Arcuri Town Hall Health Care Meeting

A town hall meeting on health care reform sponsored by U.S. Rep. Michael A. Arcuri on August 19th generated some emotional comments and heated questions but largely avoid the angry confrontations that have marked similar events around the country.
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The 450 people who packed the auditorium at Mohawk Valley Community College demonstrated "a lot of passion, but a lot of respect" for opposing viewpoints, Arcuri said after the 90-minute forum. At least 100 people were turned away.

"I'm very proud of the way the meeting was conducted," said the Utica Democrat whose 24th District includes much of Tompkins County. "I was certainly hoping we'd get exactly what happened."

The two dozen questions and comments reflected the issues that have been raised at other town hall meetings, ranging from concerns that illegal immigrants would have their health coverage paid for by taxpayers to support for the public option that would create a government alternative to private insurance.

Speakers were split between those who supported some form of government intervention in the health care system and those who said the government has no business getting involved in health care.

"I don't have a problem with the federal government getting involved in paying for my health care," said Matt Murphy of Whitesboro.

"At no time was it the federal government's job to intrude into the daily lives of its citizens," a woman who identified herself only as Carol from North Bay said to a standing ovation from about 30 people in the audience.

Many in the crowd expressed their ambivalence about the various health care proposals under discussion.

"We desperately have to do something," said Tompkins County Legislator Martha Robertson, D-Dryden, who traveled to Utica from Dryden to attend the forum. However, she said, she was afraid a "bureaucracy run wild" would do little to improve health care and could, in fact, make things worse.

Like his constituents, Arcuri said he is uncertain about what the government should do about the health care system. "What we have is unsustainable," he said, but added that there are many provisions in the current proposals he finds difficult to support.

Arcuri said he supports the concept of a public option and pledged to switch from his government-provided insurance to the public option if an acceptable option is created, but he said he could not support the plan as outlined in the 1,100-page bill given to the House of Representatives before their summer break.

Tuesday's town hall meeting was the first large meeting Arcuri has hosted on the health care question. He has met with small groups and held a teleconference on the issue and said he hopes to hold several more large-group gatherings in the near future.

Archuri's 24th District extends from the Utica area to include Caroline, Dryden, Enfield, Newfield, Lansing, Groton and Ulysses in Tompkins County.

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