American Morning
Mom strikes nerve at town hall
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/12/abrams.katy.cnn.art.jpg caption="Katy Abram, the mother whose comments drew attention at a town hall meeting, explains what got her so fired up."]
There has been a lot of rage and anger at the health care town hall meetings taking place across the country.
Katy Abram is a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom who showed up at Senator Arlen Specter’s town hall in Lebanon, Pennsylvania Tuesday. Her comments and questions struck a nerve with the audience, garnering a standing ovation.
Abram spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Wednesday.
Kiran Chetry: Did you know at the time when you showed up to ask the question that that would be the response from people in the crowd?
Katy Abram: No. I didn't even know that was the question I was going ask, to be honest with you.
Chetry: You said that you are a conservative and a Republican but not somebody who is really into politics, the day-to-day politicking out there. What made you change your mind when you told the senator “you’ve awakened a sleeping giant”? How did that happen?
Abram: Over the past couple months, I have seen on the news how they were doing the T.A.R.P. package and trying to bail out banks and auto companies, and I saw a lot of really reckless things and the next thing I see is the health care reform that they’re bringing through – nationalized health care. That really was the nail in the coffin for me, I guess you could say. That woke me up.
Chetry: What is your health care situation? We said you are a stay-at-home mom. How many kids do you have? Are you covered?
Abram: Yes, my children and I. I have a 7-year-old daughter, named Madeleine. … A little 4-year-old, named Sam. … And we have a health savings account. We are self-employed and so we pay for our own health care insurance. We have a high deductible. We pay out towards our insurance every month and typically every year we are paying for our own health care, doctors visits and everything ourselves.
Chetry: Do you think that health care in our country, in general, could be improved?
Abram: Absolutely. … I don't know everything about health care. I know that it's not a perfect system. But I don't necessarily believe that having the government in control of it is the solution. I have never seen them do anything that has worked, to be honest with you. So the last thing I want them to have control of is my health care.
Chetry: You said to Arlen Specter, “What are you going to do to restore this country back to what our founders created, according to the Constitution?” What did you mean by that?
Abram: What I meant by that is when – from the little bit that I have read, you know, I am not – was never a history major. This is, like I said, new to me. I have been reading about the founders. I have been reading the Constitution. And the founders did not look to the government as being the solution for the problems in this country. It doesn't say in the Constitution: give out free health care to people, bail out the auto companies, do all these things. The people in this country can be self-sufficient and take care of ourselves. I am just looking for the government to get the heck out of my way.
Chetry: Were you happy with the response you got from Arlen Specter?
Abram: You know, honestly, I think that the true response will be what happens when this bill is brought over to the Senate. My understanding is it’s in Congress right now so it hasn’t necessarily crossed the line over into the Senate. So the proof is in the pudding. We will see what he does.
Chetry: The thing is that when we hear from you, and we heard from you at the town hall forum, you were expressing an opinion and wanted to get questions from your leaders. As you can see in some of these cases things have certainly gotten out of control. We have seen people superimposing pictures of Hitler with President Obama, saying things like “you’re going to kill Grandma.” How do you think that the debate spiraled out of control that now people are claiming there are death panels where you will be judged and if you are deemed not worthy to be saved, you will not be worthy for health care. How did we get so far away from some of the valid issues and concerns that are out there?
Abram: I think – my opinion is that I think this has gotten so out of control because we are looking at two separate parties. You’re looking at the Democrat Party and the Republican Party. I have been a member of both. Now I look at them and they seem exactly the same to me. I don't see a difference. I don't see anybody standing up for the people of this country…
Chetry: We are just trying to figure out, I guess, where all of this turned so…
Abram: Where it went sour?
Chetry: Yeah, where things went off the reservation in some cases. This town hall, there was a police presence at that one, right? Security had to pull some people out. People were yelling back and forth at each other. Why?
Abram: The town hall that I attended – I was so proud of the people of Lebanon and people from surrounding communities that had come there. Because any time somebody would try to speak up and be loud, who wasn't on the microphone, you would hear a hush, “shhh,” across the crowd. Because, the last thing – those of us who feel the same way I do – we don't want to be disrespectful. We don't want to be part of the angry mob mentality. We just want to be heard by our senator. That's all that we are asking. You know, I am not somebody that is going to go in there and, you know, I don't know, cause trouble. All I wanted to do was go in there and ask my question.
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I wonder how many of you Hellthcare supporters who think this woman was evil feel now?...or did pelosi and ried bribe you all too in more shady backroom deals
Billy- yeah i saw that and notice he like you was not able to answer any questions? all Barney could do was say Obama feels good and how dumb people like us were for not blindly trusting Obama. dude.its YOUR PLAN..its YOUR job to be able to clearley explain it. its YOUR job to give the "transparancy" that Obama promised. its YOUR JOB TO CONVICE US, NOT OURS TO SUPPORT YOU Obama cannot even begin to explain whats in it, how much, how to pay for it, what its going to cover, what should it cover what shhould it not cover, how to regulate it.. the fact that obama cannot answer any of these questions in combination with his panicked attempt to blindley rush bills through proves im RIGHT! And even his own party, and supporters are saying to calm downand slow up on the drunken sailor spending spree he is on using OUR money. just because you blindley trust him to spend your money bettter than you does not mean i have to and are any less intelligent for not or My life is miserable. im not rich like you want to believe. but i take care of myself. This is something we all should do.not demand like children the govt support us at the cost of others. Im not seeing the bad im seeing REALITY. Now the conversation has ended.....i win
jmz, barny frank had it right on national tv. trying to talk to folks like you is like trying to have a conversation with a dining room table. keep being negative and seeing the bad in everything and you will lead the miserable life you deserve. END OF CONVERSATION PERIOD.
But thats it.How can they be so different than the previous admin when they are doing the same things and using the same policies. The baliout(which i disagree with) was part of bush's tarp program. And remember the housing crisis was caused in part by cinton and his whole Acorn program. Like i said i find it interesting that Obama uses the same things as bush. If it goes well then it it was obamas glorious plan..when it fails its because bushes fault. If Obama wants to "reverse" damage from bush..then he needs totake govt OUT of private life and industry, not put it in deeper. I userstand bush was a jerk...but we are letting Obama do things bush would have/should have NEVER been allowed to do and its wrong. we have gone from trying to fight 1 wannabe dictator to giving away our freedom to another. The govt can either take over or stay out of, but it cannot provide competition. And again nnoone except me is even addressing current mismanaged govt run programs individual responibility in their own health and their own cost in healthcare. and i garuntee the govt will. by increase taxation/outright banning they will control more and more private life to "dcrease healthcare costs. you keep thinking that the govt is incappable of corruption and your wrong. does Obama have to cause another civil war or declare marshall law for people to realize this.
jmz this is the first group of politicians that i think i feel quite good about. in my openion they're trying to right the many things that were left from the previous admin. don't have time to list them all here, i'm surely convinced that no president in the history of this country has inherated such problems. i traveled all of my adult life all over this globe, retired airline pilot, lived in england and germany for a period of time also, so i think i am able to converse from a relative knowledgable position on a number of topics especially since i,m well read and look to a number of sources to draw my conclusions about any topic. this is a problem with most people, including a lot of my dear friends. they expound on the things they heat on talk radio and the media, a lot of which i know for a fact is pure rederic, mind you i said i know for a fact. for one thing these bills that are being discused arent even out of commitee as yet, there is no bill as of the present from the house or senate. they are still a work in process.so believe what you will, dont believe there is any way to change a persons mind who is convinced already because he or she is in complete agreement with the source of thier knowledge be it righr or wrong. in the case of this health care reform, will someone please enlighten me as to why this wasen't reformed or changed when the gop was in power for 8 yrs. the drug precription bill was inacted remember? did nothing to adress the high cost of health care. they were completely satisfied with the system because the large corp. were the ones that were reaping the huge profits. the little guys were paying the bill. enough said. a bit of advice. try and think positive about things, look for the good in everything. you will live a happier and healthier life for it.
@Billy J- Hi Billi. This isnt about Fox news, lib or dem or cons rep. As far as Im concerned None of them has any monopoly on the truth and are both after the same goal. control of my life. I grew up in a hard working lower mid class family and watched how all thoes "poor welfare people" had nicer clothes than I did, did not work and then complain about how they had no money for food and how WE owed them a living. Bush/Cheney are no longer in office. they were idiots too and i fought them as well. And just because Bush did something dosent mean Obama should do it too. Obamaphiles need to quit using that as their default excuse on why Obama screwed up. I will never be in favor of this. I am a firm believer that we can have a few WELL RUN social programs, instead of the mismanaged, expensive, abused socialist programs we have now. Even if you take out the rumors being told by both sides, the fact that Obama is trying to blitz through a bill(s) and has no clue whats even in them plus all the koolaide drinkers saying "cover everything", "NO Restrictions" "charge worry about cost and how to pay later", "the rich owe us" serves only to reinforce my beliefs. And everytime he is asked He says"this isnt about politics its about whats right?" This is EXACTLY what got us into this mess in the first place. you need to look at the big picture here. He is trying to put the govt in control of too many private things where the govt shouldnt be. and if you look ALL the "public" govt run social programs that currently exist are abused and bankrupt and a joke, especially when compared to their private counterparts. we have a corrupt got wanting to take the place of corrupt corporate. Wheres the change? At least if i dont like the way cone company does things i can goto another with a simple phonecall. you cant do that with govt. Too many self entitled people in America who want something for nothing. Obama has shown himself to be nothing but a used car salesman. the only difference i see btw him and Bush is that ......well...actually i dont see ANY difference at all.
jmz, 18 yr republican here. use to think like you until i stopped watching fox news. get this, fox never endorced any program that was presented by anyone except the gop. fair and balanced?? don't think so. didn't vote for bush, especially after his campaign trashed sen mc cain in s.c. in his first president primary. you no doubt voted for him and look what you got, 8 yrs of deficit spending, double the national debt, put us in a unnecessary war (did you ever think where this economy would be today if there wasen't for deficit spending on the war) caused millions of iraqui citizens to flee to another country and live in tents. just think about it,would you like to be those people. all that dosen't matter to the gop, nor people like, as long as big business and you are doing well. should i educate you a bit. the bush tax cut benifited the wealthy much more than the rest of us, as an example,, a person with a million $ income got a $72,000 tax break, this i saw on pbs tv, had i gotter the same % i would have gotten almost 15k in tax savings,was closed to 3k. Dick chiney in 2006 had an annual income of 8.5 million, equqte that to 7.2k per mil per yrear and you'll see why these people are trying their best to get rid of thiis adminestration. none of the top execs of large corp or the wealthy in this country want these people in office. they spend hundred of millions convinceing people yike you to vote for their cause by destorting the truth over and over. Wake up you;re being misled.
billy j
@HONEY- I find it amusing that so many of you "intelligent" people love to critisize this woman as untintelligent or illiterate because she dares critisize das Obama. That "illiterate" woman anong with 80%+ of America is doing what you cannot...support herself. Why is it so hard for people like you to understand that. Just because we dont support more govt control and more taxation dosent mean we are "puppets of big insurance" or "racists"or for the status quo. The fact obama is trying so hard to rush a bill through even tho he is not sure whats in it, or garner blind support and a blank check makes our stance that much more valid. We know what happens when you give the govt control over things. Its not hard to figure out. just look at ALL the other programs run by govt(im for eliminating them too) They are ALL failures. I would rather have a corrupt insurance company than the corrupt government running my hc. its a heck of alot easier to change insurance companies than govts. Understand im not trying to be mean, but im sick of working and having my money used for abused and useless social programs. And Just remember that if us "illiterates" can support our own heathcare- why cant you?
Speaking of illiterate, ponds won't fit on chess boards...but pawns do...nice one Honey......keep talkin.....
I saw this interview and it was sad and shameful the lack of character expressed by an illiterate young lady that is influenced by those that are using her like a pond on the chessboard for the kings and queens to use and dispose of.
all you people who watch fox news every minute of the day and are repeating it here on line should really loodk at the real truth. watch pbs for the truth. have seen several econonists speak and the majority are in favor of this sort of plan. what we have now is a system which is controled mostly by the insurance co's. my dr. has told me that i could not have an operation that i needed because the ins co would not pay for it. ask you who's controling my care my dr. dont think so. I have medicare, no problem with it. goverment controled. if you people remember, which i doubt, doubt, the gop fought against medicare in the same manner, thank god it was inacted.
@ Carole- I will refrence you when i feel sweetheart. If you dont like it too bad! dont put your 1/2 cent on the internet. The indians want their country back huh??? oh I guess that means you will be moving huh? I didnt think so. y? oh yer 1/50th some tribe on some side huh. like all liberal loonies you talk about how you know how we should live and then demand other pay for it. Learn to read. I WANT ALL THOES THINGS TO BE REPEALED!!!. they are corrupt abused and expensive and do not serve the pourpose they were ment for. Now go back to the welfare office with the other socialist loosers
@Alicia- I was against Bush too dear. I was saying the same things. Sorry I know you had a whole bunch of pre-written anti- bush things lined up that you were gonna try and get me with. Obama cant fix things overnight huh? really, cause it sure seems to be trying to do EXACTLY THAT dear. How many hubdreds of BILLIONS has he wasted by signing bill he hasnt even read yet? now he wants to waste more by rushing this socialis HC thru.(he hasnt read that either) Pleas hun repeal medicost and socialist security- I want them to. I know that in yer liberal mind that was supposed to be your crown jewel to really get me. but learn to read as i have stated that I do not like ANY of these programs because they are corrupt, expensive and abused. And now you want to have big bor control more. LOL Dont bother replying to this. you dont have the intelligence too. just goto starbucks and talk about how you know everyone should live(you dont)
JMZ: The American Indian tribes want their country back!!!!!!!
Jefferson did not say anything about Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. So let's repeal all of them.
Don't reference me ever again, go to the nearest town hall with the other loonies.
@JMZ......We had to hear Bush blame President Clinton for the 9-11 attack. It happened on the Bush watch.
The mess that Bush left cannot be solved overnite..........but if you paid attention like you say, President Obama stated he is the fixer and it is now his problem.
Don't tell me what to face JMZ.
Let's repeal Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security since it seems that a bunch of White Chunky Old people are the angry mob who probably all collect it.
Where were you JMZ when we were spending trillions on the Iraq fiasco on the WMD, oh yeah we never found them it was a lie? Where were you when the Iraq monies were not even included in the budget?
I will not reply to you again, so don't waste your time. I am sure you have a town hall to attend.
Yes Sherry: We had to make a choice many years ago. We were faced with one of two options.
1. Face the FEAR OF CHANGE.
2. Suffer the PAIN OF REGRET.
You are currently facing the fear of change. It's not the first time, either. You faced the same FEAR during several previous administrations, apparently, and didn't make the change. NOW you are suffering the PAIN of REGRET. You are now in the position of finding it almost impossible to afford a decent change in the Health Insurance reform . Delay simply increases the price you will have to pay to achieve what you need. If you had followed through and made the neccessary changes during the Clinton years you wouldn't be in this situation today. It doesn;t take much of a prophet to say the problem will be worse if you wait another 15 years.
In Canada we faced the fear down. And despite what the Health Insurance 'industry' of your country says, we ARE HAPPY with a Nationalistic system of paying for Health Insurance. Is it perfect? Don't be silly! Of course not! Nothing could be, at least that we can afford. The 'fear mongers' label us as 'socialists'. I am curious to know what that means. Seriously. Those apparently knowledgable individuals who throw out that statement should be asked what that means to us. I'm here and I don't know what's so different.
Leave no one behind is what YOU SAY. Leave no one behind is WHAT WE DO.
Carole: In case you havent figured this out or been paying attention. 1 Bush is no longer in office. I didnt like him either, however Bush being a jackhole is NO reason for Obama to do it either. Also it seems Obama is doing exactly what bush did. Lets see. he still in a war$$$, hes invading peoples private lives, he went thru with TARP and the rest of the foolish bailouts. He wants to silence critics by calling them "terrorists" Oh and where is the transparency he promised? I have yet to see 1 single HC meeting on cspan. Obama uses bushs idea and it works it becomes his, It fails its bushes fault. Second I prob wont get medicare or SS benifits...Im paying for my grandparents SS and it is NOTHING but 1 big I.O.U and the GOVT RUN system is BANKRUPT!!! Also I have retirent saving built up. Unlike you I never planned on having society pay for my medical and retirement, I work hard to avoid that.those 2 systems were created to assist only. Face it Carole. You cannot name 1 single govt run social system that is not in used, abused and bnkrupt. or anywhere as efficient and useful as its private counterpart. America was created for people like me who want to be self sufficent. who love freedom to do as they please AND take responsibility for it. for almost 200 yrs people like ME made this country the greatest nation on earth. only when libs like you took over and demanded we support you did it begin to falter.
@ Sam.......do you work for Grassroots.org? The same company who ran the Willie Horton ads.
I bet you have family who get Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.
So, tell them to return the checks and do it on their own!!!!!
I bet you won't.
Yes Medicare and Social Security are government run and there is NO money left; the government has spent it all.
And this is not about the president being black; race hasn't got a thing to do with it. It's the policies and how this current administration is on a spending spree that our great great grandchildren will be paying for, for the rest of their lives.
And Obama can only talk with a teleprompter; anyone notice how he always manages to stick his foot in his mouth when he doesn't have one: i.e. the police acted stupid; UPS and FedEx are doing great, it's the post office that is having trouble; oh wait now I know why the post office is having problems; it's government run also!
This is all about the government wanting to control our lives. What happened to this country; we used to be the envy of the world; we all used to be self-sufficent and worked hard and refused to take a handout. Now all people want to do is sit at home in front of their big screen tvs, collect welfare and expect everyone to take care of them.
It's time that you all decided to snap out of it and work for a lving, pay your bills and your taxes like the rest of us hard working Americans and quit your whining. It's time we put our priorites in order:
I'm the gun-toting, flag waving, God fearing Conservative that the liberals warned you about!
We Liberals are furious at someone who seemed to have NO problem with the last eight years of nothing but WAR$$$$$$
This chick is just mad we have a Black President.
Go to MSNBC/hardball and look at the interview with Lawrence O'Donnell.............talk about a deer in the headlights. Actually there were no lights on.
I don't think Katy, Bernice or JMZ should ever collect Medicare or Social Security. Those are government run you know.
Yes President Obama has a brain and can talk too. How refreshing over the past embarassing years.
Awsome: I love how the looney liberals are so furious that this woman has the audacity to challenge their lord. Liberals hate people like her, because she is doing on her own what they claim only rich republicans can do...control their own lives. Liberal dems and wannabe socialists like Obama need to convince the citizens of this country that only they know whats best for everyone. If Americans are taught (like they were at one point) to be self sufficent then the libs entire power base goes out the window. She is asking and stating what needs to be said, which is Americans are and should be in charge of their own lives. Yes the current system needes to be fixed. But it needs to be done at the individual level with people taking responsibility for their own lives and health and success first and quit trying to legislate success.Sorry to inform all thoes haters out there. But there are Millions and millions more of us evil people who still believe freedom is important. And we will win!
This lady is a sad example of coaching at its worst. She is indignant about the direction the country going, she wants to go back to what the Founding Fathers would have wanted. She has no clue what that means.
If the founding father had their way, she would not be able to vote, she would be at home listening to her husband telling her about the debate HE went to. She would cut out all the Socialist programs this nation has embraced and come to depend on like Social Security or Medicare for the old folks and sick children that are born with handicaps. Those people she has sworn to look out for because she is concerned about her community, she want to throw into the street in the name of founding fathers.
She is a talking point idiot. I pray for her, she obviously needs to learn to read something other than a talking point before she speaks, like a history book or even a little chat with a elderly neighbor might help, She gives woman a bad name. Loud and uninformed.
This woman doesn't even know that the Senate is part of Congress? She wants to go back to the founders' days, does that mean she'll relinquish her right to vote, as women did not get that right until the 19th Amendment? I guess that means no more fire department, or police department, or public libraries, or public schools, or social security for her, either. Wow. It is scary to me that CNN would give someone that misinformed a national platform to speak.
Funny how she wants to know how Senator Specter, will bring back the founding fathers constitution. Where were these people when the Patriot Act was enacted? Where where they when habeas corpus was wiped out? Where where they when the Republicans did the TARP funds?
Of all the people there I wonder how many would like the government to walk away from Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security? These items where created by the government to "Promote The General Welfare" as would a national healthcare system. BTW "Promote the general welfare" is in the constitution.
Do any of these YAHOOS understand why institutions where created – like Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security? When senior citizens eat dog food because they couldn't afford "real food" – prior to this Most women and minorities were excluded from the benefits of unemployment insurance and old age pensions, along with seasonal workers etc...
People like her most likely believe that the Bible is LITERAL. And probably believe US Constitution should be LITERAL also – without truly understanding what the word LITERAL – LITERALLY MEANS!!...
CNN = communist news network.
God bless Katy and Joe the plumber for having the nerve to stand up and speak out on the direction that this country is going.
You people are a bunch of cattle being willingly led to slaughter! It's all about government control. I don't want the government in my life, they are in it enough as it is. You really want the government to control your lives; then take a good long look at German and Russian history. It's time YOU people do some research and pull your head out of the sand. The government can't even run the government and you want them to run healthcare?
You do realize that the government officials don't have to have the public health care that they want to stuff down our throats. They have their own health care. You want them telling you what doctor you can go to; what medicine you can take; that you have to abort your child 'cause it has been determined that your unborn child has Autisim or will be physically/mentally handicapped! Do you want the government telling your parents; sorry you can't have that hip replacement surgery or that triple by-pass because your too old and won't live much longer!
You talk about Katy being uniformed; seems to me like you all need to open your eyes and start paying attention.
So bring it on Socialists/Marxists/Communists liberals. But don't come crawling to us Conservatives when you can't take the government controlling your lives!
@ A Pennsylvanian............I am a Pennsylvanian too. But wait, I am not from the section that has the racist mentality.
Katy went to a Town Hall with a US Senator. Katy went on CNN and MSNBC with her makeup and hair all doozied up. All in all, she has no clue. Period. It 'is' about Katy and the misinformed people like her that keep violating the democratic process of Town Hall meetings. Although, my Pennsylvania Senator, Mr. Specter, let it be known he was not putting up with any childish antics.
I am sure more of her uninformed pals will be blogging now. Get ready everyone!
I loved the comments by the insurance fellow this morning. I wanted to hear more. I wish the "news" would include more from people who really know about the insurance system and less from politicians and town hall meetings. I am tired of the shouting. What do politicans know about insurance? They need to share the podium with some health care and insurance experts.
This is not about Kathy, lady with script, but about lady with sign. Clearly situations are getting out of hand and leading towards race. Whats this all about? Lord only knows we have spoken, equal rights for all! This health care plan is not about RACE and I wish CNN would not interview those persons trying to make it one. Noticed lately you are interested in making race an issue – is this for rating or what? Try putting a White America I & II program on the tube and watch the blow up, my gosh what is going on with everyone. There is a war don't forget so stop trying to create one with persons of all colors. Don't care about Obama being half white/half black as long as he works for all Americans. This is not a RACE issue and hope CNN cuts down of such reporting – yes, I do turn you off when interviews are being made with persons of little importance as the sign lady just because she is black and trying to make it out to be a racial issue. Why have her?
@greg, HE hit it right on the head,Those people he put out there on his list is the people that dont wont CHANGE,They will NOT make the BIGG MONEY after this year anymore,Bankers are in the same BOAT.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU KIDS???
Do you need some adult supervision perhaps??
A nation should be responsible to provide a military for defense. Nationalist!
A nation should provide an efficient highway system. Nationalist!
A nation should provide affordable health INSURANCE for it's citizens. Nationalist!
I wonder how a nation was sucked into believing they need an Insurance Company to inject itsself between a doctor and patient. The Republicans made a serious tactical miscalculation when they pointed to Canada to compare health systems against. Yeah. I'm a Canadian. I'm 74 years old and have never in all those years heard anyone complain about ours.
I'm sure there are a FEW who've slipped through the cracks, though.
I have a question for you. Our nation's land mass is greater than yours. It's rare to find no medical assistance quickly except in the most barren reaches of our country. How can we with over three million FEWER citizens than your single state of California, afford to do what you find almost impossible to do? That's what puzzles me.
I had a double by-pass three years ago. I asked my surgeon how many of these procedures he performs each year. No hurrying, rushing nor panicing. About 200. I wonder how experienced your heart surgeons are.
If no insurance company allows all needed procedures to procede as required unless they agree to pay; how many can afford them? Don't doctors like to be doctors? Taxes? I checked one from a year ago. Here in Ontario the chart indicated zero dollars for individuals with less than $20,000 annual income. From there a sliding scale to $900 up to $250,000 income. A flat fee of $900 for anyone having an income above $250,000. Talk about a stimulus package. If it's true the ridiculous amounts over 190 million people are currently throwing away to the health insurance industry were no longer necessary.... What pray tell is a health insurance industry? I'm aware there are supplementary insurance programs that are purely for extra conveniences they can dream up. BUT!
Nationalize this so called industry. Freeze all assets. Why should factory workers be sacrificed with little complaints, but sales people, office workers and executives be protected when they've been diverting your tax dollars away from your government? Oh! Yeah! Republicans...
I Googled 'sicko' and couldn't believe what your modern day Paul Revere had put out. Your on a computer now. Do it. It's an excellent primer for this subject that has you all up in arms. For you religeous Republicans read what Jesus would do in his message he wrote to you over 2,000 years ago. Luke 10; 30 – 37.
I think that the focus should be on structuring the insurance companies. Standards set so that Insurane companies cannot refuse health care to premium paying customers.
I would like people to stop attacking the present administration for trying to help our health situation. I think that Preseident Obama is biting off more than this government can chew, but some type of reform, especially when it comes to insurance comapnies, needs to be done.
Lets not forget why our country is in the shape it is in. The Bush administration has placed our government in Billions/ Trillions of Dollars in Debt because of the war in Irag. We were lied to about wepons of mass destruction and Irag had nothing to do with 911. Lets get out of the misddle east and fix the problems that we have right here in our country. Who are we to tell other counteris what to do when we are in such a mess. whew. I feel better now!
ou hear how they talk about and intimidate MOMS??? Come on Moms!! Get out, take up a sign, and show em just what moms can do! These people running moms down and telling them to "stay home", we came a long way, baby! I don't think that I will stay home, I will be at our townhall meeting, just like you, speaking loudly to keep our rights in tact as all Americans should be doing! So MOMS, make a sign and join! Don't let these guys run us down NO LONGER! We came out of the kitchen years ago!! Let the man cook his own meal, grab a sign, and fight for your American Rights! But, DO NOT let them run you down, nor chase you back into the kitchen! Tell them to cook for a change!
I agree with Katy. There needs to be reform in healthcare but the House bill is a gigantic 43 agency bureaucracy and not a good idea at all. President Obama is right when he says we will get to keep our health care he just keeps leaving out how long we get to keep it. According to the house bill page 16 we get to keep it for about one year until we lose out private care and are forced into the government option. Even the House Ways and Means Committee admitted it. He also stated he is going to cut 500 billion out of Medicare to pay for the government option. with all of these new people on the government system. All the while baby boomers will be retiring in greater numbers. The seniors have it right more people on the system, less money and still the same care it doesn't add up. I agree with the Wyden Bill there is no need to dismantle the entire system we have now. It works quite well for alot of people. That is why we have some of the best cancer survival rates. In England they don't give women chemo with advanced breast cancer they are not worth the money. Thank goodness the girl that sits next to me at work is in the US. She is getting chemo for her advanced breast cancer.
I think Katy is a racist! I think Katy is a LIAR.
THIS is is what TRANSFORMED Katy:
CALL TO ARMS....CALL TO ARMS.....JULY 4TH....INDEPENDENCE HALL- PHILADELPHIA..READ ON ALL PATRIOTS. NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET IN OBAMA'S FACE. SIGN UP NOW $30.00 PER PERSON. ----–BERKS TEA PARTY. ORG HEAR YE, HEAR YE: Let me give you a quick update on what’s been happening. I am sorry that I haven’t communicated with you before. We have been busy getting everything prepared. We have joined with the Philadelphia area tea party groups as well as statewide and national groups. We have organized a bus trip to Philadelphia for a protest on July 4th at Independence Hall. I understand that Obama will be there so we need a good turnout. We will have our website up and running soon. It will be http://www.berksteaparty.org. For the time being you can contact us through berksteaparty@hotmail.com----THE TIME TO STAND IS NOW! THE FACT THAT THIS ABORTION OF A PRESIDENT WILL BE AT INDEPENDENCE HALL STANDING ON OUR HALLOWED GROUND IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ONE SICK. MAKE YOUR SIGNS. MAKE THEM BIG. GET ON THE BUS. GO TO PHILLY. BOO THE CRAP OUT OF THIS ILLEGAL PRESIDENT.
posted on the Reading Eagle newspaper 6/23/2009 1:04:07 PM
The guy that posted this spits out the same stuff that Katy TRIED to say were HER 'ideas'.
Sad. Sad. She was okay with the Iraq and Afghanistan War spending and just kind of felt that she trusted government until now? Now, how dare the government want to make sure she can get better care for less.
I watched Lawrence O'Donnell interview her. Mr. O'Donnell was very respectful. When he pointed out that only people making over $250,000 a year would be affected by the tax increase.....she did not know if her husband made $250,000. When he asked her about her not wanting government health care and the constitution....asking her if when her father who is about to be of age for Medicare to not collect Medicare......she did not know what to answer. Then when Mr. O'Donnell stated that ALL government socialistic programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.........her jaws got tight.
She is clearly misinformed and watched Sean Hannity and Bec....all the Faux news crew.
Maybe now that she has been on CNN and MSNBC she will watch other channels to get other views.
I would like to know what the Canadians think about their health care coverage? Is it effective? Are there long wait times for appointments? I have heard, note I have said heard, that the waiting lists are so long to get into specialized doctors. One with cataracts has to pay for the surgery out of their pocket because it cannot be done on a timely manner. I have also heard that one with a serious illness, such as cancer, cannot receive timely appointments and treatments. What on earth is the media talking about the "end of the life" care and counseling for old people? Please...give me the name of a website where one may look at this in a way that is not biased with politics. Thank you.
She said she has a 5 thousand dollar deductible, this woman needs healthcare reform. stop supporting those private insurance crooks/
Thank you for providing the 2006-07 Annual Compensation of Health Insurance Company Executives.....its likely that many of us would like to be making that kind of money. You wouldn't happen to have the incomes for the professional athlete's that most of us enjoy and even cheer on would you? What about the media personalities and pundits like Mr. Gergen or Donna Brazil? I'd be interested in those incomes too.
I think its possible we are all interested in getting better medical coverage, and being able to reasonably afford it. I'm sure we all want to have a say in what is available to us medically and be able to choose our own options, when there are some. We'd like to feel we have some control over what happens.
We elect representatives; that in theory represent us in Congress and in the White House; with our best interest in mind (we hope) while making legislative laws to govern us. You know....for the people, by the people.....no taxation without representation.....that sort of thing.
Then you find out that the very people voting on these issue's; our proxies in Washington; haven't read the bills they are voting on...worse...they have deemed themselves better than the rest of the citizens and have a unique Health Care System available to them, but not us......even though a certain administration said in the campaign they could deliver the same health care system to us.
What makes this worse, I think, is that the three stooges tried to rush this through Congress before the proposed plan(s) were read, or even completely written.....why would you do that? Especially something that is 17% of our GDP, I think was the number being bandied about on the news casts. Another interesting tidbit I thought, was CNN's report on 08/11/09 in the evening, that there were four major costs in the delivery of healthcare to the population. The largest expense according to the report was1.2 trillion a year being spent by healthcare professionals in filing the many different billing articles mandated by the many different payees in order for the medical profession to collect their fees. This the report claims, is half the cost of delivering the nations healthcare. If that's true, wouldn't it behove Congress to come up with a uniform billing document, so all companies used the same form, much like a HUD statement in a real estate transaction? The next two most costly parts of the healthcare are obesity and then smoking.......I'm afraid I can't recall the fourth and least expensive. But neither of these touched the trillion mark.
The CBO has indicated that there are roughly 92% of the nations citizens covered by health insurance now, and that going to the "public option" would only manage to cover another 3%.......does it make sense to completely alter the curent system to pick up 3%....isn't there a less intrusive way to do that?
The problem here may be that having the "Stimulus" get rushed through, and nobody had time to read that before the vote, only to find out that most of it is going to government or non-profit entities, and not to stimulate business and economy....... that there has only been 10-12% of that shelled out, the rest for a latter time....while jobs are still being lost........not that the stimulus would affect job creation anyway....or enough of it long enough to justify the money spent.....add to that the huge budget that got pushed through...anybody in Congress read that???
One more straw.....when the auto execs came to Washington looking for money, flying in their private jets, every politician in Washington made a big thing about them doing that in these economic times....now it turns out that Mrs. Pelosi put aside half a trillion (one news organization) or a quarter trillion (the opposing news organization) for a few similar jets to take the Washington politicians from here to there.......when it became a public issue, they cut back yesterday or today and limited it to one or two jets.....however, our money had been appropriated...so now, instead of putting the money back, they are going to "find" something else to spend it on.....
You want to know why these Town Meeting are getting loud, and people are in the politicians face aout it.....seems obvious to me. People seem to be upset with CEO's raking in the dough, and letting the business take a dive.....seems like the same sort of thing....Congress gets a reasonable salary, perks, benefits, retirements, and health care coverage we could only hope for.....and they aren't reading the legislation, and they aren't working for the best interest of their fiduciary.
Maybe all incumbents from any party up for election in the next cycle should be replaced, so as to let the rest know that when their turn comes if they aren't doing the job, they too can be replaced.
Just a thought.
Whatever happened to the debate?
America was founded on a common goal, not the approach to achieve this goal. I read all the posts above and am floored that the same minds that complained about Republican/Conservative commentary are were slammed rightfully so fo such action are now slamming another for their views.
So you do not agree with her view, her opinion, her plan for the future. There is no doubt you share a goal with this person (and others like her).
Exactly how does stooping low for that handful of mud and slinging it at another person advance any person or parties ideas?
So she did not articulate herself well, is that a reason to ignore her heart, her desire, her goal for her family and this country?
If you learned about the whole town hall meeting you would have learned she received a mailed notice inviting her to appear, most likely a mass-mailed invite not to her specifically. She could have easily just not shown up. If you did your homework you would also learn the random nature of calling on persons in the audience to speak, no manipulation from the Arlin Specter group that hosted the meeting. If you did your homework would most likely would not have much to complain about.
Or would you???
Let me toss this out there... why not make this a productive debate, leave the mud (including the they did it first kintergarden talk) at home...
Just one persons opinion
She just a nut, being racial, like the others.The Repulicans and the Health Care Insurance Companies are making a fool of them. This is because, President Obama is BLACK and they HATE it. GET OVER IT!!If this was BUSH!, you wouldn't see them. I support CHANGE.
A simple message to Katy Abram, before you condem something you must gain all the facts; clearly you have not done that. However, rather than bore you with those facts check it out for your self.
1) Go on line to the "world health organization" and check out America's Ranking in the world.
2) Whilst their check out who is number one.
3) Check out what America spends in percentage terms of it's GDP
4) Check out what France spends of it's GDP
5) Check out what French people spend for health care
P.S. Their are clues in items 4 & 5
Ms. Abrams states:
"I am just looking for the government to get the heck out of my way."
So the next time you call a cop, remember that the government is responsible for law inforcement. God forbid your house catches on fire, don't call the firehouse because Uncle Sam takes care of that too. I hope Ms. Abrams home schools her children and doesn't send the children to PUBLIC school. Plan to use the PA Turnpike to go to work or visit a relative, yep that's run by the government too.
The fact is the US government runs a lot of things pretty well.
I am as frustrated as Ms. Abram after I tried (unsuccessfully) to get details of the cuts coming to Medicare from my two NY Senators and Rep. Nadler. No one in their offices would tell me how Medicare will be impacted since 40% of the funding for the "reform" is to come from Medicare. It was obvious their offices were instructed to keep details from the public ... no wonder people are upset.
PS I am a lifelong registered Democrat.
Her problem, along with many American right now, is that this administration has too much power to change America....the things that we loved about it! Hope to see you at a rally MOM! All moms come out and let your voices be heard! 62% of the American People do not want this healthcare plan! PERIOD! They should be heard!!
Billy, read page 16 of that bill. She is right. We are having our freedoms taken away as each day passes, and we will not stop, just as the forefathers did not to give us the Freedom to begin with!
Maybe you should watch some Hannity! Its not what he is saying, it is what TONS of Americans are now saying...MILLIONS! Watch it at 9pm tonight....est. The truths about the scarry healthcare bill. Maybe you all should look....then speak.
Here's a top reason why health insurance companies are so vested in the fight against a public plan. A pulic plan takes the profit out of healtcare and allows the US to join other 21st century countries who have taken this step and enjoy health care at an affordable cost.
ANNUAL COMPENSATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY EXECUTIVES (2006 and 2007 figures):
• Ronald A. Williams, Chair/ CEO, Aetna Inc., $23,045,834
• H. Edward Hanway, Chair/ CEO, Cigna Corp, $30.16 million
• David B. Snow, Jr, Chair/ CEO, Medco Health, $21.76 million
• Michael B. MCallister, CEO, Humana Inc, $20.06 million
• Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group, $13,164,529
• Angela F. Braly, President/ CEO, Wellpoint, $9,094,771
• Dale B. Wolf, CEO, Coventry Health Care, $20.86 million
• Jay M. Gellert, President/ CEO, Health Net, $16.65 million
• William C. Van Faasen, Chairman, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3 million plus $16.4 million in retirement benefits
• Charlie Baker, President/ CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, $1.5 million
James Roosevelt, Jr., CEO, Tufts Associated Health Plans, $1.3 million
• Cleve L. Killingsworth, President/CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3.6 million
• Raymond McCaskey, CEO, Health Care Service Corp (Blue Cross Blue Shield), $10.3 million
• Daniel P. McCartney, CEO, Healthcare Services Group, Inc, $ 1,061,513
• Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
• Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
• Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751
• Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
• Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
• Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751
5% Provincial tax,7 % Federal,=no health care charges, University tuition at approx. $5600.00 per year , all secondary education free, banks are stable, government low interest loans for higher education, lower crime rate, programs for special needs children in all schools. Our elementary and secondary teachers have an average income of $65,000.00 per year. 80% companies in trouble- or leaving for Mexico or Manilla – are American based.
US citizens now need a passport to cross the Canadian border- 4 miles fro here! Approx $80.00 per person in the government coffers to visit the country who is your strongest ally. We call and hold our Federal elections in 4 months- none of the wasted expense of the 2yrs+ campaining. Perhaps lessons are to be learned from what Pakin insultingly calls the Socialists to the North- maybe she is confused with North of Alaska? World geography also included in all elementary and secondary education!!!!!!!!
katy
you need to wake up to reality, maybe you've been at home to much watching fox news to really realize what the truth really is. nationalize health care, streight out of the fox news play book. they make that statement many times a day and people like you believe. do yourself a favor, learn the truth and the truth will set you free.
p s
the insurance companies and special interest love you..
Nationalized Healthcare? Not at all! Are we a nation asleep mentally? In Pres. Obama's televised town hall meeting just yesterday, he clearly stated that his vision is NOT EVEN CLOSE to what Canada and Great Britain have in place....instead, he wants congress to agree upon offering an EXCHANGE PROGRAM, which simply stated (by the President) is several private insurance companies coming forth with plans which will much like our auto and home owners' insurance plans are, i.e., one may look at several options, choose options that meet their personal/family needs as well as their budget, then purchase that healthcare insurance plan! How much simplet can he explain it? It certainly makes perfectly good sense to me and mine!
Steven I agree with you, to republicans all they care about is themselves and how they can make more money. Reminds me of the Dukes and Lords in England in the Middles Ages, we all see how that ended up!
I have no problem with people going out and making all the money they can but when they are willing to do that at the expense of those who are unable to physically or mentally, then I have a problem.
It is impossible for the whole society to make $100,000 a year and it is wrong to say that those who cannot afford something are just irresponsible loafers on society.
First there was Joe The Plumber now we have Mable the Mom.. These people should find out the facts before they decide to make themselves look like crazed uneducated lunatics!
It is unamerican to believe that if someone can't afford health insurance then they shouldn't get it!
But you know that seems to be the Republican philosophy....Me, Me, and only Me!
Katy,
If public health care was unconstitutional then why wasn't all public health care and public assistance eliminated when your party was in the white house, had the majority in Congress and had(and still has) the majority on the supreme court? You stated that you want all Americans to be self sufficient, well my 92 year old grandmother isn't and will never be again in her lifetime, sounds to me like you want a seat on the "Death Panel" to eliminate her and her public assistance so you and your husband can get bigger tax breaks and insurance companies can make even more profits!!!!!!!
So sadly misinformed. It is becoming increaingly uncomfortable to watch Americans embarass themselves due to lack of knowledge in how the rest of the Western world manages Universal Healthcare. We are not Socialists- we are socially aware. We take care of all people- not just ourselves. Tha money we save on healthcare can be applied to our children's much more affordable University educations. We are not slaves to HMO"s and self serving insurance companies.
We do sponsor private enterprise. Our seniors have the best healthcare in the world. We would not allow a Sarah Palin to continue to promote herself through gross misinformation to the grossly misinformed- she would be laughed out of Canada- and the rest of the world- and is! We are not loosing our homes. Our children not only are covered through University, but he Universities provide supplemental coverage including prescriptions and emergency dental!! We do not have government sponsored abortions- ridiculous!
I wish the US via the media would stop putting it's worse foot forward- you are starting to look foolish! For a country that promotes itself as civilized, you are beginning to look anything but! Please try and recapture the national pride that Obama tries to promote- and listen to Jo-ann from Iowa!
I do not understand why CNN would interview this woman. Just because she invokes the founding fathers does not give her the right or the privilege to have her opinion blasted over the news as if she said something meaningful. What do the founding fathers have to do with healthcare? What exactly does she want "restored"? What exactly is she objecting to in the proposed health plan? She can continue to use her savings to pay for her doctors, just let the rest of us have a choice of something more rational than that.
As for CNN, I am disappointed yet again that you subscribe to the notion that ignorance is a virtue, a part of the true American spirit, somehow more genuine than being informed – Ms. Abram herself said she doesn't know much about the topic and she is "not into politics." If we are talking about government and policies and politicians why is it then a virtue to be uninformed or uninterested in politics? Why do we take her opinion to be somehow more relevant or more important from an opinion of someone who is informed or interested? I can see no other reason that this woman was interviewed other than her self-proclaimed ignorance and lack of interest in politics. And if the rationale is that she is like the majority of the American public (in that she is uninformed and uninterested), shouldn't we then try to interview someone who can actually inform these supposedly uninformed masses rather than celebrate her ignorance?
Wow. She's not an expert on history OR health care, and yet has strong opinions about both. Who'd a thunk it?
From the Constitution: Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce. In the Preamble, it states the government is to "establish justice" and "promote the general welfare." (Our current broken health care system is neither just nor good for society generally). The 14th Amendment states that "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" and yet we see people being kicked off of or excluded from health insurance because of "pre-existing" conditions without anything even resembling due process. I know, I know, that talks about the roles of gov't, not corporations, but these are still areas where the government has compelling interest to regulate.
This is what happens when the relatively uninformed get angry and get talking points shoved in their hands and told to go and spout them at any politician they can find. If you're not an expert, either do some independent research and learn about the issues, or don't expect to get taken seriously.
To Ms Abram, the constituion was written 222 years ago. We can't make a document that was written 222 years ago fit everything in our lives today. I am a health care professional for 29 years. The system is broken. The insurance compaines, hospital corporations and lets not forget the MDs have driven the cost to where even working americans cannot afford health care. You kept talking about nationalizing health care. Keep what you have and let the rest of the nation have a choice.
Too bad Katy didn't do her homework. This debate is not about nationalized healthcare and as someone who is self employed and dealing with a high deductible and with a health savings account (as am I) the kinds of things that are hoped for in healthcare reform would help her family and mine. This is about healthcare that is more affordable. I need it and I suspect she does too.
This is not about spending more money for healthcare, it is about spending less. If people have good healthcare, they won't have to go to emergency rooms that we all pay for and could instead head off the expensive problems with regular care.
"It doesn’t say in the Constitution: give out free health care to people, bail out the auto companies, do all these things."
This is the same constitution that at one point was interpreted that only white male land owners could vote. Also been interpreted to justify slavery.
It seems very ironic that this young lady and her husband both managed to get numbers to ask questions. They distributed 30 random numbers and they both got a number out of the 300 people. Not to mention when her husband spoke he mentioned he was not part of any group, however as we was talking I thought to myself this guy is going to run for office, then his wife stands up with as what is said to be a spontaneous exchange with Mr.Spector. I think there is more to this innocent stay at home mom. Just my thought.
We don’t want to be part of the angry mob mentality-
we are looking at two separate parties. You’re looking at the Democrat Party and the Republican Party.
What I meant by that is when – from the little bit that I have read
First Amendment-
Read it again- stay at home mom
I wish this lady would have spoken her own thoughts instead of reading them from the "World According to Sean Hannity".