CLT UPDATE
Friday, August 14, 2009
Our Peabody expedition to find Congressman Tierney
The health care debate raging across the country made
a stop yesterday in Peabody Square.
Supporters of President Obama's push to reform the nation's health care
system filled traffic islands and street corners at the intersection of
Main, Foster and Central streets downtown. They showed up as a
counterpoint to a rally planned by Bill Hudak, a Boxford lawyer
frustrated that Congressman John Tierney has not held a town hall
meeting on the issue.
"We are not here to talk about health care," Hudak said to a crowd of
supporters standing outside Peabody District Court. "We are here to talk
about (Tierney's) accountability to us." ...
Word of Hudak's rally spread over the Internet and motivated pro-reform
activists from throughout the region and at least one union, the
Massachusetts Nurses Association, to make the trip to Peabody....
Outside the courthouse, where Hudak's supporters stood, the signs read,
"Mr. Tierney, why won't you listen to us?" "No meeting, no guts" and
"Where is Tierney?"
The Salem News
Friday, August 14, 2009
In Peabody, protesters face off over health care
At least 500 people showed up in the town square
today. Some came to support the president's plan, but others believe
their voices aren't being heard.
The debate over health care reform came to downtown Peabody on Thursday.
As people on both sides of the controversy demonstrated outside the
office of Congressman John Tierney.
Some opponents of the president's plan complained the democratic
congressman wasn't listening to their concerns.
New England Cable News
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Health care anger on display outside Mass. congressman's office
Approximately 100 sign-toting demonstrators gathered
on the district courthouse steps Thursday to rail against proposed
changes in the nation’s healthcare system, denouncing President Barack
Obama for his policies and carrying their fight to U.S. Rep. John F.
Tierney’s office just across Peabody Square.
Nearer to Tierney’s office, hundreds of healthcare reform advocates
lined the street, waving signs, ringing cowbells and chanting through
bullhorns in favor of change and support for the congressman....
At Thursday’s twin rallies in Peabody, those opposed to change carried
signs with slogans such as “Hands off My Health Care”, “No Bama” and
“You Have Run Out of Our Money.”
On the other side the street, change advocates like Martha Finkelstein
of Salem bore simple messages: Hers read: “Say No to Status Quo.”
The Lynn Item
Friday, August 14, 2009
Health debate hits home on North Shore
"Got this from obama supporters. Spread the news
in you know any case health care opponents who can make it to the
protest. (this is the first I heard about it).. The obamacare supporters
are coming our to protest against the non-obamacarers today at 12:30...
"Dear Single Payer Supporters - As you have probably heard, opponents of
health reform have been disrupting town hall meetings with
Congresspeople around the country, perpetuating sensational and
inaccurate claims about the impacts of public health insurance. The
groups behind this effort - largely bankrolled by the health care
industry - have called for a rally outside of Representative John
Tierney's Peabody office, 17 Peabody Square, Peabody today, Thursday the
13th, at 1PM....
"If you can JOIN US tomorrow, Thursday, at 12:30PM outside of Rep
Tierney's Peabody district office, 17 Peabody Square, Peabody, MA 01960,
we need all the bodies we can get to support Rep Tierney's work on
health care reform."
Excerpts from an e-mail message from Mass-Care:
The Massachusetts Campaign for Single Payer Health Care
Sent: Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 9:01 AM
Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
While the rest of the
nation's citizens are flocking to "town meetings" hosted by their
elected representatives and senators in the U.S. Congress, we in the 6th
Congressional District of Massachusetts are searching for our
Congressman, missing in action. Where is John Tierney, and why won't he
listen to us?
Learning that a rally was scheduled in Peabody to demand that our
congressman hold an open meeting where constituents could voice their
opinions on the biggest societal change, the largest government
power-grab, in U.S. history, Barbara and I joined other concerned
citizens to make our voices heard.
We gathered near his district office in Peabody Square yesterday
afternoon to call for a 6th District town meeting with our
representative, so far denied to us by him. His minions were summoned
from far and wide to quickly assemble in front of his district office,
even to transporting them in by bus, to protect our Congressman from his
constituents.
Somehow the opposition on
the other side of the square chose to ignore or entirely missed the
purpose of our assembly: We simply want our voices heard before
our Congressman casts his vote. They were there to disrupt and
distract from our peaceful gathering of average citizens -- with their
highly-organized special interest support of the government's takeover
of health care at any cost -- meaning yours and mine, not theirs.
I've included (below) their
call-to-arms e-mail message, originated by "Mass-Care: The Massachusetts
Campaign for Single Payer Health Care" -- so who or what is that?
It's the usual collaborative of radical left, socialist groups we
usually confront, from the Massachusetts Teachers Association and League
of Women Voters to the Socialist Party of Massachusetts and ACORN -- and
every Gimme Lobby special interest in between. (Complete
List)
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Peabody Square Rally
Click to enlarge |
I spoke with one of
ObamaCare's supporters, asked him why he was there. He told me he
vehemently supports single-payer healthcare, national healthcare for
all. I told him those standing on the other side of the square in
front of the district court simply wanted to be heard, wanted a forum in
which they could make their opinions known. Didn't he think this
democracy thing was a good goal? No, he did not, he emphatically
informed me. He wants government to control healthcare, he
supports Tierney's push to accomplish this, and no, our Congressman need
not consider opposing opinions from his constituents. Whew, how
can you argue with that?
Later he was escorted out
from among our ranks by the Peabody police when he kept sticking his
sign in congressional candidate Bill Hudak's face while he spoke.
Peabody Square yesterday
resembled a battlefield, with a clear demarcation line between the
government takeover of healthcare troops and we patriots who just want
to be left alone, with only the
monument in the center of the square separating us. Traffic
islands amidst the square became sort of a no-man's land, though hardly
a demilitarized zone, with both sides occupying the median strips.
Barbara gave me a
bumper-sticker yesterday that I immediately applied to my Blazer. It is
quickly becoming the battlecry for us patriots: "2010: The Second
American Revolution"! Whether on the state level -- turning out as
many state legislators as possible and electing a new governor -- or on
the federal level -- turning out as many socialist Congressmen as the
nation's voters can -- 2010 will be a turning point in history. It
will determine the future of our state and nation forevermore, for us
and for those who follow.
The revolution has begun.
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Chip Ford |
|
For many more photos,
and a link to the NECN news coverage video
CLICK HERE |
The Salem News
Friday, August 14, 2009
In Peabody, protesters face off over health care
By Matthew K. Roy
The health care debate raging across the country made a stop yesterday
in Peabody Square.
Supporters of President Obama's push to reform the nation's health care
system filled traffic islands and street corners at the intersection of
Main, Foster and Central streets downtown. They showed up as a
counterpoint to a rally planned by Bill Hudak, a Boxford lawyer
frustrated that Congressman John Tierney has not held a town hall
meeting on the issue.
"We are not here to talk about health care," Hudak said to a crowd of
supporters standing outside Peabody District Court. "We are here to talk
about (Tierney's) accountability to us."
Hudak, a Republican, has announced he will challenge Tierney, a Democrat
from Salem, in 2010. He addressed the crowd through a megaphone, first
standing on the bumper of a Ford Expedition, then on its roof.
"I called for this meeting because of the sincere concern that our
voices were not being heard," Hudak said.
Minutes earlier, Hudak had walked across the street and passed the
throng of reform supporters gathered along the sidewalk outside
Tierney's district office. Inside, he asked Tierney's district director,
Gary Barrett, if the congressman would commit to holding a meeting
before health care legislation comes to a vote.
"We will adhere to our fall schedule," Barrett said.
That schedule, over Tierney's 13 years in office, routinely includes
fall town hall meetings. Barrett said that he anticipated a meeting
would be held in advance of a vote. In the meantime, Tierney will hold a
"telephone town hall" on health care, a medium the congressman has said
he likes because it can involve thousands of constituents.
Tierney was not in his office yesterday. Communications Director
Catherine McKenna Ribeiro said the congressman was on a trip with his
wife and grandchildren.
Elsewhere in the country, lawmaker-hosted town hall meetings have been
testy and at times unruly affairs, with passion for the issue on both
sides bubbling quickly to the surface.
Supporters yesterday held signs that said "Yes to the Public Option,"
"Just Say No to Status Quo" and "Insurance Profits are Bad for Health
Care."
"We're here in support of President Obama and health care reform," Shari
Wilkinson of Newburyport said.
Norman Parker of Amesbury said reform is needed to provide coverage to
the millions of Americans who are now uninsured.
"As a moral issue, you can't turn away from that," he said.
Word of Hudak's rally spread over the Internet and motivated pro-reform
activists from throughout the region and at least one union, the
Massachusetts Nurses Association, to make the trip to Peabody.
Philip Kuhn, a retired Harvard professor from Ipswich, said getting the
country on solid economic footing depended on health care reform.
"The system doesn't work now," said Susan Strauss of Salem, a General
Electric retiree.
Outside the courthouse, where Hudak's supporters stood, the signs read,
"Mr. Tierney, why won't you listen to us?" "No meeting, no guts" and
"Where is Tierney?"
"I believe that we should have a voice," Joyce Swanson of Saugus said.
"I believe that we should be able to express our concerns."
"We're totally against the government takeover of health care," Pat
Fusco of Rockport said.
Passing cars sporadically honked in support of both sides. And isolated
but brief arguments broke out between individual members of each group.
Police kept a close eye on the activity. At 2 p.m., 90 minutes into the
demonstrations, Capt. Joseph Berardino said that there had been no
problems.
"They've followed every instruction that we've given them," he said.
New England Cable News
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Health care anger on display outside Mass. congressman's office
(NECN: Katie Davis, Peabody, Mass.) - Its been a familiar story around
the country. Lawmakers returning home to their districts, getting an
earful from constituents about health care. Some of that anger was on
display today in Peabody, Massachusetts.
At least 500 people showed up in the town square today. Some came to
support the president's plan, but others believe their voices aren't
being heard.
The debate over health care reform came to downtown Peabody on Thursday.
As people on both sides of the controversy demonstrated outside the
office of Congressman John Tierney.
Some opponents of the president's plan complained the democratic
congressman wasn't listening to their concerns.
Cathy Bisani, Reform Opponent: "Congressman Tierney is chicken little. I
think it's important that we kill this supposed healthcare reform bill."
But Tierney’s office says he'll hold several face-to-face town hall
meetings this fall. And rumors that a town hall meeting was cancelled
this month are false.
The congressman also plans so-called "telephone town halls"---
conference calls with his constituents. Tierney is travelling with his
family this week, But members of his staff met with local residents at
the Peabody office.
Catherine Ribeiro, Communications Director: “Anyone who wants to drop by
today, we welcome them into the office. We'd love to have them sit down
and express their concerns or their support, or whatever it is that they
have on their minds."
The demonstrators protesting against the president's plan were organized
in part by Bill Hudak. A republican who makes no secret of how he feels
about the president. He's also challenging Tierney for his seat.
Bill Hudak, Republican Challenger: "Very many people have sent me a form
letter that he sends them, and they feel that their voices aren't being
heard. So the point of being here was to let Mr. Tierney know that it's
his job as a representative of the people to meet with the people."
As word of Hudak's plans for a protest spread. Supporters of healthcare
reform and congressman Tierney also made their way downtown.
Jacquelyn Fitzhugh, Heath care Reform Supporter: "Today we heard that
the other side was organizing against healthcare. I know many people in
our community that are in need of healthcare, especially preventative
care.”
Suzanne Hodes, Healthcare Reform Supporter: "Even if you have health
insurance, we need reform. It's not just because a lot of people aren't
covered, but the system as a whole is broken."
Peabody police were out here along with the protestors to make sure the
sidewalk stayed clear in front of the Congressman's office. But other
than yelling and chanting, they didn't report any problems.
The Lynn Item
Friday, August 14, 2009
Health debate hits home on North Shore
By David Liscio
PEABODY - Approximately 100 sign-toting demonstrators gathered on the
district courthouse steps Thursday to rail against proposed changes in
the nation’s healthcare system, denouncing President Barack Obama for
his policies and carrying their fight to U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney’s
office just across Peabody Square.
Nearer to Tierney’s office, hundreds of healthcare reform advocates
lined the street, waving signs, ringing cowbells and chanting through
bullhorns in favor of change and support for the congressman.
The anti-healthcare reform crowd was led by Bill Hudak of Boxford, a
Republican who has challenged Tierney in the November election. Hudak,
arms crossed and confrontational, demanded to meet with the Democrat
congressman, only to learn from staff members in the office lobby that
Tierney is on long-planned vacation with his wife, Patrice, and their
grandchildren.
Tierney aide Gary Barrett told Hudak and his associates that the
congressman has made every effort to get out the message about
healthcare options to North Shore residents — through town meetings in
several communities, mailings, private and group meetings with
stakeholders like hospitals and small business owners, a Web site
clearinghouse that can be accessed online, and a planned telephone town
hall event.
“The congressman has invited discourse and tried to use every tool at
his disposal to make that happen,” said Barrett. “He is proactive.”
Although Hudak accused Tierney of ducking the issue and being
unavailable to voters, Tierney reached out to The Item last week and, in
a lengthy interview, explained his stance on healthcare reform and why
be believes it is in the best interests for all Americans.
“If you lose your job, you should not lose your insurance,” Tierney
said. “Fourteen thousand people a day are losing their jobs and their
health insurance. You should not be burdened by that fear. And you
should not be excluded from coverage because of a pre-existing condition
or have your policy rescinded.”
According to Tierney, the cost of healthcare is needlessly driven upward
by insurance companies that charge up to 40 percent in administrative
fees and pay their executives astronomical salaries, in some cases
$80,000 per day.
“The gig is up for these companies,” he said. “They don’t like what
they’re hearing and they’re doing everything they can to maintain the
status quo, including employing some very strong and effective
lobbyists. Right now people are seeing a $50-million scare campaign paid
for by these companies that is not factual and purposely distorts. It’s
all part of the noise machine, but the tide is turning.”
Critics of healthcare reform contend that government-run programs are
costly and ineffective, but Tierney disagrees.
“Medicare costs taxpayers 3 cents on a dollar. You can still make a
profit without gouging,” he said, noting that under the general
healthcare reform package, 85 percent of costs must go toward direct
patient care, while administrative costs would be capped at 15 percent.
Medicare will be preserved, he said, adding that the satisfaction rate
among Medicare users is higher than that among the privately insured.
“The Veterans’ Administration is government health care and most
veterans speak well of it. In fact, the only people rationing healthcare
these days are the private insurance companies,” he said.
Under the reforms, a healthcare surcharge would be imposed, based on
household income. Households with an adjusted gross annual income in
excess of $350,000, married and filing a joint tax return, or those
single taxpayers earning $280,000, would contribute a small percentage
of their income toward the national healthcare fund.
“The healthcare surcharge of 1 percent applies only to those with a
joint earned income in excess of $350,000 but less than $500,000,” said
Tierney. “For a family making $350,000 or less, no surcharge would
apply.”
A family earning $501,000 would pay a 1.5-percent surcharge.
“These families in the highest income brackets, making between $350,000
and $1 million, would contribute to help provide access to affordable
healthcare for all Americans,” he said.
Tierney has reminded voters that the pharmaceutical companies in 1993
succeeded in killing a measure that would have allowed the bulk purchase
of prescription drugs n making them much cheaper. When the initiative
failed, many senior citizens drove to Canada to buy their prescription
drugs at deep discount, chancing arrest for doing so.
One reform proposal under discussion involves a single-payer system that
would remove the insurance companies entirely, but that isn’t likely to
happen, Tierney said.
Another option, which Tierney favors, establishes a sliding scale for
healthcare costs once a person reaches 21 years old. Currently, a
dependent who turns 21 cannot be included on the family insurance plan
unless they are still enrolled in school.
“This would be a marketplace of insurance companies and they would be
able to take advantage of all the new people coming into the healthcare
system,” he said, explaining that the sliding scale would be implemented
sometime between 2010 and 2013.
At Thursday’s twin rallies in Peabody, those opposed to change carried
signs with slogans such as “Hands off My Health Care”, “No Bama” and
“You Have Run Out of Our Money.”
On the other side the street, change advocates like Martha Finkelstein
of Salem bore simple messages: Hers read: “Say No to Status Quo.”
Others, like retirees Jerry and Judith Westerman of Peabody, were there
to support those without health insurance. “I already have the best. I
have Medicare and it has paid for my cancer treatments and my heart
surgery. But I’m here today because everybody should have it,” Jerry
Westerman said. “This country can afford it. We are overpaying for
medical care and I want to change that.”
Judith Westerman said she was forced to close her small business because
the health insurance premiums were too high.
Tom Bishop of Lynn offered a similar story of how he ran a Saugus hair
salon until heath insurance pushed him out of business. “We changed
providers three times in three years and we still couldn’t afford it,”
he said.
Jered Ayer of Lynn said he works at GE and has a solid health plan, but
everyone isn’t as fortunate. “I was in the Army for three years and the
Marine Corps for four. I’ve paid my dues to this country,” he said.
“People here, everybody, should be able to afford health insurance.”
Hudak told Tierney’s staff he was not present to challenge or debate the
congressman but to engage in open discussion about the nation’s
healthcare system. Barrett countered that Tierney would gladly meet
face-to-face on any issue, as he did at town meetings where open
discussion of the issues has been invited for the past seven years.
Besides, said Barrett, there are currently three healthcare reform bills
in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate, and any
discussion might prove more productive when it becomes clearer which
bill will be given the most consideration.
From: AML <aml@itsjustart.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 9:01 AM
Subject: From Masscare- Support Representative Tierney Tomorrow,
Thursday at 12:30pm (MA)]
To: Chris Lawrence <chrislawrence@taitronics.com>
Got this from obama supporters. Spread the news in you know any
case health care opponents who can make it to the protest. (this is
the first I heard about it).. The obamacare supporters are coming
our to protest against the non-obamacarers today at 12:30
From Masscare- Support Representative Tierney Tomorrow (Thursday at
12:30pm)
Dear Single Payer Supporters - As you have probably heard, opponents
of health reform have been disrupting town hall meetings with
Congresspeople around the country, perpetuating sensational and
inaccurate claims about the impacts of public health insurance. The
groups behind this effort - largely bankrolled by the health care
industry - have called for a rally outside of Representative John
Tierney's Peabody office, 17 Peabody Square, Peabody today, Thursday
the 13th, at 1PM.
Representative Tierney is one of our best advocates in Congress. He
sits on the House Education and Labor Committee, which is one of the
Committees responsible for health reform this year, and in this role
he has been instrumental in including single payer advocates at all
hearings, bringing the first hearing dedicated solely to exploring
the single payer option before Education and Labor, and passing an
amendment to the current bill that would allow states to adopt
single payer and receive necessary federal waivers.
If you can JOIN US tomorrow, Thursday, at 12:30PM outside of Rep
Tierney's Peabody district office, 17 Peabody Square, Peabody, MA
01960, we need all the bodies we can get to support Rep Tierney's
work on health care reform. Please contact us at info@masscare.org
if you are able to come, or know someone who can, and we will bring
signs for you to hold.
Thank you for your continued hard work!
_______________________________________________
Mass-Care: The Massachusetts Campaign for Single Payer Health Care
33 Harrison Ave - 5th floor
Boston, MA 02111
Ph: 617-723-7001
Fx: 617-723-7002
Em: info@masscare.org
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