Many Residents Left Out of Capps’ Health-Care Forum

» Bravo Noozhawk!! on 09.02.09 @ 08:46 PM

Your title says it exactly how it was. Glad you are not tossing around the same spin Capps is trying to toss around. This was such sham of a “town hall”. Of course the real action was on the outside amongst those shut out - KEY news of course with the rest of her paid supporters and reserved seats INSIDE with a sign on the door saying “no signs allowed inside” the news cameras might pick up the true tone of the opposition that way. This is a representative democracy? This thing was completely controlled.

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» local on 09.02.09 @ 09:12 PM

They should have checked driver’s licenses at the door and anyone outside her district should not be allowed to come in. It is very easy to check zip codes. The purpose of the meeting is to have an exchange between our Congress Woman and the people that she represents. If they did get in the door and ask a question then they should be required to say where they live or leave. United Healthcare and American’s for Progress are busing paid operatives to townmeetings across the country. They are provided talking points with the goal of disrupting and scaring everyone attending.

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» Jim on 09.02.09 @ 09:32 PM

Controlled by the congressperson’s staff. It’s not like it really matters as Capps does whatever the powers that be tell her to. 

I can’t figure out why Capps could not have scheduled so that people that work, pay taxes, and are most concerned about this sham could get in line too wink..wink.

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» anon MD on 09.02.09 @ 09:58 PM

sbnative, please understand all the ‘death committees’ stuff is hyperbolic bunk. Your doctor should follow your wishes for end-of-life care, of which some scenario is destined for every one of us. Your comments in the past have been generally cogent, but don’t believe the baited talking points (referenced in your url). Such a discussion of wishes is really important for us all, and has nothing to do with economics, but all to do with your doctor following your wishes. People who frame their argument about health care with ‘death committee’ are not looking at the true aim of the legislation. For more info, look up ‘POLST’ (physician’s order for life sustaining treatment), or ask your physician (and definitely *fill one out*, remember Terry Schiavo?). This is endorsed by the California Medical Association and a number of representative physician’s groups. Ultimately, these discussions are aimed at following a patient’s wishes to celebrate one’s own life and dignity, and not merely to extend death, which certainly can be done but may not be in accord with ones own wishes. More info: http://www.ohsu.edu/polst/patients-families/faqs.htm
As for ‘death committees’, my own experience as a physician has seen more insurance companies, and our insurance system, act as death committees than anything you might imagine. I’m not saying the answers are simple, but we need to discuss rather than scream.

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» sbnative on 09.02.09 @ 10:09 PM

To “anon MD” - no argument people should have these discussions… not STRANGERS with the power to decide for them… since you interpret it one way and yet it can be interpreted another, isn’t it time for a bill that we can ALL understand??? This bill is not it! That is the point!!! WHY THE RUSH???? (Oh, that’s right. Poltical expediency, I forgot.)

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» It really doesn't matter on 09.02.09 @ 10:19 PM

The price will be paid at the ballot box. It is obvious Capps doesn’t care what YOU think. The tamest town halls have been the controlled ones of both Obama and Capps with pre-screened audience and questions. The real action was outside on the front steps. But the press was lured inside - kind of like ABC news at the whitehouse. Fascist socialism and propaganda is alive and well.

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» Clark Vandeventer on 09.02.09 @ 10:40 PM

Congresswoman Capp’s level of availability to the public is unacceptable. We hire these people to go to Washington to represent us and then they come back to Santa Barbara for a few days and act like the opportunity for us to meet with them is a high privilege limited to a very few. Those left on the outside didn’t miss much. Apparently Congresswoman Capps thinks that it is more important for her to tell us what to think than to actually listen to what her constituents have to say. Last week the Vandeventer Group hosted a real town hall where people could actually ask questions, voice their opinion, and state their beliefs with their own voice and passion. Congresswoman Capps ought to be willing to have that same give and take with the people who pay her to represent us.

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» That's SOOOOO Lame that people didn't get in! She' on 09.02.09 @ 10:53 PM

That’s SOOOOO Lame that people didn’t get in! She’s an AWFUL congresswoman

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» Who's Congressman Elton? on 09.02.09 @ 11:22 PM

I thought Capps was our congresswoman. We have a choice?

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» *sigh* more dumb-dumbs on 09.03.09 @ 12:43 AM

» It really doesn’t matter wrote on 09.02.09 @ 10:19 PM…
“Fascist socialism and propaganda is alive and well”

HAHAHA I hate to dignify your dumb-dumb comments, but you did make an unintentional funny!  Seeing that fascism is the promotion of private enterprise, unregulated capitalism and corporate ideology and socialism is the exact opposite….how can Lois and Obama be both?  Did you get those talking points from Sean Hannity?  I didn’t even need Wikipedia to prove your comments are bunk, it’s kind of like common knowledge.  I cannot believe dumb-dumbs like you are trying to control the health care debate.  You fail.

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» Whos the dumb dumb? on 09.03.09 @ 07:51 AM

Have we redefined fascism? because my dictionary says:

Fascism:
a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

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» AN50 on 09.03.09 @ 09:12 AM

I gotta say, sbnative you are becoming my hero. Keep up the good work! The progressives (only 20% of the voting public) think this is a progressive country. Only in their warped doublespeak mind.  60% of the voting population consider themselves to be conservative and the percentage goes up when it comes to economic matters. Why? We’re Americans, not Europeans. We don’t want a cradle to grave nanny state, thank you very much and we would rather work for our own benefit not some leaches. Good grief, even the downtrodden illegal immigrants flooding in here to get your progressive freebies understand the value of working for a living why can’t you libs?
There is not a sole in America that doesn’t see problems with healthcare costs and delivery. But ushering in the worst financial management system in the history of the universe, our government, to fix these problems is like throwing gasoline on a fire. The government WILL make it worse. Don, you can rant all you want, but for God’s sake man just look at the Feds track record will you? Forget all the partisan hyperbole and look at what they have DONE. Neither party is blameless. The reason the GOP is out of power is NOT because the country is liberal or progressive or moving that way. The GOP lost because they spent money like a DEMOCRAT and their conservative based punished them by staying away from the poles. When republican leaders do conservatism, they win. When they try to be like democrats they lose.
There is no doubt our country’s economy and thus the wealth it generates that provides the services we want (like healthcare) has been trashed by selfish, greedy criminals and scumbags. But the existence of these pariahs does not mean capitalism or conservatism is bad. And you cannot control these people by becoming a totalitarian socialist state. That only ensures that the greedy become public figures rather than private. Again, look at history. There is no need to repeat past errors. Deal with the greedy by flushing them out of their private ensconced homes and trot them down main street for all to scorn them. Greed must be dealt with at the personal and social level, never by government, who is just as susceptible to it. If you are a stock holder, and that means anyone who has a 401k or other pooled investment plan, you have a moral and fiduciary responsibility to hold the companies you are owners of, accountable. If you abdicate that responsibility to government you get the mess we have today. Socialism, for all practical purposes is nothing more than abdication of individual responsibility to the state. Our tipping in that direction over the last 4 decades has not produced a more responsible society, but less of one. And that my liberal and progressive friends is why Obamacare is getting the blow back it is today.

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» sbnative on 09.03.09 @ 10:33 AM

Thanks AN50 for the mention… since we’re both “operatives” we should meet at that place, you know, wink, wink. Say around 5 p.m. I’ll be at the bar having a Bombay Sapphire, two olives, up…

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» Lois-- the Lawyers on 09.04.09 @ 12:20 AM

Thats the problem, why wont you attack them—?????—paid off, and affraid..

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