Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009

Jenkins' visit greeted by a full house

by Kenneth Lassiter

As compared to recent national news footage of “town hall meetings” on government issues, the capacity crowd that greeted U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins at the Oskaloosa Public Library Aug. 13 was subdued, but concerns from both ends of the political spectrum were heard.

Jenkins made the stop as part of her three-week “Congress to Kansas” listening tour that began with a visit to Topeka Aug. 12. Her stop in Oskaloosa was cut short only by the need to make a scheduled visit to her hometown of Holton later in the afternoon.

In the hour-long forum, Jenkins and some of the nearly 100 attendees predominantly discussed health care reform, the federal stimulus package, and a proposed energy tax. Jenkins’ aides passed around handouts criticizing the energy tax and its effect on Kansas families as well as the proposed health care reform legislation and the level of spending in the federal government.

Jenkins appeared shocked at the size of the crowd and joked that she was expecting “around 10 people.” The crowd in the meeting room in the back of the library was standing-room only, with some overflow crowd standing in the small corridor just outside the room.

Jenkins gave a short introduction before opening the floor for questions. A statement that she had been “voting no on about every major piece of legislation” was greeted with a round of applause from the crowd, although Jenkins also pointed out she has supported an alternate plan in each case. As for health care reform, which is the hottest topic in federal government news, Jenkins said she was opposed to the current bill in the House as it represents to her a government takeover of the health-care system.

“I can’t support any plan that would put a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor,” Jenkins said.

Mark Bryant of Lake Ridge Estates in rural Ozawkie asked which bill Jenkins was referring to, and she answered HR3200. She said she is still working through the lengthy bill language in detail. Bryant asked if she would also support repealing Medicare, as it is government-operated health care.

“There’s a big difference between a targeted group and a universal government plan for all,” Jenkins replied. “I don’t know how government would insert itself in this marketplace without taking it over. If that happens, you’ll see the private companies fleeing the marketplace.”

Jenkins was asked about her support of a bill that provided funding for Planned Parenthood, as she has stated she would not vote for anything pro-abortion. Jenkins replied that the Democrats had introduced a bill prohibiting federally funded abortions that included the provision for Planned Parenthood funding. She said it would be unconstitutional to pull that funding out and approve the bill.

“You can’t pull funding from one group just because you don’t like them,” Jenkins said. “It came down to where I could maybe win a few votes with the right-to-lifers or I could uphold the Constitution, and that’s what I chose to do. I’ve said all along I’m not gonna go to Washington and play politics. If you think I was gonna go there just to stick it to the other party, that’s something I’m not gonna do.”

Jenkins said she supported an alternative Republican health care reform plan, and the most important part of any successful plan would be tort reform to change the laws to control the amount of lawsuits filed in medical cases.

The forum wasn’t without its heated moments. Local resident Dave Merritt said the country has been getting “socialistic and getting worse” since Franklin Roosevelt was in office and said the government took control of General Motors and now wanted control of health care. Merritt was asked by another attendee if he planned to accept his Social Security. Merritt referred to some contentions that the government would have “death panels” to determine end-of-life care by comparing some plan supporters to assisted suicide Dr. Jack Kevorkian and Saddam Hussein.

Another attendee said he was troubled with the political tactics of introducing new legislative measures in the middle of the night. Jenkins agreed that was a concern, and said what surprised her most about coming to Congress was how much control the majority party has.

“If you don’t get a bill until 3 a.m. and you’re supposed to be voting on it that same day, that’s tough,” Jenkins said.

Oskaloosa optometrist Dr. Jeannette Holland spoke out in support of health care reform, one way or another. She said she was in favor of reforming it in part through small business incentives. Jenkins said that was in the GOP reform plan. Holland said the government needs to stop providing care for those who aren’t American citizens and malpractice reform also needs to be included. She said time that could be spent with patients currently is spent filling out paperwork, including paperwork to prove no fraud or abuse is ongoing with her practice. Jenkins replied the GOP plan would address many of Holland’s concerns.

“No one is saying we don’t need reform, but the devil is in the details,” Jenkins said.

Some attendees spoke to say the government can’t afford to pay for the reform at this point. Another said everyone needs the ability to have insurance coverage at a reasonable rate. Jenkins said the federal government should be a safety net for people who can’t care for themselves, but cited statistics 20 percent of the uninsured are not American citizens, another 23 percent qualify for Medicaid and choose not to get it, and another chunk can afford insurance but choose not to have it.

Joye Huston, former chief executive officer of the Jefferson County Memorial Hospital in Winchester, said there is a need for access to health care for more Americans but said she has been distressed by the “misleading ways” the plan has been presented by President Barack Obama. She said the proposed plan would eliminate a program that greatly helped to fund the Winchester hospital.

Problems with national health care in Canada were brought up, and Jenkins said she had heard “horror stories” about the way that system works.

Another attendee disagreed with the “Cash for Clunkers” part of the stimulus package that allows the trade-in of an old, fuel inefficient vehicle for a new one with a financial boost from the government on trade-in. Jenkins, who said she has never bought a new vehicle, said she voted against the program as well as the stimulus package as a whole. She said the program would get people spending on vehicles for six days, and then dealerships would have to make do over the next six months when no one is buying.

“It seems ridiculous to me,” she said. “You’re encouraging people who can’t afford it in the first place to go buy a new car? Why would you do that?”

Jenkins said the government would not be bringing Guantanamo Bay inmates to Kansas. She said she had visited the prison there and the detainees were being well cared for and should stay there.

Jerry White of Lakeside Village asked Jenkins what effect the health care reform plan would have on veterans. Jenkins said she hoped people realize that a free insurance option has to be paid for by somebody. She also said it is true that there is a provision for Congress members to be exempted from the plan, which she said is telling. An attendee had concerns about pre-existing conditions and how they would be handled. Jenkins said the Republican plan would require coverage regardlesss of pre-existing conditions.

Jenkins encouraged attendees to contact their legislators. She said attendees could follow her progress at the website lynnjenkins.house. gov.

Jenkins said her top fear since going to Washington has been the financial state of the country.

“I’m a CPA,” Jenkins said. “I went to Congress to save the world and balance the budget. We cannot continue to spend money the way we’re spending money. We’re mortgaged out the wazoo.”

Jenkins shortly after concluded the session to head to Jackson County.

The Kansas Democratic Party was already taking action to counter Jenkins’ statements in Topeka the previous day. The KDP took issue with a panel of health care representatives Jenkins had with her in Topeka to answer reform questions, as communications director Tyler Longpine stated the panel “spread information” and Jenkins had “offered no solutions of her own.” In response to Jenkins’ statements in Topeka that she had an alternative reform plan but “hadn’t been invited” to share it, Longpine, on behalf of the KDP, extended an invitation for her to release more details of the plan.

The White House also recently launched www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck to counter Internet rumors about the reform plan.