Speakers reject national health care in Myrick town hall meeting
Thursday, September 3, 2009
By: Corey Friedman

GASTONIA - While politicians and pundits tried to explain the national health care bill, Walter Kimble asked his doctor.

Speaking at a town hall meeting held by U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick Thursday night, the Gastonia resident said his family doctor had serious concerns about the bill, which would provide health coverage for all Americans at a cost of more than $1.3 trillion over 10 years.

"Why are we rushing to do this so quickly when there are so many questions unanswered -- even from a physician?" Kimble said. "Why are we trying to rush this through more quickly than it took our president to pick out a dog for the White House?"

Myrick (R-District 9) held a town hall meeting in the visual and performing arts center at Gaston Day School to field constituents' questions about the health care bill. The representative said she opposes the national health care plan backed by President Barack Obama and instead favors a grab bag of reforms for private health insurance.

That message resonated with the hundeds who attended and the dozens who spoke during the meeting -- particularly Gastonia resident and breast cancer survivor Beverly Witt.

"Our health care system has its flaws, but we do not need to destroy the entire system to fix those flaws," Witt said. "Free enterprise is the answer, not another welfare program. No socialized medicine for America!"

Witt said Congress is quashing inquiry and dissent by trying to pass the health care bill on an accelerated timetable.

I'm seriously concerned the Democrats are going to try to shove Obamacare legislation down this country's throat," she said.

Myrick responded by urging those in attendance to prevent that from happening by lobbying their senators and congressional representatives.

"You made a key point: This is still a government of the people, by the people and for the people," Myrick said. "You are the government; what people in this country have to know is that I work for you. It's not the other way around."

Myrick said the private health insurance system can be salvaged if federal laws are passed to foster more competition by allowing people to purchase insurance from a company not licensed in their state. She also spoke in favor of tort reform to reduce medical liability, explaining that high medical malpractice insurance costs are passed along to patients and fear of being sued prompts many doctors to practice defensive medicine.

Small businesses should be able to create large associations with higher risk pools to bargain for lower rates with insurance carriers, Myrick said.

Proponents of national health care often cite the 47.5 million Americans without health insurance. Myrick deconstructed the figure, showing that 9.5 million are not United States citizens, 12 million are eligible for government assistance but are not receiving it, 9.1 million are temporarily uninsured due to switching jobs or out-of-state moves, and 7.3 million who earn more than $84,000 per year choose not to buy insurance.

Finally, 7.8 million are low-income Americans who cannot afford insurance and don't qualify for existing government aid, Myrick said.

"We could help 7.8 million people with the challenges they have today so they can get coverage for a heck of a lot less than a trillion dollars," she said, prompting hearty applause.

Most who attended the town hall meeting were outspoken opponents of both national health care and the Obama administration. Janet Lama was neither.

Lama said she was homeless when she moved to Charlotte, and access to Social Security helped her get back on her feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Social Security is socialized, and it stopped one person from being homeless," Lama said. "How is that a bad thing?"

Lama also challenged those who question the cost of national health care by comparing its necessity with military spending on the Iraq war.

"For the fact that you are all upset over the trillions of dollars, where were you when Bush and Cheney spent all that money on a war that didn't have anything to do with 9-11?"

Her remarks riled the crowd, and Myrick had to ask the many who shouted Lama down to allow her to finish.

Many in attendance, including veteran Tom Thornburg of Gastonia, said they see the national health care bill as a slippery slope to socialism.

"I spent 22 years in the Army defending our country against socialism and communism," he said, "and I have to tell you, what I've seen from the president and his czars is that these are people who are very much against everything I have stood up and fought for."

Wild appplause -- and a standing ovation -- followed Thornburg's remarks.