Posted on 08/15/2002 5:44:56 AM PDT by GailA
Edited on 05/07/2004 9:20:05 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
The state's two leading gubernatorial candidates agreed last night that TennCare eligibility requirements must be tightened, but Republican Van Hilleary and Democrat Phil Bredesen disagreed, sometimes only subtly, about the state's need for more revenue.
Hilleary repeated his frequent declaration that he's against imposing a state income tax at any time. Bredesen told the television audience he didn't think the state needs an income tax either, but he wouldn't promise that he'd oppose one over the course of two four-year terms.
(Excerpt) Read more at tennessean.com ...
By BILL LEWIS Staff Writer
Representatives of Tennessee's hospitals, physicians and public health systems said both Van Hilleary and Phil Bredesen presented workable solutions to TennCare's problems in their first televised debate last night.
''They both have a pretty good grasp of what the health-care problems are in this state,'' said Don Alexander, chief executive officer of the Tennessee Medical Association, which represents physicians.
''More important, they acknowledge that solutions aren't easy, that physicians and hospitals that provide the care need to be brought back to the table,'' he said.
Hilleary, the Republican, and Bredesen, the Democrat, agreed that the cost of TennCare would have to be controlled before Tennessee could solve its other budget problems.
Bredesen said Hilleary was ''exactly right'' that eligibility for the program should be tightened. He also advocated reducing benefits.
''It should be the bronze package, not the gold package,'' said Bredesen, the former Nashville mayor and health-care executive.
Both candidates also agreed that solving TennCare's problems would require more than financial changes in the program, which this fiscal year has a budget of $4 billion for medical and mental health benefits.
Mike Huggins, executive vice president of the Tennessee Hospital Association, said both candidates ''hit some of the high points,'' particularly the need to control spending on prescription drugs.
Hilleary advocated using generic drugs more. ''We should not use precious TennCare dollars to finance advertising campaigns'' that promote name-brand drugs for drug companies, he said.
Huggins said he was pleased that Bredesen had advocated tighter control of the managed care companies that manage TennCare but was disappointed that there was no mention during the debate of the millions of dollars in overdue bills the MCOs owe doctors and hospitals.
That will affect the long-term financial soundness of TennCare, Huggins said.
''That's the issue they did not address. The actuarial soundness of the program,'' he said.
Roxane Spitzer, chief executive of the Metro Hospital Authority and a member of the faculty at Vanderbilt School of Medicine, said she was pleased that the candidates focused on the need for new public health initiatives and the use of clinics to make up for TennCare's shortfalls.
''The issue for the next governor will be the financing'' of such programs, she said.
''TennCare is not a stand-alone,'' she said. ''There are other partners that have to be brought to the table, including public hospitals like (Metro) General.''
No clear winner in first governor's debate
By KARIN MILLER Associated Press Writer
August 14, 2002
NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Gubernatorial candidates Phil Bredesen and Van Hilleary agreed in their first head-to-head debate Wednesday night that eligibility for TennCare recipients needs to be tightened and the benefits package reduced, but they disagreed on whether such reforms would resolve Tennessee's financial difficulties.
Hilleary, the 4th District Republican congressman, said he believes such changes would "go a long way" toward solving state budget problems. "Not by a long shot," said Bredesen, a Democrat and former Nashville mayor. But he said it would help restore trust in government.
TennCare, the state's $5.7 billion health care program for poor and uninsured Tennesseans is often criticized as too expensive, vulnerable to abuse and poorly managed.
Both Bredesen and Hilleary have pledged to "fix TennCare" and made that one of the top issues of their campaigns. During the hourlong debate, at Meharry Medical College, both nominees agreed the escalating cost of prescription drugs needs to be addressed, along with insurance reform. The two also said they would like to provide home and community-based alternatives to nursing homes.
Toward the end of the debate, the topic turned to taxes and whether either man would rule out an income tax, even in a second term as governor.
Hilleary eagerly answered the question, imitating another Republican _ former President George H. Bush _ who pledged not to raise taxes and later went back on his promise.
"Read my lips. Read my lips. Not in my first term and not in my second term," Hilleary said. "I will never ever support an income tax, not on my watch."
Bredesen didn't rule anything out for a second four-year term.
He said an income tax "is not the right answer to the kind of problems we have faced in this state. I'm not for the income tax, certainly not in my first term." He said if he runs for a second term and believes taxes need to be addressed, he would run on that issue.
The Legislature spent the past four years battling over whether to change the state's tax system, voting down an income tax plan before raising the sales tax and a hodgepodge of other taxes last month.
The debate had no clear winner nor loser, according to several members of the audience who said they heard few real differences between the candidates.
Barry S. Cannedy, an Army veteran from Jackson who was paralyzed 17 years ago in a special forces operation, said he's always been conservative and usually votes Republican but liked what Bredesen said.
"They were both very eloquent and there was not much variation in what they said. I think both could do the job," he said. "The big question for them will be which one of them will follow through and get the job done."
Another member of the audience, Meharry employee Brenda Northern, said she normally votes Democratic, but "if Van Hilleary sticks to his points, his platform will be a very strong and powerful one."
Some in the audience were upset that Ed Sanders, an independent candidate for governor, wasn't allowed to participate in the debate.
Supporters stood outside holding signs including one that said, "Ain't nuttin' but a party. Another all-white male party as usual." Sanders is black and Bredesen and Hilleary are both white.
Hilleary said during his opening statement that he hopes Sanders, a Nashville minister, can participate in future debates.
Sanders, who watched the debate with the audience of some 500 people, said afterward the two men overemphasized TennCare's financial bottom line.
"When we put a human face instead of a dollar sign on our citizens in need, we will be moving on the right path to genuine reform of TennCare," Sanders said.
He was the only one of a dozen independent candidates who sought to participate, but he failed to meet a deadline to file financial information about his candidacy.
The debate was the first by gubernatorial nominees this year, but by no means the last. Hilleary and Bredesen have pledged a series of face-to-face discussions, but haven't agreed on the details of any others.
"This one matters because it helps create an impression of the candidates and a first impression is harder to shake than a second impression," said Vanderbilt political scientist John Geer.
He said the topic probably favored Bredesen because he's such a "policy wonk," but that Hilleary, a veteran congressman, was "not a babe in the woods" on health care issues.
The debate, moderated by WTVF-TV anchorman Chris Clark, was sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the R.F. Boyd Medical Society, the Pan Tennessee Dental Association, Meharry National Alumni Association and the Tennessee Disabled Voters Coalition.
The candidates are seeking to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Don Sundquist in the Nov. 5 election.
On the Net:
Phil Bredesen: www.bredesen.com
Van Hilleary: www.vanhilleary.com
Ed Sanders: www.edsandersforgovernor.com
''I'm not for the income tax,'' Bredesen replied. ''I'm certainly not for it in the first term, and if I were to change my mind, and I don't think that's going to happen, I would certainly say to you that I would run for re-election with that, or anything else that I wanted to do with the tax system, as a matter to be decided in that (electoral) process.
Well this one is pretty ovious. Van Hilleary will do everything in his power to stop an income tax and will push for repeal of the sales tax increase of July. Bredesen will not back a rollback in the sales tax. He uses his typical weasel words about an income tax. Steve pointed out that we should all be alert when we hear politicians say that they are not FOR some idea as opposed to being AGAINST that idea. If I am not FOR something that means I still could be persuaded otherwise or allow the idea to be implemented over my objection. If I am AGAINST an idea, I will fight to the end in opposition to that idea.
''I'm not going to commit to eight years of something.''
Again this is typical liberal double talk. Conservatives have absolute values that are not going to change period! We are commited to a lifetime of fighting taxes and an ever growing government. Bredesen's quote smacks of a politician who will sock it to the taxpayers once he is in power and has complete control.
This is the pattern that he used as Mayor. After being elected, Bredesen became very active in every Council member's race by backing "puppet" candidates over many long-time Council members who opposed his spending. You would see the same thing at the State level. We would eventually have a Legislature dominated by more Bredesen "puppets." Then magically, a slick ad campaign would appear selling Tennesseans on an income tax. Bredesen would then relent and be FOR an income tax since the "people" want one. This is the same scam that he used time and time again in Nashville. He gets what he wanted all along but places the responsibilty on others.
Watching from the sidelines was Nashville minister Ed Sanders.
And who was it that did NOT want Mr. Sanders in the debate? The Democrats and Bredesen. Van Hilleary had demanded that Mr. Sanders be included. Again a typical liberal response. They want African-American votes but do not want their active participation.
Hilleary pressed Bredesen to commit to pushing for changes in malpractice insurance, which Hilleary claims is driving up the cost of health care. Doctors, he said, are having difficulty paying the premiums.
Big point here made by Steve Gill. Bredesen and the Democrats love lawyers and lawyers love malpractice suits. One caller pointed out that many doctors move to Tennessee because the malpractice insurance in Tennessee is less than half that of many states. Add in the fact that Tennessee has no income tax and a lower cost of living and you see why many doctors are standing in line to get to Tennessee.
Typical black pol/canidate answer to being excluded...race card.
No hardball as Bredesen, Hilleary start pitch
By Paula Wade wade@gomemphis.com
August 15, 2002
NASHVILLE - The first gubernatorial debate between Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Van Hilleary started like an evening's coffee chat about health care, with the candidates sparring only on the issue of how to rein in medical malpractice premiums.
In the first televised debate between the major parties' candidates for governor, aired Wednesday night only in Nashville and Chattanooga, the most striking differences between the men were those of style and approach.
Both men agreed that the state should expand long-term care options for the elderly and disabled, but neither would say how they'd pay for it. Both men said they favor TennCare reforms that lower the health program's benefit levels and pare TennCare rolls.
Both said they favor insurance reform of some type, although Bredesen was more specific about what he means by reform:
"We need to sit down with providers and insurers and the interest groups and employers and agree on some basic level of benefits we can count on," in private-sector insurance, Bredesen said.
They repeated their stock answers on taxes:
Hilleary promised to "roll back" the state's recent 1-cent sales tax hike without raising any other tax, and actually asked viewers to "read my lips" as he forswore an income tax on his watch.
Bredesen said the tax issue is dead, and that the big task now is how to manage the state's business for the next four years on existing tax levels.
"I am not for the income tax, and in four years if I were to change my mind I would make that issue part of that effort," said Bredesen.
When the time came for the candidates to ask each other questions, Bredesen offered a philosophical softball: whether health care is a basic right or a privilege. Hilleary neatly sidestepped it by saying "it is a moral duty of society to provide access to health care . . . not just government."
But Hilleary's question about malpractice insurance and limiting medical liability was half-accusation: "Will you side with the plaintiffs' trial lawyers instead of the mothers and the physicians and children and everybody else . . . ?"
Bredesen calmly responded that Tennessee has not become a haven for high-award medical liability suits, but that if it became a problem, he would "sit down with the plaintiff bar and with medical professionals and business. . . . I am not going to try and divide the world into black and white, good and bad and drive a wedge between different groups of people."
Hilleary responded that he did see the malpractice issue as "black and white, good or bad," and would favor liability limits.
When asked how they'd fix TennCare, Hilleary listed measures already started by the Sundquist administration, whose rewrite of TennCare will force at least 100,000 Tennesseans off the rolls.
From the beginning, Bredesen stuck to his theme of competent management, contrasting his experience as a health care entrepreneur and Nashville mayor to Hilleary's four terms in Congress.
"There's a lot you learn in managing a company through good years and bad years that I think is so relevant to our state today. I've never been a status-quo mayor and I'm not going to be a status-quo governor," Bredesen said.
In the closing statement, Bredesen took his only shot at Hilleary, comparing him with another former congressman, Gov. Don Sundquist: "We've tried someone out of the legislative branch in Washington for the last eight years and it didn't work."
Hilleary, in his closing statement, accused Bredesen of believing "that mere management is enough, and that we need an HMO technician as governor. . . . I say we need a leader. A leader starts out with a bedrock set of principles that do not change."
Contact Nashville Bureau reporter Paula Wade at (615) 242-2018.
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