Senators not OK with town meetings

There is no single health care reform plan. A number of proposed plans are in the Washington, D.C. legislative process, behind closed doors. In addition, there is no administration list of the major problems with the U.S. health care system and the corresponding Obama administration-proposed solution for each item.

Yet, President Obama claims it is truly scary if we do nothing. He used the same scare tactics to rush through the 1,000-plus page, $787 billion stimulus package that most of our elected representatives voted for without even reading it. The fact is the stimulus has not worked, and only 10 percent of the funds have actually been spent. President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate President Harry Reid back loaded much of the stimulus money to be spent many years into the future and not on stimulus projects; the public was "misinformed" by the administration. In fact, most of the "misinformation" on health care reform comes from within the Obama administration itself. President Obama says there is no additional cost; the Congressional Budget Office says there is a huge future cost. President Obama says the goal is not nationalized health care; Barney Frank says national health care controlled by the government is the long term goal. President Obama talks about 47 million not insured; media research has demonstrated that the number is closer to 20 million.

Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called the disruptions by vocal protesters at town hall meetings "simply un-American." Senator Arlen Specter says the angry protesters are "not representative of Americans." Senator Claire McCaskill said she doesn't understand the rudeness. Pelosi, Hoyer, Specter and McCaskill are obviously much more comfortable in the Washington, D.C. committee meeting environment. There, they control the agenda, select who can attend, determine who can speak and when; to them, that is the American way.

Joseph Snyder

Wheaton