Town Hell Meetings On Health Care This August?

This promises to be a lively August break for Congress. Will your voice be heard against the mob?

I've always believed the President and Congress need to get shouted at once in a while, something lobbyists can't do. But if only one side is shouting, only one side will be heard. Consistent, expressed anger is powerful.

“Town halls have become town hells,” said Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. “Special interests and opponents have figured out how easy it is to disrupt town halls and get their own message out. The days of the truly free-form town halls may be over.”

Inviting MemCongs to a small meeting with sensible, sane people who have something of substance to say will make your group stand out.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25765.html#ixzz0ND9PKAge

###

---

Zeke Emanuel: Scrapping Health Care System

Zeke Emanuel, brother of Rahm and therefore one degree away from the President, recently spoke to the Commonwealth Club of California and laid out his 10-point plan for health care reform (really, revolution).

Here are the basics:

1. Citizens get a government voucher to pay for standard basic insurance.
2. Everybody is covered, people have a choice of plans.
3. Funded by a value-added tax dedicated for this purpose.
4. Supplemental insurance available for those who want it.
5. Private sector organizes and delivers health care.
6. Tax deduction for employer insurance is phased out.
7. Phase out Medicare and Medicaid; no new enrollees.
8. Administration by a health board similar to Federal Reserve.
9. Create and institute to evaluate technology and outcomes.
10. Malpractice reform and centers for patient safety.

To watch the whole speech and Q and A in high quality video, go to

http://fora.tv/2009/01/08/Zeke_Emanuel_Scrapping_the_Health_Care_System

You can also access a four-minute version of the 10 points.

###