysis that this will cost 1.6 Trillion dollars over the next 10 yrs, and also questioned being able to keep our private healthcare if we wanted to (Lewis' staff member said that if your employer does not provide healthcare, YOU, not the government will choose if you want to purchase a gov't option or a private option - YEAH, RIGHT). Lewis only answered about 5% of the questions, and his 'healthcare consultant' answered the rest of them, since it was clear he didn't know what was in the bill, or what it would really mean in terms of rationing care and how the economics will not work out. Another retired CPA had some great questions, too - but of course the healthcare consultant answered with 'a lot of this is still being debated'. Then why are they planning to VOTE on it this week?!

I was glad to hear questions and concerns from several black doctors and one black anesthesiologist who were opposed to this bill, since it will 'put small businesses out of business and we will have to let people go', as one of them stated. One black doctor said that Medicare owes him $1.6 MILLION dollars in back payments and he's still waiting for his money. He was very much in opposition to another government run program that will be rife with corruption and fraud. One black general practitioner said that she is a solo practitioner and already DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO SPEND WITH HER PATIENTS and asked how she was expected to see more customers and spend more time with them on preventive programs. The Morehouse professor on the panel answered with ,'this bill will provide incentives for MINORITY medical students to go into General Practice rather than specialties', so I guess if you're not a minority, you won't get the incentives? Also, it seems that the bill is going to tell doctors which field they will practice in. I guess this bill is a nice warm up for communism.

When it got a little heated in terms of opposition, the 'conservative opposition' people were told by some in the audience to 'quiet down, this is a church', and to ' step outside'. You could definitely tell that John Lewis held this event at a historic civil rights church for a reason. If anyone got 'rowdy' (i.e. opposed a viewpoint), they could be talked down and told that 'this was a church'. One man and his wheelchair bound companion walked out yelling that this was all rigged and this will fail (because it essentially was rigged and will fail) and was told by some to 'respect the house of God' and he yelled LOUDLY, 'THEN DON'T LIE IN GOD's HOUSE!' and left. It was terrific! I had a lady in front of me tell me to stop talking and I told her that it was a free country and I can say what I want. She could leave if she wanted to, but she would not bully me into leaving or being quiet.

When someone asked about the Mayo Clinic's fervent opposition to this healthcare bill, John Lewis took the microphone, and said, 'Not to say anything bad about Mayo Clinic, BUT.....' and he went on to essentially disparage them and tell us how great 'Southside Medical in Atlanta is'. Are you KIDDING ME - is Southside Medical (I've never even heard of it before today) a world-renowned institution, and do people come from all over the world to go to Southside, because they do for Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic has said that this bill will bring down the quality of hea lthcare.

Near the end, John Lewis said that he's 'for the people' and not to let the 'fear tactics of the other side' scare us. One woman said, 'I am a low-income senior and am on Medicare, but I am scared to death about this bill. You would think I would want this kind of bill, but I'm scared to death of what it will do to our care and our health.' John Lewis also said that 'there were people trying to scare us out of the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, but we did it anyway.' First of all, I don't know when this became a racial issue, because it is not, but secondly, if you examine the real facts, blacks were better off economically PRIOR to the Voting Rts Act and the Civil Rts Act and prior to affirmative action'. Maybe we should leave healthcare alone and we will ALL benefit.

Anyone with an opposing viewpoint was quickly reminded that their turn was up, and it was the next person's turn to talk. I have to say that I wasn't surprised at how many had come to the meeting in favor of the next big government handout, but since when did our country become a country of 'gimmies'? Let's keep up the heat on our congressmen and senators to DEFEAT this bill and tell them to start over."

I understand that Lewis also said that his future Town Halls will be on the Internet and that folks will have to call his office for an invitation to attend. Fair representation?

I just received this email. Please share with your address book.

Some of what goes on in Congress

This is a YouTube video that was made of US Rep. Tom Price-6th Dist. on Wednesday. Tom is a member of the House Healthcare Committee, and the video was shot in the Wed. Committee meeting. Please share this with everyone you know.............this healthcare legislation MUST be defeated. Please share this video. Tom has said that our Constitution is being burned right before our very eyes. We must, Democrats and Republicans alike, let our “leaders” know that this plan is unacceptable. There has to be a better way than a government takeover! If the Government takes over, it will be one of the most colossal blunders in the history of this Nation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_YOlUBoIk

“...it will be one of the most colossal blunders in the history of this Nation!”

At the top of that list is the ELECTION OF OBAMA!!

And right below it will be NOT CLEANING HOUSE — AS IN CONGRESS — IN THE 2010 ELECTION!

The thing is, ExTex, it isn’t about fixing health care, or providing health care, or anything like that. It’s about government taking complete control and power over all of our lives, and there is no better way to do that than what is now being done. Before we can even think about winning, we need to understand clearly what game is being played. This is life and death chess, and checkmate is about to be called.

One man and his wheelchair bound companion walked out yelling that this was all rigged and this will fail (because it essentially was rigged and will fail) and was told by some to 'respect the house of God' and he yelled LOUDLY, 'THEN DON'T LIE IN GOD's HOUSE!' and left.

Good stuff! Liberal Dems like Lewis are truly shameless. They could care less that they were in a church, except that they know it would provide good cover when discussing such a hot topic.

Have y’all signed the Veterans’ Petition for Constitutional Restoration yet? Go here: http://tinyurl.com/l4bq25

Let’s get ‘er done! At least we can UNDO most of the damage they do to us.

I wonder if the AJC (our local fishrag) will complain about the joinder of Church and State here.

He basically conceded that he was conducting political activities under the cover of God.

FWIW, I live in Atlanta. My job takes me into some of its worst, most blighted communities on a daily basis. I pay close attention to the local media, mainstream and alternative. I saw nothing which announced that John Lewis was holding this so-called “townhall”. John Lewis is on the same par as Cynthia McKinney in intelligence and the type people who reelect him. You simply cannot penetrate such utter ignorance and racism. I don’t give a damn that he got conked on the head in Selma.

John Lewis is a liar and a racist. He was on the black radio stations on election day announcing that if blacks did not get out and vote for the black candidate for city council, the whites would take over and turn fire hoses and sic dogs on innocent blacks. Mayor Shirly Franklin was on that ad also. Worthless pandering bigots, all. I’ll repeat in case any trolls missed it” John Lewis is a LIAR and a RACIST.

I pay a good bit of attention to local ATL media as well (WGST, WSB, AJC) and heard nothing of it. Frankly I give kudos to the loyal opposition that showed.

FL in ATL

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