Huntsville meeting with Rep. Griffith this morning — Nov. 12 2009

Hi everyone,

Here are some highlights from the meeting this morning. There were about 40 people present … most from the local African American community and many were preachers. This meeting was to share how unhappy they are with Rep. Griffith.

Griffith started off with a short speech where he said that jobs are more important than healthcare and the financial industry woes. But the group wanted to talk about healthcare … so he did his usual song and dance that America has the best healthcare system in the world, while many of us shook our heads. He said that healthcare reform is trying to fix the healthcare system for 15% of us, which already works well for 85% of us. (that 85% must include those who haven’t tested their insurance yet by coming down with a serious illness and having claims denied.)

He talked about how much the House bill will cost (of course, without talking about how much it will reduce the deficit in the long run.)

He said that he’s been talking with big employers like Walmart, Home Depot, etc. who he is afraid will dump their sick into the public option. (That doesn’t sound right since the House bill says big employers would have to use private insurance for their employees). He said the public option will be Medicare-like where people are limited to 12-14 visits per year so that people with cancer will use up that many visits quickly and then be turned away. (That doesn’t sound right at all … or we’d know about it already!)

He said the mandate to buy insurance included in the House bill makes not buying insurance a felony crime.

He said the Republican’s bill was a “spite bill” … it was nothing and he would not have voted for it.

Someone asked what bills he has voted for which Obama has signed into law. He said only SCHIP and the budget. Another person asked if he was going to go ahead and change to the Republican party. He said no.

I shared that we have a grass roots healthcare reform group in town (he knows about us already, for sure) that views healthcare as a human right. So starting from there, we can figure out what needs to be done … to train more doctors and other health professionals to meet the needs of providing care to all. I reminded him (and he agreed) that private insurance companies do not add anything of value to healthcare. (he probably remembers well that he had to fight with them when he was practicing medicine.) Profits need to be removed from the system. Going to a Medicare for All system removes the private insurance companies, saving us $400 billion per year. We need leadership to get us there. He said that is not the plan in Washington. He said that Obama made deals with the drug manufacturers and other health industry players… so they are working within those confines.

One minister talked about he has seen how the local hospital does not help black children as quickly as white children in the emergency room. He’s seen two young girls die because the hospital didn’t take their emergency illness seriously. Griffith agreed this should not be happening.

I had to leave early … but Bob Harrison (County Commissioner) told me later that he got up and reminded Griffith that he got into office on a narrow margin of votes and that the African American community helped put him over the top. However, Griffith isn’t voting the way they want … and a new election is coming.

Linda

—– Original Message —–

From: Linda Haynes
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 9:13 AM
Subject: URGENT! — Huntsville meeting with Rep. Griffith this morning

Hi all,
I just got a call from Jerry Burnet with the NAACP here in Huntsville. He is asking that people from our healthcare group attend this gathering.

There is a meeting @ 10:30 AM this morning with Rep. Parker Griffith in the old Progressive Union Baptist church. The building faces Oakwood and is at the intersection with Brandon Town Rd. (That’s a few blocks East of Jordan Lane.) Note that this is the old church building, not the new one.

PLEASE MAKE TIME TO COME OUT THIS MORNING! Your voice on the healthcare issue is important.

While you might consider Griffith a lost cause on healthcare reform … he still needs to feel the pressure to do the right thing, from as many as possible!!

See you there!
Linda