Health care demonstration draws hundreds

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Health care demonstration draws hundreds

Date: 09/03/2009

Health-care reform supporters read statements from the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and spoke about their struggles obtaining and keeping health insurance.
Health-care reform opponents carried signs both mass-produced and handmade.
Fruitville Road separated health-care reform supporters and opponents.
Health-care reform supporters line the north side of Fruitville Road, holding signs and chanting pro-reform slogans.
Opponents to the health-care reform bill stand with handmade signs in front of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s downtown office.

Currently 2 Responses

1.
Robin: I was at the protest. Dr. Swier's article is more accurate than yours. (better journalism less bias)
By Dr. Richard Swier: While I was there those who were against the public option outnumbered the MoveOn.org protesters by a ratio of four to one.

According to Terry Needell, the hostess of the MoveOn.org vigil, she was instructed to conduct the vigil by MoveOn.org headquarters starting at 7:30 p.m. EST. I asked her why at that time because there was no one in Congressman Buchanan's district office. She had no answer other than she was following orders. I also asked Terry if she attended the recent town hall meeting on health care hosted by Congressman Buchanan, which drew over 1,400 attendees. Terry said she did not and her reason was because she did not want to be "shouted down". According to reports 90% of those who attended Congressman Buchanan's town hall meeting were against a public option and the Obama health care plan.

A key argument is that Medicare is a public option. Actually, it is not as pointed out by Frank Patti a RedCounty.com contributor. Every tax payer is required by law to pay into the Medicare system. There is no option to not contribute and provide one's own private health care plan using private insurance. With the unfunded liabilites of Medicare and Medicaid estimated at $60 trillion, it is now clear these public health care programs are unsustainable. When I asked the pro-public option demonstrators about this they had no solution. However, when I was leaving the demonstrations one pro-public option supporter shouted out "the government will bail them [Medicare and Medicaid] out". Irrational to say the least.

Please listen to these two interviews with MoveOn.org members or those there in support of the public option. Their rational and reasoning simply does not add up but you decide for yourself.

Interview with Terry Needell, hostess of the MoveOn.org vigil in Sarasota (at the end MoveOn.org told me to move on because they did not like my questions):

Interview with Bob Brown a pro-public option supporter:

It is clear from these interviews that neither Terry or Bob understand the potential negative consequences of instituting a public option - adding to the national debt and how Medicare and Medicaid are unsustainable. They have no concerns for what that may mean for the nation. The key is to get the public option put into law regardless of the consequences.

RELATED REDCOUNTY.COM ARTICLES ON THE MOVEON.ORG VIGIL:

http://www.redcounty.com/moveonorg-health-care-demonstration

http://www.redcounty.com/man-moveonorg-healthcare-vigil-bites-opponents-finger

Attachment Size
Attachment Size
Interview with Terry Needell Hostess of MoveOn Vigal in Sarasota 922009.mp3 21.57 MB
Interview with Bob Brown at MoveOn.org vigil 922009.mp3 14.34 MB

| | 1 Comment | Related Topics »FLORIDA Comments
Cindy Mercurio
Fri 4th Sep 2009
at 11:06am

2.
Robin,

We appreciate the coverage for the support of health care reform, not necessarily a government run health care program.

Facts are important in the coverage of news and my invite was not from the Republican Party but from freedom loving Americans that belive in the free market and true reform, not just another failing government agency.

Thank you.
T
Susan Nartowicz
Thu 3rd Sep 2009
at 3:25pm