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Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Health Care Meeting a Love-In
By Thomas J. Cole
Journal Staff Writer
I went to Rep. Ben Ray Luján's town hall meeting on health care overhaul but couldn't get in. The room was jammed.
I was a little disappointed, because I can't recall ever reporting on a town hall meeting. They normally just aren't worthy of a story.
That changed, of course, with President Barack Obama's proposed health care overhaul. Across the country, town hall meetings on the issue have gotten quite heated as members of Congress have returned home to hear the thoughts of their constituents.
Almost overnight, it seemed, town hall meetings had become not only newsworthy, but free adult entertainment. Who would have guessed?
So, I marked my calendar when the congressman announced a town hall meeting Monday evening on health care changes just a few blocks from my home in Santa Fe.
The freshman Democrat backs the Obama health care plan, and it was clear that he, his handlers and other organizers weren't looking for a fight.
As the site for the event, they picked the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe, one of the most progressive churches in one of the city's most liberal neighborhoods. Questions would be submitted in writing on notecards.
Well before the start of the town hall meeting, the church parking lot was full and the neighboring streets were lined with parked cars.
You could tell that Luján got the crowd he wanted. Lots of Toyota Priuses and Subarus, many sporting Obama, Free Tibet and anti-war bumper stickers.
The only Hummer I saw was from public television station KNME. Hard to imagine its listeners know they're aiding and abetting a planet killer. (The station says it needs its three Hummers to access mountaintop transmitters).
A woman outside the church was holding a sign saying the fire marshal wasn't allowing any more folks into the meeting but, because I was on the job, I made my way to the door and showed my news media ID.
Do not pass, I was told. Not on the approved list of attending media, a woman said. A list? For a town hall meeting? Times have changed.
"Make love, not war" was the message to any would-be rabble-rousers. "Democracy Requires Civility," said a sign outside the church. Another sign visible inside the church read, "No Firearms Allowed on Church Property."
Dozens of people were turned away because of the church capacity crowd of about 180. Many of them decided to hang outside the church.
A man held a small sign urging a boycott of Whole Foods Market.
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey opposes Obama's health care overhaul ideas, saying the country doesn't need "a massive new health care entitlement."
Boycott Whole Foods? What's next? Trader Joe's? Well, yes, a woman said. Seems Greenpeace is upset with Trader Joe's for selling overfished fish, like orange roughy and Chilean sea bass.
With Wild Oats now owned by Whole Foods, where will all the liberals in Santa Fe shop? You could still go to Trader Joe's for its three-buck Chuck (that's wine, for you Albertsons shoppers) and not buy the fish.
Some of those in the courtyard were upset by Obama's remark on Saturday that he would be willing to give up his proposal for a government-run insurance program to compete with private companies.
"Yes to Health Care Reform. Yes to Government Option. No to Republican lies," read a sign held by one man.
There was evidence that people opposed to Obama's health care overhaul were attending the town hall meeting.
A parked van had bumper stickers reading, "No Hope in Socialism" and "WE don't need to be under surveillance. The (GOVERNMENT) does!"
Someone also sneaked a beat-up old Pontiac into the parking lot. A sign in its window read, "The People Say No to Socialism." Then there was a Ford with a McCain sticker.
On a street corner, there was a gathering of a few of those opposing Obama's health care overhaul proposals who have made town hall meetings so exciting in recent weeks.
"I still want to know where his birth certificate is," a woman said loudly, still holding out hope that Obama isn't one of us.
I didn't see anybody wearing a gun, but there was a man with a bone-handled knife on his belt.
According to the reports of the media who were on the approved list for the town hall meeting, I learned that the event was pretty much a love-in for Luján, with just a few boos from those opposed to health care overhaul.
The congressman later said he was proud that the meeting was "a positive event." Just like he wanted.
The meeting lasted 1 1/2 hours, but Lujan then met with those people who didn't get in but hung around in the church courtyard.
I didn't stay for Luján's encore. Monday Night Football was on, and I needed dinner. I didn't have fish from Trader Joe's. I swear.
UpFront is a daily front-page opinion column. Thom Cole can be reached in Santa Fe at (505) 992-6280 or at tcole@abqjournal.com
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