And here's a picture of the Useful Idiots.
Posted on 07/28/2009 1:54:03 AM PDT by Onerom99
Some 30 people took to the streets Monday, calling on U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock, to back legislation bringing health insurance to more Americans.
They stood with signs outside Carney's Williamsport office on Pine Street with words that stated, "Health Care for America Now," and "Health Care Can't Wait," before peacefully entering his office to deliver citizens' letters.
Members and supporters of Health Care for America Now specifically are urging the congressman to support House Bill 3200, which they say will add coverage for 23 million people by 2013 and 37 million by 2019.
They included people such as Kelly Amos, 35, of Williamsport who spoke briefly of her own struggles trying to afford health insurance for herself and her family.
"People are dying while he (Carney) is delaying on this," she said.
The House is expected to act on the legislation as early as this week.
While Carney has not committed to either voting for or against it, he indicated late last week that he could not support something that requires small- and medium-size businesses to provide health care for workers or face penalties.
Carney, who counts himself among a coalition of Blue Dog Democrats who favor various fiscal restraints, said such a plan would place an additional burden on health care costs at a time when the nation is becoming less competitive in the global marketplace.
He also questioned the plan's impact on rural areas and small hospitals.
Carney was not at his Lycoming County office to speak with people from the rally.
He later said all voices should be heard on such a critical issue.
"That is why we should proceed with deliberate intent but not rush at the expense of getting the reform we need to bring costs under control, improve health care and make our economy more competitive," he said.
"I understand the desire to address the problem quickly, but we only get one opportunity to do this correctly and we need to make certain that the plan actually achieves our goals, no matter how long it takes. Any acceptable reform plan must protect the individual's right to keep their own insurance and their own doctor if that is what they choose and it must not be paid for on the backs of our small businesses and/or hard working middle class families."
Amos said if more people were insured or relieved of expensive coverage, fewer would have to access government assistance programs.
"We are here to send a message to Carney," said Antoinette Kraus, Pennsylvania Eastern Organizer for Philadelphia Unemployment Project, who led the rally. "The Blue Dog Coalition has slowed the process."
Under the legislation, she said, 65,000 uninsured people would receive health care and more than 11,000 seniors would avoid the so-called "donut hole" enabling them to receive Medicare.
Other aspects of the plan would mean tax credits for small businesses for providing coverage and virtual elimination of uncompensated care by hospitals.
The more than $1 trillion plan would be paid for through a surtax on the wealthiest wage earners, cost cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and penalties paid by businesses not providing the coverage.
Alison Hirsch of Williamsport said one of the big myths about the plan is that it will take away people's Medicare benefits.
Rather, it will mean less money from Medicare going to insurance companies, she added.
Hirsch said change in the health care system is needed.
"Everybody is hurting. They are afraid of what will happen," she said.
Iwanka Kultschyckyj recalled the nightmare of being uninsured after she became seriously ill while juggling four summer jobs to finance her college education.
Dr. Arno Vosk of Williamsport, a retired emergency room physician, noted how health care changed from a bloated, high cost bureaucracy since the time he started in medicine.
His early years, he recalled, meant longer hospital stays for patients and fewer administrators overseeing health care.
"The health care system has become tremendously top heavy," he said.
Vosk said while he supports the legislation, the best plan would amount to a single payer system.
Diana Dornblaser, 65, of Williamsport called the bill a start and a means of bringing the government into health coverage.
"It will force private insurers to be honest," she explained.
Lawrence Funk of Lebanon, a member of the Service Employees International Union, urged everyone to call members of Congress about supporting the bill.
"We can make this work," he said.
Kraus said she feels that Carney may be swayed to vote for the legislation.
"We feel if he keeps hearing from his constituents he might waver," she said.
I see some of that stimulus money has been put to work.
wow..30 people..now we shouldn’t laugh at that number..I mean..that is double the audience of any msnbc show..
They are not rallying for health care. They are rallying for a lifetime of free lunches. Next on the agenda is free housing and then a free new BMW every year.
Never mind those Tea parties. No coverage.
The MSM does’nt even pretend to be balanced.
30 losers get MSM coverage. Keep it up boys and hope to see you at the unemployment office
We should just buy these people one way tickets to Europe.
YUP!
30 people, eh? Just enough to fill a short bus.
“30” is not a rally.
It is a circle-jerk.
I’d love free healthcare for all people. Sounds great and would be so beneficial. Now we just have to figure out how to pay for it and disregard decades of failed examples.
BTW I’d also like free gas and my mortgage paid. Those are next on the list.
While were at it I want a house on the beach and a Ferrari in the garage.
Those signs look very nice, almost as if they were professionally done.
“I see some of that stimulus money has been put to work”
Evidently, since Williamsport is in the north central part of PA, one wonders what
“Antoinette Kraus, Pennsylvania Eastern Organizer for Philadelphia Unemployment Project, who led the rally”
was doing there to begin with?
Pre printed signs. Useful idiots united!!!!
Have to laugh. Thirty people considered a crowd!
The woman on the far right with the clipboard has a friend in the crowd near the left.
Don’t they know that they would be punished under O’s plan.
Obese people MUST be punished!!!!
“Those signs look very nice, almost as if they were professionally done.”
Wow, very observant! Someone spent a lot of money to have those signs made up. Seems like a setup to me for sure! Lets watch these very signs popping up all over the country!
I worked at Robert M. Sides in the late 1970’s. There was stupid people there at that time.
If these people really cared about this, they would have made their own signs.
There is a website at the bottom of those signs...wonder how much stim money they received to produce these signs?
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