What Others Are Saying

As the debate heats up in the Senate more and more people are speaking out, voicing their concerns about the pending legislation. Below are just a few quotes that we thought deserved repeating.

“What Others Are Saying”
Reactions to the Senate Health Care Reform Bill

“These bills, as they stand, are budget-busters.”
David Broder, “A budget-buster in the making,” The Washington Post, November 22, 2009

“[T]here are no provisions to substantively control the growth of costs or raise the quality of care. So the overall effort will fail to qualify as reform…. In discussions with dozens of health-care leaders and economists, I find near unanimity of opinion that, whatever its shape, the final legislation that will emerge from Congress will markedly accelerate national health-care spending rather than restrain it. Likewise, nearly all agree that the legislation would do little or nothing to improve quality or change health-care's dysfunctional delivery system.”
Dr. Jeffrey S. Flier, dean of Harvard University Medical School, “Health „Reform‟ Gets A Failing Grade,” The Wall Street Journal, November 17, 2009

“[T]here's not much reform in this bill. As of now, it's basically a big entitlement expansion, plus tax increases.”
Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, “A budget-buster in the making,” The Washington Post, November 22, 2009

“While this bill does a better job than the House version at reducing the deficit and controlling costs, it still doesn't do enough…. I worry about what the final bill will look like.”
Maya MacGuineas, president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, “A budget-buster in the making,” The Washington Post, November 22, 2009

“About the best that can be said about the Senate health care bill that Harry Reid revealed this week is that it's marginally less destructive than the House monster. By a hair. Its $1.2 trillion cost (more like $2.5 trillion if you discount the accounting gimmicks), multiple and damaging new taxes, and new regulations will make health insurance more expensive for most Americans while reducing the quality of medical care.”
Editorial, “The End of HSAs,” The Wall Street Journal, November 23, 2009

“What a good country or a good squirrel should be doing is stashing away nuts for the winter. The United States is not only not saving nuts, it‟s eating the ones left over from the last winter.” William H. Gross, managing director of the Pimco Group, “Wave of Debt Payments Facing U.S. Government,” The New York Times, November 22, 2009

“Americans shouldn't be fooled by this play-acting. The only way to improve this bill is to defeat it and start over.”
Editorial, “The Senate‟s Health-Care Act,” The Wall Street Journal, November 22, 2009

“Recently, the White House signaled that it will get serious about reducing the deficit next year – after it locks into place massive new health care entitlements. This is a recipe for disaster, as it will create a new appetite for increased spending and yet another powerful interest group to oppose deficit-reduction measures…. the bills are fiscally dishonest, using every budget gimmick and trick in the book: Leave out inconvenient spending, back-load spending to disguise the true scale, front-load tax revenues, let inflation push up tax revenues, promise spending cuts to doctors and hospitals that have no record of materializing, and so on…. Getting long-term budgets under control is hard enough today. The job will be nearly impossible with a slew of new entitlements in place.”
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, “The Coming Deficit Disaster,” The Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2009

Devin and Dave hit up the Million Med March

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, but that sure didn't stop concerned health care providers from showing up at the state capitol to voice their greivances with the government-run health insurance legislation coming out of the House and Senate.

Here was the main speaker for the event, Dr. Rich Roth




Here's a young man that came to listen to what the health care professionals had to say, but he also had a few ideas of his own!



The powers that be also thought it would be a good idea to put a megaphone in Dave's hand as well... this was the result.

Read the U.S. Chamber release on Ried's bill

A Missed Opportunity to Enact Meaningful Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today expressed disappointment with the newly released Senate health overhaul legislation, citing several provisions as improvements over other legislation, but pointing out core concerns the business community has voiced for many months that continue to be ignored by legislators.

“We acknowledge that there are improvements over other bills, including provisions that offer more choice and competition by allowing interstate compacts to purchase insurance, national plans that provide relief from some state barriers, and the ability for more small businesses to use pre-tax dollars to purchase health plans,” said Bruce Josten, executive vice president of government affairs at the U.S. Chamber. “But this bill still contains a government-run health plan and an onerous employer mandate, it taxes working Americans, slashes Medicare, spends over a trillion dollars, and—after all this—CBO tells us 24 million Americans will still not have health insurance.”

The Chamber continues to oppose the creation of a new government-run health plan, regardless of provisions that postpone their creation or allow a state to opt-out, because the state’s residents will still be taxed to fund the plan for residents of other states. In addition, the Chamber has criticized forcing employers who may not be able to afford it to offer government-approved health insurance to employees.  The Chamber believes the path to a healthier economy is to cut taxes, not to raise them by $500 billion.

 

“We will continue to work with legislators to try to achieve responsible and meaningful health reform,” Josten continued. “However, many parts of this legislation are a step in the wrong direction.  The bill now contains two AMT-like taxes that will eventually explode and hurt the middle class—the so-called ‘Cadillac’ plan tax, and the Medicare payroll tax. And why is there still no meaningful medical liability reform?  Is currying favor with the trial lawyers worth passing up $50 billion in CBO verified savings?” 

 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called for health reform that controls skyrocketing health care costs, ends pre-existing condition exclusions and allows everyone to purchase health plans at a fair price.  Reform needs to create a real, vibrant market where the nation’s more than 1,000 insurance companies will compete for business.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

LANDRIEU CONSIDERING VOTING FOR REIDS SENATE BILL!!!

IT LOOKS LIKE MARY LANDRIEU HAS FORGOTTEN THE LESSONS LEARNED WHEN SPEAKING TO CITIZENS OF LOUISIANA. WE NEED TO GET ON THE PHONE WITH HER AND HER STAFF NOW TO REMIND HER HOW LOUISIANA FEELS ABOUT GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE!

HERE IS HER OFFICE NUMBER IN DC
(202) 224-5824

CALL HER AND TELL HER THAT YOU ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF SENATOR REID'S BILL!

Congressman Cao delivers merged House bill to local libraries

Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao recently did the good citizens of New Orleans a solid: he had copies of the merged House bill sent to a number of local libraries. Read below for the entire release:

Cao Office Delivers Health Care Bill to Local Libraries

 
 
New Orleans, LA – Soon, Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District will have better access to the new House health care bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
 
By 3pm CST today, the Office of Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao (LA-2) will deliver the most recent version of the entire 1,990 page bill to the following 17 local libraries and 2 law schools.
 
Cao headed home from DC Thursday evening to digest the new bill. (SEE VIDEO HERE) He said: “I’m going to be spending my weekend reading every page of this bill to prepare for next week’s vote. The bill was just released yesterday and contains some major changes to the earlier proposals. I want to make sure that my constituents have an opportunity to read this bill, too because it will impact everyone.”
 
Orleans and Jefferson Parish constituents should be aware that the provided copies of the health care bill are reference documents only and cannot be removed from the institutions.
 
Congressman Cao has been extremely engaged in the national health care debate. He has met on several occasions with White House Health Care Czar, Nancy-Ann DeParle and hosted her during a public telephone town hall that went out to over 62,000 households. He has also had several briefings on the health care legislation from experts with the Congressional Research Service and hosted 11 health care town halls during August recess.
 
The bill is also available on his website at www.josephcao.house.gov .
 
 
Algiers Regional Branch
3014 Holiday Drive
New Orleans, LA, 70131
10 am - 7 pm, Mon. - Thurs.
10 am - 6 pm, Fri.
(504) 596-2641
 
Alvar Branch
913 Alvar Street
New Orleans, LA, 70117
10 am – 5 pm, Mon-Thurs & Sat
(504) 596-2667
 
Children's Resource Center
913 Napoleon Avenue
New Orleans, LA, 70115
10 am - 6 pm, Mon. - Thurs.
10 am - 5 pm, Fri.
1 pm - 5 pm, Sat.
(504) 596-2628
 
East New Orleans Branch
5641 Read Blvd
New Orleans, LA, 70127
10 am - 7 pm, Mon. & Wed.
10 am - 6 pm, Tues. & Thurs.
10 am - 5 pm, Sat.
(504) 596-0200
 
The Edith S. Lawson Library in Westwego                                 
635 Fourth St.
Westwego, LA 70094
10 am – 6 pm, Mon-Sun                   
(504) 349-5912                   
 
Gretna Library                                    
102 Willow Dr.
Gretna, LA 70053                                              
(in library parking lot of the library building)
10 am - 6 pm, Tues-Thursday and Saturday
 (504) 364-2716                  
 
Hubbell Branch
225 Morgan St.
New Orleans, LA 70114
504-366-0657
 
Jane O’Brien Chatelain                                   
2751 Manhattan Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058              
9 am – 9 pm, Mon-Thurs
9 am – 5 pm, Fri-Sat
1 pm – 5 pm, Sun
 (504) 364-2660                   
 
Lakeview Branch
6317 Argonne Blvd (at Harrison Ave)
New Orleans, LA 70124
10 am - 7pm, Tues., Wed. & Thurs.
10 am - 5 pm, Fri. & Sat.
(504) 596-2638
 
Latter Branch
5120 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA, 70115
9 am - 8 pm, Mon. & Wed.
9 am - 6 pm, Tues. & Thurs.
10 am - 5 pm, Sat.
12 pm - 5 pm, Sun.
(504) 596-2625
 
Live Oak Library
125 Acadia Dr.
Waggaman, LA 70094      
11 am – 7 pm, Mon-Thurs
(504) 736-8475   
 
Main Branch – Louisiana Division
219 Loyola Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-596-2560
 
Martin Luther King Branch
1611 Caffin Avenue
New Orleans, LA, 70117
10 am - 5 pm, Mon. - Fri.
(504) 596-2695
 
Mid-City Branch
330 N. Carrollton Avenue
New Orleans, LA, 70119
10 am - 7 pm, Mon. & Wed.
10 am - 6 pm, Tues. & Thurs.
10 am - 5 pm, Sat.
(504) 596-2654
 
Nix Branch
1401 S. Carrollton Avenue
New Orleans, LA, 70118
10 am - 7 pm, Mon. - Thurs.
10 am - 6 pm, Fri.
(504) 596-2630
 
Rosa Keller Branch
4300 S. Broad Street
New Orleans, LA, 70125
10 am. - 6 p.m., Mon. & Wed.
10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Tues. & Thurs.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sat.
(504) 596-2660
                                                                                                                       
Terrytown Library                                             
680 Heritage Ave.
Terrytown, LA 70056
10 am – 6 pm, Mon-Sat                    
(504) 364-2717                                                                                  
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                         
Law schools
 
Tulane Law School
Weinmann Hall
6329 Freret Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
 
Loyola Law School
526 Pine Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
 

###
 
 Princella Smith
Communications Director
Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao (LA-2)
2113 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
http://josephcao.house.gov/
 
Main: 202-225-6636
Direct: 202-225-3117
E-mail: princella.smith@mail.house.gov
SIGN UP FOR OUR E-NEWSLETTER!
 

A Weekend in Alexandria

While I typically reserve my Saturdays for SEC Football (GEAUX Tigers!), the debate over health care reform didn't take the weekend off, so neither did we. Saturday I went up to Alexandria, LA to discuss health care at the biennial Louisiana Federation of Republican Women Conference and met up with my cohort Devin in Lafayette that same afternoon.

While in Alexandria I had the pleasure of listening to countless concerned citizens and their concerns about the current propositions for health care reform, but two seemed to really stand out above the rest.

First, I was able to sit down with Clyde Holloway- Central Louisiana's Public Service Commissioner and former Congressman. Here's the video:




The next video is of Joyce Lacour, a member of the Republican Women, Baton Rouge Pachyderms, and all around informed citizen:

Trust the social worker

Donna Ganier owns her own small business and is a practicing social worker. She's the one that has to navigate the bureaucratic labyrinth that is government health care. Now, just why do you think she's opposed to a public option?

Landrieu Blasts Public Option!

Below is a story out of the Hill. Looks like Mary Landrieu is hearing and understanding our concerns!

Here is the link to the story on the Hill's website: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/64301-landrieu-blasts-public-option


Landrieu blasts public option

By Eric Zimmermann - 10/22/09 12:33 PM ET

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) echoed Republican criticisms of a public option today, suggesting it would bankrupt the country.Describing the public option as a "government-run, taxpayer subsidized, national insurance plan,"

Landrieu said it would likely replicate the problems faced by Medicare and Medicaid."Why don't we fix the two public options we have now instead of creating a third one," she told NPR's "Tell Me More."

Asked about polls showing public support for a government plan, Landrieu said the questions should be phrased differently."I think if you asked, do you want a public option but it would force the government to go bankrupt, people would say no," she said.

Landrieu suggested co-ops as a possible compromise.

Thirty Democratic Senators have pledged to only vote for a bill including a public option. Landrieu, obviously, is not one of them.

You know you're spoiled by a sub-tropical climate when...

Yes, it's 60 degrees and you're FREEZING!!! But I have to admit, I love the coincidence the day and subsequent weekend after that lady asks President Obama about cap and trade and green energy in the Town Hall meeting, prefacing the question with, "it's 90 degrees in the middle of October, something's not right," the temperature drops. Well it's 60 degrees now, happy? I didn't think so.

What does this have to do with health reform? Nothing, I'm just cold and embittered that that lady in the town hall jinxed us with cold weather. And so I'm beginning this entry by rambling a bit to keep my fingers moving so they don't freeze and fall off. But cap and trade and climate change are not the matter of this blog, health reform is. 

Above, as you can see, is another video blog entry featuring our friend David Huguenel at the University of New Orleans for President Obama's Town Hall. I had the pleasure of seeing the President, motorcade in tow, at MLK Charter School in the Lower 9. It was pretty spectacular. We set up some campaign signs along the drive route and waved some at the POTUS as he drove by. We're very grateful to President Obama for making health care reform such  a high priority. It's always a huge political risk to undertake something so massive and treacherous, and I cannot express the the respect I have for him showing the courage to take this on. I can only hope he takes to heart our message: spare small business additional taxes, foster competition and wellness, and don't create a new federal bureaucracy named 'public option'! 

I hope that last one comes as a given, but we can never be too perseverant. Especially in this chilly economic climate. More government inevitably means more taxes. Even the recently-passed-out-of-committee Baucus proposal means more taxes. Hopefully as debate progresses in the Senate and they begin to reconcile the ice-water-in-its-veins HELP bill with the less-than-tepid Finance Committee bill, some brave legislators (like our own Mary Landrieu?) will propose some amendments we can warm-up to. 

Until then, bundle up...

Louisiana Women on Health Reform

These are two great video testimonials we got from Louisiana women on health care. Both raise interesting concerns about some of the proposed health reform. First is Alicia Schlumbrect with here opinions on what she saw come of government-run health care overseas.



Next is Goldie Huguenel, former Patient Liason for Chairty Hospital and current recipient of Medicare Advantage:

PricewaterhouseCoopers' report on Baucus proposal = ALARM BELLS!!!

I know this debate has been raging for a fair while now, but if I remember correctly, at the onset of it all President Obama specified three simple criteria that need be met to receive his signature: increase access and affordability; decrease the cost curve over the long-run; and must be budget neutral. We've already gone through the motions with the public option and the CBO has made it crystal clear it misses the mark on two and a half of the three (not budget neutral, bends cost-curve up, increases access but makes private coverage less affordable....).

It has been readily said that the Baucus proposal is a step in the right direction, but still falls far short of those simple yet imperative benchmarks. The CBO tenuously projects it will reduce the deficit by $81 billion over the next decade. That's under the assumption that they are able to implement and maintain the "Permanent reductions in the annual updates to Medicare’s payment rates for most services in the fee-for-service sector (other than physicians’ services), yielding budgetary savings of $162 billion over 10 years" that would grossly inflate the cost of private insurance as providers charge them more for the services they provide below cost to Medicare recipients- who are conveniently expected to grossly increase over the next decade as the baby boomer generation retires. Hmmmm. The budget neutral quality of the proposal is on very shaky ground. Maybe this can be cleared up when there is actual legislation to accompany. 

Then there's access and affordability. It accomplishes this through a new insurance exchange and subsidies for families making up to 400 percent of the federal poverty line. The exchanges guarantee access, the subsidies guarantee affordability. Simple enough. It accomplishes this, but with an obvious cost. 

According to the report released earlier today by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the bill will actually bend the cost curve up for individuals, families and businesses. I'm assuming that fact will be somewhat effaced by the concurrent subsidies. Check out the report here. This is a fat lot of information to digest at once. Check it out. Let me know what you think.

Congressman Bill Cassidy Talks to the Campaign!

Over the past several months we've had the pleasure of speaking with citizens and hearing their concerns about health care reform. We've spoken to people from all walks of life, but today we had the pleasure of listening to Congressman Bill Cassidy- Louisiana's representative from the 6th Congressional District (Baton Rouge) and it was nothing short of fascinating. Watch the full video below:

Can we get the right reform for the needs at hand?

Otolaryngologist Dr. Michael Hickham speaks to us about his concerns regarding the potentiality of the government taking over our health care industry. He makes a whole lot of sense when he points out that of the 47 million people who are currently uninsured, only about 12 million of them are in trouble (ie: normal middle class Americans who simply can't afford it or have a preexisting condition). Listen to the doctor. As President Obama said during his campaign for presidency: don't use a hatchet for a job that should be done with a scalpel. Listen to the doctor, he knows the difference between the two.

Campaign volunteers cheer Sen. Landrieu

Volunteers for the Louisiana Campaign for Responsible Reform woke up on a muggy and dank Saturday morning to visit the InterContinental Hotel in New Orleans show support for our Senator, Mary Landrieu, who was speaking at a conference there to show our appreciation for her commitment to a bi-partisan solution to the health care woes facing our country.

Stay vigilant, things are still moving

Well folks, just when things seemed to be cooling off in the health care debate up in D.C., things are starting to heat up again! Earlier today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent out a release harshly criticizing the House Tri-Committee's health care proposal, H.R. 32000. They argue the bill as is will:

      •     Increase the federal debt and deficits

     •     Launch a massive federal bureaucracy for employer-sponsored insurance

     •     Force changes to current employer plans, regardless of whether employees liked the original plans

     •     Unfairly deny individual affordability credits to low and moderate income workers whose employers provide health insurance

     •     Tie up substantial resources of employers, insurers, and providers to adjust to a wide variety of new rules and changes

     •     Reduce spending under Medicare, but not direct those savings to address the problem of unfunded obligations under Medicare.

     •     Fail to reduce the rise in national health care costs

 To see the entire study, visit http://www.uschamber.com/publications/reports/090925healthcare

But that's not all. Things look a bit brighter on the senate side, but we're still not quite there. There are numerous ways to improve upon Sen. Baucus' proposal, and luckily for us, the Chamber has pointed them out to him. Click the following to download their letter to the Senator: 090923_HealthCareBaucusMark_Bau

Talk'in Health Reform in the Big Easy...

This past Saturday was perfect. Weather was beautiful, there was a brisk breeze coming off of Lake Pontchatrain, and we weren't at a loss when it came to finding people that are concerned about health reform.

That being said, let the testimonials begin!

Here is Trey Roberts, whose expertise lies in finacial services. Here is his take on the problems with government-run.




**FYI** We're actually having a technical difficulty with our second testimonial, but it will be up in the next 24 hours, so keep checking back for updates!

GEAUX Health Reform!

This weekend was a knockout! Even the stormy weather couldn't stop us from getting people involved in our campaign, and it certainly didn't quell the enthusiasm of Louisiana citizens as they gave us their stories on health care.


Below is a video testimonial from Walter Diaz, who worked in the EMS system (he was an emergency responder) and told us about the abuses he saw first hand of the health care system. Long story short: Fix the fraud and waste and you'll find ways to make health care more affordable and thus more accessible to the uninsured.

Rep LaBruzzo speaks to the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform

Earlier today, State Representative John LaBruzzo from Metairie took a few minutes of his time to field a few questions and give us his reasons why the public option is not an option. 

A Day at the Chamber...

Today Devin and I stopped by a meeting of the Jefferson Parish Chamber of Commerce. We were astounded by the great speakers they had lined up and were inspired by the following two gentlemen.

First is Mike Mitternight, a local small business owner who not only offers his employees health insurance but pays 100% OF THEIR PREMIUMS! And guess what... he's doing it without a mandate! Listen to what he had to say:



The next speaker, Mike Bertaut, was an absolute knock out. I'm an uber-geek and love seeing statistics and cold hard data (remember, I own my own company that does this stuff!) and he had plenty to offer while making his case on the dangers of government intrusion into the health insurance industry.

Landrieu Not Interested in a Public Option

On Sunday Senator Mary Landrieu had the "last word" on CNN's State of the Union. Here is a video of what she had to say about health care reform.

D&D Make it to Mary's Town Hall in Reserve, LA

We had another exciting trip to the river parishes of Louisiana yesterday. Below are just a couple of the many concerned citizens we spoke to. I'm not going to waste much of your time with me trying to recount everything from memory- just check out the videos and see what you think!

First, here are a few clips from the town hall meeting:



This young gentleman said it best: Bi-partisan reform is the way to go!



This next one was a great conversation we had. She mentions all sorts of effective ways to reform health care AND NO MENTION OF A PUBLIC OPTION!

Reserve Town Hall RoboCall Vid

I know it's not the most impressive video ever made, but I"m very proud of myself for navigating the confounding landscape of iMovie. Yes, I know, Macs are supposed to be simple, but it was my first time. My reward: you coming to the town hall meeting to meet Dave and I and thank Senator Landrieu for coming out against the public option.

Recess Rallies, Town Hall Meetings, and Mary Landrieu, Oh My!

South East Louisiana has seen its fair share of health care debates this week. Congressmen Ahn Cao from New Orleans and Steve Scalise from Metairie held several town halls discussing the current health care legislation in Washington with their constituents. If one thing was made clear it was this: Louisiana is in no mood for government ran health care.

This was only further proven by the "Recces Rally" held this weekend. Citizens gathered in their communities throughout the country to voice their concerns about a public option and its implications concerning health care reform. Throngs of people gathered at the memorial park at Causeway and Veterans Blvd and were extremely vocal in their criticisms.

Now, citizens have a chance to talk to their senior Senator in Washington, Mary Landrieu. She will be hosting a town hall meeting in Reserve, LA on Thursday to talk about health care reform. Here at the Louisiana Campaign for Responsible Health Reform we have been very vocal in our gratitude towards Senator Landrieu putting her constituents first when fighting for true health care reform. She has publicly opposed a public option and has made sure that small businesses have a voice in the process.

So be sure to be out there Thursday and thank her for fighting the political forces in Washington. If you are a small business owner, or and employee of a small business, this is THE town hall to attend.

See you there!

Is it too early to say "we're winning"?

It may be my imagination, but i think our campaign is working. Numerous sources are saying the White House is backing off the public option. And if what we've seen in Louisiana is any indication of the rest of the nation, the people are grateful. Now that the spotlight seems to be fading from the national schism over the public option, it's time to get down to work.

The tenants of health reform, as stated by the POTUS are simple and straightforward: budget neutrality; bending the overall cost curve downward; and making access more available, affordable, and unbiased. Seeing as the public option fails to meet the first two of these benchmarks, it's understandable that they're moving away from it.

A good place to start would be reforming the existent federal programs so they run effectively. We're already spending more on them than we supposed to, yet practitioners and institutions aren't getting reimbursed for services they provide. This pushes up the cost of everyone's premiums and medical bill. We need to find the waste and eliminate it. Throwing more money at it or adding another bureaucracy obviously isn't the answer.

Day Five: Wrapping up in Shreveport

Friday could only be described as bitter sweet as we wrapped up our first state tour for the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform. Being away from home for a week, living out of hotel rooms was trying and both Devin and I were excited to get home to our own beds, but the excitement of traveling the state and meeting concerned citizens was one of the more interesting and educational experiences of our lifetimes.

So as I’m sitting here thinking about how to summarize the day, I can’t help but look back at some of the more memorable moments of the entire trip. First, I have to say that the testimonials we received were astounding. The stories people gave us about their own experiences with health care and their concerns over the creation of a public option speak for themselves. However I think what probably didn’t translate in the videos we posted was the overall gratification of citizens for Devin and I, a Democrat and Republican, to get out there and talk about health care in a bi-partisan manner.

I’ll be posting more on the blog in the next few days about what’s going on with the campaign- so be sure to keep checking back for updates. Also, we need your help to spread the word about our mission so PLEASE ask your friends and family to visit us here and to register at www.responsiblehealthreform.com.

Day Four: On a Roll On the Road!

Well ladies and gents’ this is our fifth blog post for the tour and all I can say is that our experience gets better by the day! We spent our morning in Monroe getting people involved in our campaign and we received more signatures than any other stop. We had people of every race, color, and creed asking how they can get involved in the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform. There was also a great article written about our stop in Alexandria that you can read here:

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20090813/NEWS01/908130317/1002

Furthermore we received a GREAT testimonial from a citizen of Monroe that actually lived in Europe who saw first-hand the result of government ran healthcare. Here’s the video:



KNOE Channel 8 News in Monroe also did an interview with Devin and I today that you can see on their website, www.knoe.com. We also did interviews with the Ruston Daily Leader and Minden Press-Herald on our way to Shreveport, so keep an eye out for those.

FROM DEVIN

As David mentioned, we had a very eventful day today in Monroe and the following press stops. As we go along we seem to gain more and more traction; I can’t begin to describe how enthused this makes us. It’s great to see the increasing responsiveness we’re getting from the constituents. But I can only hope that our message sticks with them and they communicate the same to their friends and relatives. What we’re doing only really matters if the people we see spread the word. We’re relatively fortunate here in Louisiana that our representatives in Washington are on the same page. Many other folks aren’t so lucky. So for all you non-Louisianans out there reading our blog, GET INVOLVED!!! If you’re out there, leave a comment, let us know how we can help you get mobilized.

Day Three: Citizens of Alexandria make their cases known!

I must say, we seem to be gaining momentum as we go along. Our outreach events seem to be drawing more attention from citizens and media the more time we spend on the road. Not only are we touching more people, stressing the necessity of responsible health reform, but the people we do interact with seem to be increasingly enthusiastic and engaged. I have to toss in a grateful shout out here to the Alexandria Town Talk and KALB Channel 5 for promoting our tour; that undoubtedly contributed to the response we received today.

One good tale from the day came from Ferrin Dubose, a 74-year old small business owner in Alexandria who shared with us his concerns of a proposed health care bill’s potential affect on the solvency of his business. Check it out:



Also of note is that our friend Johnny Adriani from New Orleans brought us some goodies from our home base. As you may have noticed from David’s video blog, we have new handouts, including the official campaign pushcards, delightfully witty notepads, and cute little first aid bandage kits. Maybe it was the additional bric-a-brac that made today so successful…

THIS IS DAVE!

It seems that every day tends to have its own theme as we travel the state and the theme we got from the citizens today was very clear: don’t penalize small businesses for not being able to afford health coverage for their employees. Frankly, I would write more but the testimonial given to us by Mr. Dubose sums up the plight of small business owners perfectly. Keep checking for updates and we’ll see you in Monroe!

Day Two: Campaign picks up speed in Lake Charles.

Today couldn’t have gone any better. The residents of Lake Charles met us with excitement, enthusiasm, and overwhelming support of our cause. Sitting outside of the local Wal-Mart we were met with people of varying backgrounds economically, racially, and in age but the response was clear: NO TO GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTHCARE!

One interesting part of the day was when we met a gentleman by the name of Clevance Cormier Jr, an Obama supporter who’s extremely disappointed with the state of health care, and the proposed reform coming from the White House. Currently enrolled in Medicare Part D, Mr. Cormier faces outrageous costs for prescription drugs due to his doctor’s inability to prescribe the correct dosages due to bureaucratic entanglements. He mentioned that he would much rather see a reform of the Medicare D program before we launch a new trillion dollar layer to that bureaucracy.

Here is a brief clip of what Mr. Cormier had to say:



That wasn’t the only interesting conversation of the day. One of the best moments came when a recent inductee to the local Tea Party organization spotted our table from across the parking lot and asked us about our mission. As soon as we could say “No public option” the gentleman was signing a postcard, signing up on our website, and begging for more information on the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform.

To sum it all up: we have yet to meet one person in favor of government-run healthcare. As our tour presses on I have the fact that we have a delegation in Louisiana that is truly in tune with the needs of their constituents.

THIS IS DEVIN!

Today was an eventful day, as David mentioned. Clevance offered us some very keen insight into the state of Medicare Part D and simultaneously presented fair reason for concern over the public option. But on a latter point he’s wrong. I did meet one woman today who was for the public option. Of course, I was a good fifty feet away from our table coming out of the Lake Charles Wal-Mart when the conversation occurred so there’s no way for him to know about it until he reads this… or I tell him.

Nonetheless, I did in fact meet a woman who was for the public option today in Lake Charles, except, she still appreciated what we were doing. She was glad we harbor a healthy skepticism over Congress’ rushed movements. “That’s part of the process,” she said.

Day One: Lafayette

I must admit, I was a bit surprised by how the day turned out. Watching the news over the weekend gave me the impression that health care reform was paramount in the mind of all Americans. Watching the frightening tales of fights at town hall meetings, a congressman hanged in effigy and getting multiple emails daily from the Democratic listserves I'm signed on to, I drew the conclusion that everyone knew about the substance of the debate and everyone had an opinion about it. I was wrong.

A young woman came up to our booth today to see what we were doing, why we were sitting out in the 95-degree muggy heat. I explain to her that we were concerned about the tone of the national debate on health care and we wanted to impress upon the constituents of Louisiana the importance health reform beyond the public option. That there are many individuals and small businesses that can’t afford health insurance and that the government can help solve this without taking over the health industry.

She didn’t have health insurance and she was vaguely opposed to the public option, but she had never considered the fact that health reform and government-run health care are not synonymous. She got surprisingly excited to sign on to the campaign after I explained that the government could make it easier for small businesses to afford coverage by allowing them to pool their employees, that our own Sen. Mary Landrieu co-sponsored a bill that would incentivize individuals to get coverage with tax deductions, and that these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg.

This was not an isolated incident. Nearly everyone David and I spoke to didn’t really think much of health reform beyond the public option, and even on that subject there was little opinion- and almost everyone we spoke to had no health insurance. I was blown away. These are the very people who should be most vocal in the debate.

But I find this to be as encouraging as it was startling. What we are doing is all the more important precisely because the people most in need of health reform are not engaged. We’ve got a lot of work to do.

On that note, this also means that Obama’s administration and our Congress have a lot of work cut out for them. If what we saw today is a decent cross-section of Louisiana then it’s clear that there is a general lack of knowledge on the issues surrounding health care. That said, how can we expect truly responsible reform without clearly identifying what that reform is to the people that it matters most to: the uninsured.

THIS IS DAVE HERE!

Just to quickly add to Devin's take on the day, I just want to mention that the support for the cause driving the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform was clear-- passers by mentioned their disdain for the current administration's handling of the debate. In fact it seems clear at this point that the arguments going on are less about the substance of the bill but the iron curtain of uncertainty that surrounds it. While there is a lot of criticism of the conservative activists at townhall meetings (most of it deserved), perhaps this could have been avoided if the Obama administration had decided to have an open dialogue with citizens sooner in the process...

Hitting the Road

The air was charged this morning. It felt more like anticipating Christmas than the hot and sultry New Orleans summer Sunday it was. Today wasn't a typical day in the Big Easy-- it was a day filled with packing belongings, saying goodbye to friends and family, and preparing for a historic trip through the great state of Louisiana.

Why you ask? Well the reason is as necessary as it is exciting. I, David Huguenel, and Devin Johnson were to hit the road, working with Louisiana citizens to determine, "What is responsible health reform?"

Devin, a tried and true democrat and I, a Republican, decided to hit the road on behalf of the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform. The debate over health reform has taken many twists and turns during the past few months; between beltway Democrats crying for politically expedient bills passed prematurely and Republican activists trying to drown out opposition in what can only be explained as a crude and crass manner. The conflicting ideologies between right and left had dissolved dialogue to the point of, "Now, Now, Now," vs, "No, No, No."

It was out of this tense and stagnant context we realized the need of bi-partisanship in the health care debate. Thus our campaign for truly responsible health reform.

We have one goal: To offer a moderate voice and allow the citizens of Louisiana to posit ideas and solutions to lower the costs of health care and find inventive ways to provide coverage to the uninsured.

So for the next week we will be traveling through the state -- hitting cites, towns, and villages -- to talk about the issues and listen to the citizens. We're starting in Lafayette, which will be followed by Lake Charles, Alexandria, Monroe, Shreveport, and New Orleans. Throughout the process we'll be posting videos of testimonials of every day Louisianians telling us what responsible reform means to them. We may end up including some travelogues and interviews as well. Who knows what the final product will look like? There's a long road ahead!