By Pat Desmond
Times Staff
9/10/09
Speaking to a capacity audience at the new Curry College gym Sept. 3, U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch made no promises on his health care vote.
The 800 or so people who came to debate the question of national health care knew whether they were in favor of the plan – or not. Several hundred more were turned away after the gym was filled.
One Milton resident who was turned away as she drove to the Curry gate said she tried walking from the street through the campus. “They turned me away again,” she said.
Before the forum the congressman was still unsure whether he would run for U.S. Senate. The next day he had someone take out nomination papers for the office. He still hasn’t made a definitive announcement.
Lynch said he read the 1,015 pages of HR3200, which he called the discussion draft “over the summer” and has concerns with some wording as well as with the cost, which could reach $1.6 trillion.
He said reading the draft was “a poor way to spend a vacation.”
The draft is one of six different proposals under consideration – two are Senate bills, three are in the House and one is the president’s proposal, which is not a bill but a 100-page proposal.
Lynch called the draft proposal “complicated
stuff” and told the crowd he was not there to “sell
them anything.”
He emphasized he has his own concerns about
the issue.
“I reserve the right to read the final version before I make a decision,” Lynch said. “This would be pointless if I had already made up my mind.”
To gain access to the gym, everyone was asked to fill out a form with her or his name, address, e-mail address and position for or against the health care plan.
The survey’s results show that 292 respondents
support the plan and 216 oppose it. Eighty-six
other responses were either left blank or marked
as undecided.
And listening to the applause during the forum,
it seemed clear the opponents of health care reform were outnumbered.
As people turned in the forms they were given a raffle ticket that was a chance to ask a question.
Curry President Ken Quigley moderated the forum and pulled the raffle tickets.
About 20 people got a chance to make a speech or ask a question during the two-hour-long forum. No one was cut off for failing to ask a question.
Quigley said the goal of the forum was to allow the congressman “to hear from as many constituents
as possible.”
Lynch pointed out that President Obama would be addressing a joint session of Congress on the issue of health care reform Sept. 6.
The answers from the congressman were not
always clear.
He was forthright in explaining that the federal government pays 72 percent of the cost of his family’s health care. His share is $357 a month for the family plan which he chose from the 230 choices open to federal employees.
He said the leverage of being part of the 8 million federal employees provides cost savings.
Joy DePina, of Dorchester, who asked him about his own plan, said she would like that deal.
Lynch called consideration of a public option a “lightning rod.”
Several supporters of health care reform accused Lynch of having his mind made up in opposition of the plan. He said he would have voted against the plan if a vote had been pushed in July. He said he would have voted against it if forced to choose before a
full discussion.
He said he believes legislation is never as perfect
as its proponents claim or as horrendous as its opponents allege.
“I care what you think,” the congressman said.
Only two of the lucky question winners were from Milton. People from Somerville, West Roxbury, Braintree, Westwood, Dorchester, Auburndale, Dedham and other communities won question opportunities.
One speaker called Social Security “a giant
Ponzi scheme.”
Several said they didn’t want the government running their health care.
Despite the fact that the forum took place on a college campus, there were only a handful of young people in the gathering.
Lynch said the number of uninsured has been pegged at 29 million to 46 million.
He said he questions whether everything should be done in one omnibus bill.
He said his sister-in-law was in intensive care as
he spoke.
“We are frequent fliers with the health care system,” he said.
The comments and questions covered a wide range of issues. One man said President George W. Bush created problems when he took away the right of Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs.
Two others spoke about nationalized health care in other countries.
One person suggested the country follow the Cleveland Clinic model and put doctors on salary.
There was a question about a provision in the bill one man said meant there would be death squads.
At that point, discussion heated up. One person said the wording requires doctors to discuss end of
life options.
Lynch said Congress will probably strike the wording as unnecessary.
There was some discussion as to whether for-profit insurance companies should be outlawed.

– Scott MacKeen