DuPage health care forum draws smaller crowd

Ready for a crowd of 600 to attend Tuesday's health care forum hosted by three Democratic DuPage County Board members, barely 100 showed.

Board member Dirk Enger said the event was still a success because it allowed residents to find answers to their questions about the national health care debate. He blamed the media for the low turnout while Republican colleagues questioned why their Democratic counterparts were hosting a forum on a topic where the board has no influence.

"We can influence the people we voted into Congress with this type of event," Enger countered.

Enger said he would send transcripts of the event to DuPage congressional leaders. The forum featured three speakers who all supported an overhaul of the nation's health care system. John Gaudette, the campaign director of Illinois Health Care, told the crowd mostly made up of supporters of health care reform that nearly half of the nation's annual health care is already covered by the government and still people are not insured.

"Too many people can't get what should be a service," he said.

Former Australian resident Stephen Challinor spoke about the benefits of nationalized health care in his native country and Jim Rhodes of the Illinois Single Payer Coalition stumped for that option and railed against the insurance industry.

Many in the audience spoke about problems getting necessary medications through their insurance carriers. Rhodes, who works as his physician wife's office manager, said cutting out insurers would save $400 million annually in health care costs because they wield too much power.

"My wife prescribed 60 pills for a patient and the insurance company decided that patient only needed 30 and my wife was overruled," he said.

The event lacked the fireworks of other health care forums around the country in recent months, but some opponents of President Barack Obama's reform efforts challenged Enger as to why the panel featured no voices of opposition. Enger said he invited DuPage congressional leaders to explain problems with health care reform, but none took him up on his offer. A table with five nameplates of congressional leaders sat empty on the stage for the duration of the event.

Naperville resident Tom Laz complained that the event was held during the week when Congress was in session and should have been held on the weekend.

"That empty table is a blatant attempt to embarrass the congressional delegates," Laz said. "I take issue with that."

Supporters of health care reform complained that Democratic congressional leaders weren't acting fast enough.

"If the roles were reversed and the Republicans had control of the White House and Congress they'd thumb their noses at the Democrats and do whatever they wanted," said Bloomingdale resident Michael Childress.

Republican county board members took issue with the estimated $5,600 price tag of the event that the county is picking up. The bulk of the cost came from hiring 20 off-duty Wheaton police officers to provide security for three hours at $65 an hour per officer. Enger offered to cover the costs personally if anyone complained.

"I would expect him to do that," said Republican board member Jeff Redick. "This was a political rally paid for by tax dollars. Health care has nothing to do with anyone's legal authority on the county board."