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March 20, 2010

Local political parties react to upcoming health care vote

Sherry Koonce The Port Arthur News

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On the eve of the nation’s historic health care reform vote, Jefferson County Democrats and Republicans met separately Saturday with both reporting good crowds attending each party’s mid-term conventions. While members of both parties agreed changes needed to be made to the nation’s health care system, that was where the similarities ended. “The president should be applauded for tackling this problem. There are people all over the U.S. right now that are having problems with their health care coverage. Premiums keep increasing while coverage continues to decrease,” Addie Allen, a Democrat from Beaumont said. “Health care reform is fine, but Obama care stinks,” Evangeline George, 79, a Republican from Beaumont, said. “The majority of the people have told him for one solid year they don’t want it, and now he is trying to rush it through.” George was among about 50 people attending the morning Republican convention where party chairman Shane Howard said he was pleased with the turnout. “Generally for a mid-term cycle we will normally have about 20 people,” Howard said. “Obviously it’s more during a presidential year, but for a mid-term year this is the biggest crowd I remember.” Howard said the group in attendance at the Jefferson County jury impaneling room were highly motivated, and most intended to go to the state convention in Dallas on June 11 and 12. About 100 Jefferson County Democrats met in the afternoon at the Piper Fitters Local Union No. 195 in Nederland to prepare for the group’s 2010 Party Convention June 25-26 in Corpus Christi. Democratic Party Chairman Gilbert Adams said there was a reasonable turnout for the mid-term. He predicted the health care reform bill would pass Sunday. “One of the things Americans elected Obama for was to provide health care reform. Now, the Republicans are spreading propaganda to log roll and to scare people,” Adams said. The companies want reform, the employees want it. We are the only nation in the world with a for-profit health care system — one that denies so many people health care. “We’ve got to do something, and I think this will be accomplished in spite of what the Republicans have done. People are being denied medical care while they put it off,” he said. Howard said the Republicans were not against health care reform, but were against the policy and the process offered by the Democrats. “I don’t care whether you support health care reform or are against it. This process is borderline, if not wholly, unconstitutional,” Howard said. “The Americans are overwhelmingly against all these versions of the Senate and House Bills and even more overwhelmingly opposed to the process the Democrats are using. “This is not reform, but government takeover. Will this pass? It depends on how many arms they can twist and how many they can pay off,” Howard said. skoonce@panews.com

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