Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Live at the Kerry town hall meeting

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6:55 PM Hi there.  I’m David Sloane, a volunteer with Cambridge-Somerville for Change, guest-blogging for John Bowes.  People are gradually filling up the auditorium at Somerville High School for John Kerry’s town hall meeting.

There’s a woman in the aisle wearing a dress made of red boxing gloves.  Surely she has a point to make, not sure what it is.  Some people have been here since 2:00 this afternoon.

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  1. The hall is very nearly full right now, maybe 30 more seats on the floor of the auditorium.  The line to get into the high school extends outside, through the parking lot, with a substantial loop at its end.  The crowd seems to be made up of 95% health care reform supporters, with a handful of opponents sprinkled in.  There’s a group of eight LaRouche devotees with a Hitler/Obama poster, near the entrance, singing a sad, sad song.

    • Just got word there are still over 1,000 people in line outside.  The main hall is essentially full, so they’re directing people to overflow space in the school cafeteria where they’ll show a simulcast of the meeting.

  2. 700 people in the auditorium
    500 in the overflow space in the cafeteria
    about 1,000 more still outside
    0 at the podium

  3. A man in a suit requested that we be patient.  There will be a 10-15 minute delay before the program starts.  Will post again with the inevitable, subsequent delayed-start announcement.

  4. The boxing-glove dress woman explained that this is her stand against protesters who’ve attended similar town hall-style meetings with weapons.  Not sure if gloves are loaded.

  5. 700 in the Auditorium
    1,200 in the gymnasium (the cafeteria was too small)
    300-400 outside
    0 at the podium

  6. Finally the stage is populated.  Mayor Joe Curtatone welcomes Senator Kerry and Congressman Capuano to Somerville High School.

  7. Mayor Curtatone made brief opening remarks.  There are a couple of shouters, but it’s hard to say what they’re saying.  We have a moment of silence for Senator Kennedy, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.  I’m not sure when I last said the Pledge of Allegiance.  Curtatone introduces Rep. Capuano.

  8. We can all agree that we should do everything we can so that all Americans have quality affordable health care.

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    p>Applause and a pocket of boos.

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    p>Shouting Man: “Read the bill.”
    Capuano: “I have read it.”

  9. Mayor Curtatone lays out some ground rules.

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    p>Somerville is struggling, like most cities, with shrinking budget.

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    p>Introducing Kerry, a quick overview of all the issues that John Kerry has worked on, great help for Somerville, Massachusetts and the country.

    • Do they have signs?  It seems to me, Senator Kerry needs to hear the message that we want reform WITH a public option?
      Is he getting that message?  Is national news media there?
      Thanks so much for doing this, I wanted to go tonight, but I decided to go to the rally on Labor Day instead.  

  11. Kerry thanks Capuano, Curtatone, and Capuano’s mom Rita, who is 90.

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    p>John Kerry thanks everyone for their appreciation of Ted Kennedy.  Kerry talks about Kennedy’s lifelong dream of health care for all, as a right, not a privilege.  Talks about the moral obligation to our fellow human beings, present in all religions.  No religion would condone the loss of coverage for the sick.

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    p>Kerry wants to talk, and listen, taking off his jacket for the listening.  Or perhaps because it’s really hot in here.

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    p>Kennedy talked constantly about health care, Kerry shares his goals.  “That means taking on these battles, in the way that he would, and I pledge to you I will.”

    <

    p>JK would be pleased to hear from any of us about any number of issues, but first, about health care.  Truman started this discussion in the 40’s… we’re still fighting about it.

  12. We spend more on health care than any industrialized country, for worse results.  Despite our amazing science, we rank 37th or 38th in overall quality of care.

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    p>How do we take the things we love about the current system, fix the things that don’t work?

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    p>People have insurance, pay into it for years, then suddenly they aren’t covered.

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    p>JK just had hip surgery.  Why do you have to fill out the same form every time you go to a doctor?  Why can’t we make that unnecessary?

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    p>47 million Americans don’t have any health insurance, 87 million don’t have coverage for some period of time each year.  People may say “that’s their problem”, but we all pay for them anyway.

    <

    p>Experts tell JK we waste billions just on preventable diabetes treatments.  JK had prostate cancer, and was lucky to detect it early.  Men, 50-years-old have 50% chance of having prostate cancer, with more incidence as you get older.  Without early detection and treatment, implicitly, it costs more and people die.

    <

    p>Everyone pays a hidden tax of about $1,100 per year for the uninsured.

  13. Some shows of hands:
    Medicare – a bunch of folks
    VA care – a few folks
    Employer-paid insurance – most people in the room
    Individual-purchase plan – a few

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    p>Whose premiums have gone up?  Most
    Whose copayments have gone up?  Most
    Whose benefits have declined?  Most

    <

    p>”That’s the American story.”

    <

    p>$440 Billion/year for employer paid health insurance now
    $885 Billion/year for employer paid health insurance in 10 years if we do nothing…

    <

    p>Government run program costs will go up too, which will require funding, and people won’t want to pay for that.

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    p>If we do nothing “Medicare will be broke in 6-7 years…”
    Broke is a funny choice of words – I think it runs a deficit – details.

    <

    p>By 2040, health care will rise to 40% of GDP if we do nothing.

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    p>There are fundamental, practical realities, absent the moral arguments.

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    p>Some distortions to correct – none of the plans will change your choice of providers.  A few cries of “Lie!” from the balcony.

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    p>Kerry promises, in the final bill, you can keep your insurance if you like it.

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    p>Some of the loudest voices against the public plan take advantage of public plans – Medicare, Medicated, VA care.

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    p>Public plans must compete with private plans by the same rules, no public money for public plans, no bailout for public plans, and no-one will be forced to take the public plan.

  14. Congress is in agreement on 85-90% of the elements of health care legislation.

    <

    p>Congress isn’t trying to dictate the model for any individual or health care system.  We need to be flexible.

    <

    p>But “there are intractable facts.”  How do we do this effectively, maintaining freedom of choice?  How do we make sure people have care, even when they can’t afford it, so that we don’t all pay for it later.

    <

    p>Our diets aren’t so great.  We don’t teach wellness and prevention early enough in life – we could save billions of dollars…  People are starting to find ways to encourage wellness in the workplace – program for $50 per pound lost at one company…

    <

    p>Now we’ll open the floor to questions.

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    p>Kerry is standing without a cane or crutches for the first time in weeks…

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    p>JK thanks everyone in the overflow room for coming.

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    p>We’re having some trouble getting someone to ask a question – third time’s the charm…

    <

    p>First question – how do we frame the debate to help people understand the value of the public option?

  15. Arguments against public option boil down to it being better, cheaper, and unfair competition for private insurance….  That’s sort of the point.

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    p>If we found the right price for Medicare benefits, people could buy into Medicare, that would save everyone money…

    <

    p>JK is explaining the basic principles of insurance, sharing risk, controlling costs, etc.

    <

    p>Mass. has a system which increased coverage to the highest level in the nation.

    <

    p>Next question – on the public option as a political problem – could we offer the program only to individuals or people at companies with 200 employees or fewer…  

    <

    p>JK – “It’s an interesting idear”, worth taking a look at.  The public option debate will be very difficult.

    <

    p>The Mass. plan has a small penalty for companies who don’t insure their employees, people predicted this would cause chaos, but more companies are offering health care now with the law in place.

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    p>The principle of trying to encourage employers to provide coverage is sound.

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    p>This is a complex system, with many interconnected parts.  We can protect small businesses with tax credits and other incentives.

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    p>We’re veering into deep policy details.  JK knows a lot of policy details.

  16. The Medicare prescription drug benefit plan doesn’t allow negotiation for drug prices, we’re trying to change that in the new plan.

    <

    p>Next Qeustion – All the evidence presented sounds like we need a single payer system.  Don’t we?  People will call you names and put a Hitler moustache on the President, but they’ll do that anyway.

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    p>JK and Ted Kennedy talked about this often, Kennedy would say “There are 15 ways to do this, the important thing is to get it done.”

    <

    p>There is a clash, between the current private sector and public sector benefits.

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    p>People have to be comfortable with what we do.  Some of the anger comes from misunderstanding, some from fear and distrust of Washtington.  People fear the government will make things work.

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    p>JK has talked about single payer in his committee and in the (Democratic?) caucus.

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    p>The challenge is to deliver a bill that makes things better.

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    p>Next Question – How do we address the shortage of primary care physicians in Mass. and the use of emergency rooms as primary care?

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    p>Very few med students choose primary care, given their debt and the relative salaries of PCP’s and specialists.

    <

    p>All the bills promote additional primary care doctors.

  17. Another Question – Afghanistan – quoting Kerry from a Foreign Relations committee hearing in which he questions the validity of the war in Afghanistan.  What will he do to stop funding the wars and bring the troops home?

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    p>JK is going to Afghanistan soon, would have gone sooner but for his hip.

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    p>”Everyone thought we should go to Afghanistan.” Ok.

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    p>JK – We missed an opportunity in Tora Bora, people who beat their chests about defending America made mistakes…

    <

    p>We have to look at this carefully.

  18. Next Question – The questioner had to drop his insurance when it went up 50% in one year.  They said it was because of research and development.  Is this true?  Who pays for R&D in the public plan?

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    p>JK – We do.  The government funds R&D in all sorts of ways right now.

    <

    p>We have to find a balance, between improving coverage and controlling costs, keeping in mind the competitive pressures with other countries.

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    p>People have looked at this closely, some governments pay for all health care, their companies still compete in the marketplace…

    <

    p>We’re going to try to find the best of all the options.

  19. Next Question – Cambridge primary care physician, for 25 years – horrified by the things insurance companies are doing to her patients. These are non-profit insurers.  They are making millions in non-profit.  They waste 30% of their revenues on administrative costs. How will your plan control these companies?

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    p>JK – Medicare administrative costs are 2% of the total budget.

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    p>In all the bills, there are prohibitions on dropping coverage, denial of renewal, unexplained rate increases, no pre-existing condition exclusion for anyone.

    <

    p>JK included language to prohibit gender discrimination.

    <

    p>Plans are trying to promote primary care, create more clinics, fund more doctors, and allow more in-home care.

  20. Next Question – What is the Co-Op system?  

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    p>JK – IDK

    <

    p>It seems to be a fall-back position, not a public plan, still affordable, still provides competition, run by members…
    It’s not well defined at all.

    <

    p>It doesn’t seem to be winning any GOP support…

  21. Next Question – Thank you for your kind words about Ted Kennedy.  Will you take up his cause, take up the mantle?

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    p>JK – We are going to get it done.

  22. Next Question – Why don’t you fight harder against the lies?

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    p>JK – We do.  We will.  But some people only engage in partisanship.

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    p>We’re required to get 60 votes to overcome filibusters.  We’ve had more filibusters in the last year than in any other year of the Senate.

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    p>Chris Dodd’s committee accepted 151 Republican amendments.

    <

    p>Who are the Republicans who are willing to step up and negotiate the way Ted Kennedy did?

    • Why don’t you fight harder against the lies?

      <

      p>Glad someone asked it.

      <

      p>

      We do. We will. But some people only engage in partisanship.

      <

      p>Not fighting back hard enough if you ask me. So we should let these people win this fight to destroy health insurance reform just because they are OK with being partisan?

      • Really, or just holds and threats of filibusters?  I don’t recall anybody going on a talkathon lately.  This “we need 60 votes” mentality is exactly what gets us in trouble.

  23. Why don’t we point out all the things that public employees do?

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    p>JK – Baffled by the opposition.

    <

    p>What is the GOP plan?

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    p>Person on the floor – What is your premium?  
    JK – $12k/year
    Person – Why can’t we have that plan?
    JK – That’s what I proposed when I ran for President in 2004?

    <

    p>Another person – When you look at the 47 million uninsured, and take out illegal immigrants, people who choose not to get health insurance, people who are poor but don’t take advantage of public assistance, there are relatively few uninsured.

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    p>Some boos – JK implores all to be polite and listen.

    <

    p>Person – Why not encourage people to buy from the private sector?

    <

    p>JK – That’s part of the plan, similar to the health connector in Mass that puts together a menu of potential options.  But if you merely help people buy insurance in the existing system, you’re perpetuating the problem.

    <

    p>This is why the public option is so important.  It will encourage the private sector to be more efficient and effective…  Many systemic problems aren’t addressed in the private system we have, so we need to fix those systemic problems…  I just quoted you the costs…  This is why we have to fix it.

    • This is why the public option is so important.  It will encourage the private sector to be more efficient and effective…  Many systemic problems aren’t addressed in the private system we have, so we need to fix those systemic problems…  I just quoted you the costs…  This is why we have to fix it.

      <

      p>Did John Kerry really say this???  I have been waiting to hear this straight from the horses mouth since he caved on the 10 year trigger idea.  Awesome! Awesome!  

      • day it was posted on Huffington Post. It was based on anonymous sources and the writer did not bother to try to confirm the story with Kerry’s staff. The story also never made sense as it said that no one discussed the proposal – making it very unlikely there was a proposal.

        <

        p>Kerry was listed as for the public option NOW on Chris Bowers site and was listed for it on Dr Dean’s site.

        <

        p>Can we assume you will consider what Kerry said here – plus all his many statements and  statements from his office over a disputed, unsourced, unconfirmed article that doesn’t meet even high school journalsm standards?

        • the release of that statement by Kerry, whether true or not, damaged the fight for a public option.  While HuffPo did it’s job and corrected the original version, they do continue to claim that is was a suggestion, which appears to be the truth based Kerry’s spokeswoman’s response to that post.

          <

          p>So even though it was not a “proposal” by Kerry (this idea was first suggested/proposed by others), the reiteration of this suggestion/proposal was damaging to the fight for health care reform. It would have been better if he had not brought it up again.

          <

          p>Fortunately, the talking heads are no longer chattering about it.

          • Kerry’s statement denied that he wanted a trigger. How could that “hurt the publc option”? They had to issue the statement because the article was wrong. If his office did not dispute it, you would be claiming that not disputing it hurt the public option. The fact is that had the HP writer wrote a misleading article. You could clam that that article damaged the public option, but it is rather strange to say Kerry disputing it did.

            <

            p>The fact is that is that is every Senator on that committee likely discussed that option, because it was debated in committee. Kerry’s spokesman said he was for the public option day one. Kerry has been the strongest proponent of the public option on that committee.

            <

            p>The fact though is that not one Senator or Congressman is likely to have been influenced by the Huffngton Post’ gossipy article.  

            <

            p>It actually may be that the final plan has a trigger, but that will be because they need it to corral enough conservative Democrats – like Ben Nelson – not because of John Kerry.

  24. You say there’s a moral imperative, but it’s not in the constitution.  This grows big government and concentrates power among an elite, when in history has this ended well?

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    p>I’m 66, and I’m a big hypocrite because I’m on Medicare.  You haven’t warned us about the debt to future generations who are not here to speak?

    <

    p>JK   – This is an important question.  People are concerned for many reasons. Look at the bills – this doesn’t grow government power.  People are offered more choice under this plan.  If you like what you have, you can keep it…

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    p>You talk about big government, but today you have big corporations…. (deafening applause)

    <

    p>The fact is that I don’t know anywhere that involves health care… people getting sick through no fault of their own, do we want to live in a country where people have to go bankrupt to get health care?

    <

    p>Don’t want to mix politics and religion in an in appropriate way…. Nothing in any religion suggests, that when you help the sick, you should ask them “What insurance do you have?”

    <

    p>This is not a constitutional issue, this is a moral issue.

    <

    p>(shouting)

    <

    p>(your correspondent shouted “Order”)

    <

    p>All powers not granted to the government are granted to the people, and the people may choose to improve their health care…

    • people getting sick through no fault of their own…?

      <

      p>But isn’t it true that…

      <

      p>

      70% of all health-care spending-heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and obesity-are mostly preventable through proper diet, exercise, not smoking, minimal alcohol consumption and other healthy lifestyle choices.

  25. How do we alleviate the burden of health care for businesses large and small?

    <

    p>Mandates range from 10+ employees to 25+ employees?  That’s a lot of money.  Why not control or defray that cost?

    <

    p>The questioner went on with several example salaries and costs, JK interrupted with “I think I get the quetsion.”

    <

    p>(Not sure if this is a pro-public-option/pro-health-care-reform question or not.)

    <

    p>JK – Long ago we decided an effective way to deliver health care is through employers…  This is how most people get their health insurance.

    <

    p>If you choose not to cover people, you still pay for them in “the uncompensated care pool” – everybody passes on costs, eventually getting it back to people paying for care through increased premiums…

    <

    p>These costs end up going back to employers, which is why employers got together with the Commonwealth to work out a better system.

  26. JK – I agree with you.

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    p>Oceans polluted, oceans are overfished, JK has 4-5x the acceptable amount of mercury in his body.

    <

    p>Shouting guy – What about mercury in vaccines?
    JK – I’m not for mercury in any vaccines.
    Shouting guy – Yay!

    <

    p>JK – There are large dead zones where nothing will grow.  We see these problems all over the world.  JK and his wife wrote a book about these problems last year.

    <

    p>We’ve been going backwards, and this is critical to our health.  If we want to reduce the cost of our health care, we have to pay attention to the quality of our air, water, food, etc.

    <

    p>Last Question – Can’t afford health insurance, on unemployment, make too much to get a good policy, what should she do?  What will they do at the federal level for her?

    <

    p>Different bills do different things, but they have substantial assistance for people with income at 300% or 400% of the poverty level…

    <

    p>These plans are paid for, because we’re overpaying for emergency care for the folks eligible for the lowest cost plans.

    <

    p>Another way to pay for this is to add an excise on extremely expensive health care plans (currently an untaxed benefit)…

    <

    p>It’s not that complicated.  If you want people to have health insurance, you have to assess the benefits, and decide what you’re willing to do to get those benefits.  In the end, we all pay for those costs, when people are sicker and more expensive to treat.

    <

    p>The man knows the deal.

  27. It looks like a very informative and civil town hall. JK really gave excellent answers. Too bad we can’t get the single payer that Kerry probably prefers, too. Also great to hear that he will be going to Afghanistan soon. Our commitment there really needs to be reassessed.
    Thanks again, bowes!

    • and i didn’t hear him express any kind of love for it tonight. and he had plenty of openings to, if he wanted.

      <

      p>nothing that kerry said tonight was anything close to an endorsement of single payer. there was nothing like, ‘hey, i think it’s a great idea, but it’s going to be tough because  . . . ‘

      <

      p>thus the “15 ways to get this done” portion of his comments. which may have been the biggest ‘thanks, but no thanks’ to single payer supporters tonight.

      <

      p>without him saying it explicitly, it’s pretty clear that, as far as our only senator is concerned, single payer healthcare like the rest of the industrialized world has, is a dead fish.

      • “JK has talked about single payer in his committee and in the (Democratic?) caucus.”

        <

        p>Made me think that he at least brought it up and (of course) met with resistance.
        Believe me, I wish we could get single payer, too, but our current system is so entrenched that it would probably be impossible to get the votes for a complete overhaul.
        Hopefully we will get a public option at least. Ideally it would drive privates out of business eventually, but if it isn’t strong enough and forced onto an ‘even playing field’, that’s not going to happen.

  28. Unfortunately, this live event was not broadcast on NECN, WBZ, WHDH, or WCVB.  That should be a crime.

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    p>I hope, for all hope, that tomorrow they don’t just pick and choose the snippets where there were BOOS and anti shout outs and air those only.

    <

    p>It does seem that it was not one of those fully anti-reform stocked town meetings.  I hope John Kerry’s message is able to make to airwaves, newspapers, and hopefully, even national news.

    • For punting their obligations to the community.

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      p>Really a disgrace that big companies with millions of dollars in revenue like NECN, WBZ, WHDH, WCVB — and let me add WGBH and WBUR among others — have to leave it to little old BMG and bowes3 to cover this event. Viva new media!

      • in working against health insurance reform, by only reporting extensively on anti-health insurance reform sentiments, such as the stocked town halls during the summer.

        <

        p>This was the only on air news report I could find, it’s on NECN, and not even on their front page.  You have to search for it.

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