No rants, no rowdiness at Norfolk forum on health care

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | August 20, 2009 | Philip Walzer

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NORFOLK

It actually happened Wednesday: a civil, bipartisan discourse on health care.

Two local members of Congress - a Democrat and a Republican - sat side by side, politely offering broad principles and predictions.

They emphasized common ground and dodged any opening to snipe at the other party.

The crowd of nearly 100 submitted questions, most in writing, that were sober, substantive.

No outbursts, no tirades.

"This is how it ought to be," one of the participants, Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye, said afterward.

Nye and Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican, spoke Wednesday morning before a gathering of the Eastern Virginia Association of Health Underwriters at the Residence Inn Norfolk Airport.

One of their many points of agreement: substantial doubt about a government option in health care.

"I will consider the notion of a public option," Nye said, "... if it can be set up in such a way that it does not crowd out the private insurance market. That reduces choice, not increases it."

Nye said, "I haven't yet seen a plan that convinces me."

Wittman said, "A government-run option has some inherent problems with it." He said he preferred "allowing insurance to be sold in wider marketplaces and to be sold across state borders."

Nye appeared solo in a later meeting with small-business owners. He reiterated his reservations about a government role, saying a public option should not "enjoy substantial benefits from the government that will crowd out private insurance."

He spoke to about 20 members of the Entrepreneurs' Organization at the Courtyard by Marriott Norfolk Downtown. Some businesspeople there complained to Nye about soaring costs for premiums and prescription drugs.

Kevin Kordek, president of A-Active Termite & Pest Control Co. in Virginia Beach, said one of his prescriptions recently rose from $15 to $147. Premium costs for his company jumped more than 40 percent over the past two years. "Forty-one percent is pretty excessive," Kordek said, "and this is with a healthy group."

Part of the problem, Kordek said, is the fear of "multibillion-dollar class-action suits."

At the earlier session, Nye and Wittman said they were open to "tort reform" to rein in damages from such suits. But Wittman cautioned that it wasn't "the silver bullet. If we just do tort reform, we don't get our arms around it."

The two voiced similar goals in health care reform. Wittman spoke of "controlling costs and making sure we preserve decision-making, and that needs to be between the patient and the provider."

Nye - a member of the Blue Dog wing of moderate and conservative Democrats - said he wanted to cut costs and preserve choice: "I strongly support the notion that every American should be able to choose their own doctor and method of insurance."

He also said a health care bill must not increase the deficit - "We can't keep charging up the national credit card" - and must preserve military benefits.

Neither expressed support for the current version of the House health care bill. Wittman said he had "very deep reservations" about it. Nye told the small-business group: "I'm not convinced the bill right now is in a form that I would be willing to support it."

But both voiced optimism that a compromise ould be reached.

Even when asked to point out differences from each other, they emphasized philosophical similarities. "The differences are probably in the details," Wittman said.

"If you came here today to see partisan dispute, I think you picked the wrong Democrat and the wrong Republican," said Nye, triggering a burst of applause from the insurance group.

Matt Manock, the president of the Hampton Roads branch of the Eastern Virginia Association of Health Underwriters, said the group invited Nye, Wittman and Republican Rep. Randy Forbes, who, he said, had a scheduling conflict.

The association, Manock said, consists mostly of independent insurance agents and brokers.

"It was not a town hall," he said, referring to the public health care forums across the country that have sometimes degenerated into shouting matches, "so that in itself homogenizes the audience a bit."

The requirement to submit written questions also reduced the possibility for shrillness. "That wasn't necessarily to filter the questions," Manock said, "but to minimize people who like to stand up and talk."

But he added: "I credit the congressmen more so than the crowd.... It seems to me they want to be more thoughtful. They're willing to read to slow this up a little bit. That impressed everyone in the room."

At the end of the session, Witt-man thanked the insurance group. Nye added: "I couldn't have said it better."

Then they shook hands.

Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com

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U.S. Congressmen Glenn Nye, right, and Robert Wittman, left, answer questions about health care reform during a meeting at the Residence Inn Norfolk Airport on Wednesday, August 19, 2009. (Gary C. Knapp | Special to The Virginian-Pilot)

Rep. Glenn Nye, right, and Rep. Robert Wittman, left, answer questions from members and guests of the Eastern Virginia Association of Health Underwriters during a meeting in Norfolk on Wednesday, August 19, 2009. (Gary C. Knapp | Special to The Virginian-Pilot)

Nye is hiding from the public at large. A call to office is useless. A staffer said that Nye has " A lot of meetings scheduled regarding Health Care ", just none of them open to the public.

Here's a link to his website.

Glenn Nye

It's a Two fer Thursday.

Here's more about Glenn..

Beach Dems pull back invitation to Nye over rumors

Published on HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com (http://hamptonroads.com) Beach Dems pull back invitation to Nye over rumors

Where U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye eats breakfast Saturday has become a political hot potato.

Virginia Beach Democrats announced this week they pulled back their 2-month-old invitation to Nye to speak at their Saturday morning meeting because of concerns about overflow crowds seeking to grill him about health care.

People not affiliated with the party have spread false information that it was going to be a town hall meeting on health care, Ollie Bates, Virginia Beach Democratic Committee chairman, said in a written statement. The gathering at Mom's Kitchen "was never intended to be such."

At several town hall meetings around the nation, members of Congress have been subject to angry demonstrations related to the health care debate.

"I think they were concerned that the event would turn into something disruptive and not productive," Nye said Wednesday.

When Beach Republicans - frequent critics of Nye - heard about the invitation revocation, they quickly offered the Norfolk Democrat a chance to speak at their breakfast on Saturday.

"We're not in the habit of giving a platform for Democrats at our weekly breakfast," said GOP city chairman Ken Golden, adding that he was offering Nye "as much speaking time as he would like."

Nye declined the Republican offer, said his spokesman, Clark Pettig, but "he appreciates the invitation, and we're looking forward to a time when he can visit with them."

Nye said he doesn't have any open town-hall-style meetings scheduled during Congress' August recess but is meeting regularly with business, community and advocacy organizations. Those sessions either are not open to the public or are not publicized in advance.

In several forums, Nye has been questioned about the health care debate and his views. He shared one Norfolk forum, held by a health insurance underwriters' group Wednesday, with U.S. Rep. Rob Witt-man, a Republican whose district covers much of the Peninsula.

So far, however, no Hampton Roads representative has scheduled a town hall meeting on the issue.

Nye acknowledged that an open meeting has the potential to become disorderly.

"I don't think - to be honest with you - there's a whole lot of value to having a forum where people are just going to shout each other down," he said.

Pettig said Nye instead will spend Saturday morning meeting one-on-one with constituents to talk about health care.

Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com

[LibLieSlayer]

Remember:

1) All dims lie... expect it and believe nothing that they say.

2)Republicans lie too... some lie all of the time... some lie when they are running for reelection... a rare few tell it like it is.

LLS

[Caipirabob]

I don’t civil conversation with the left. I want them to be politically destroyed. Period.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Dems have no problem with rants, rowdiness, shouting and violence when done by dems or union thugs (excuse the redundance)

[exbrit]

“This is how it ought to be,” one of the participants, Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye,
NO, how it ought to be is absolutely no liberal dems or RINOs in office anywhere ever again.

[Timeout]

Three observations:

1) Nye: ... a public option should not “enjoy substantial benefits from the government that will crowd out private insurance.”

Impossible. The public “competitor” will be like a referee who suits up, joins one team, but still gets to make all the calls. And THIS referee can change the rules in the middle of the game.

2) Regarding lawsuits: will lawyers get to sue the public plan or have they exempted themselves like most gov’t entities?

3) If they require written questions (removing all emotion) then we should require they give written responses. Now wouldn’t THAT be an exciting town hall?! /sarc

[MrB]

That’s the only non-violent way to deal with those who quite literally want to enslave you.

[Timeout]

...a civil, bipartisan discourse on health care.

"Bipartisan" = talking out of both sides of their mouths.

[Lou L]

For the record, I don’t think anyone showed up at these town hall meetings to speak uncivilly, nor to become part of a “mob” atmosphere. It was the arrogance of the congressmen and women (see Sheila Jackson-Lee, Barney Frank, etc.), who tried to dismiss their concerns as illegitimate. It was also groups like AARP, who claimed to want to “have conversations” with its members, but then took their microphone away.