August 25, 2009

Ryan finds receptive audience in Kenosha;
his Racine listening session moved to Roma Lodge

Rep. Paul Ryan at Kenosha listening session Tuesday

If nothing else, the health care debate has brought out the faithful -- Rep. Paul Ryan's faithful.

The 1st District Congressman has been attracting crowds to his listening sessions on the issue this week; big crowds. Yes, Democrats who support President Obama's health care plan are showing up, but -- if the session in Kenosha this afternoon is any indication -- so are Ryan's supporters.

Ryan noted that his usual listening sessions in Paddock Lake draw fewer than 10 people; today they filled the Village Hall and the overflow was outside, peering in the windows.

At the Kenosha session, held at Gateway Technical College's Madrigrano Auditorium, it was standing-room only. I counted 250 people present 10 minutes before the session began, but by the time Ryan opened the session with a slide presentation the room was filled to overflowing: at least 350, with more than 50 people left standing.

Judging by the applause his remarks and more than two dozen questions from the floor garnered, and the occasional boos, despite Democrats' efforts to show up in force, and the 1st District's swing toward Obama in last November's election, these were mostly Ryan's people.

The crowds he is attracting have forced his staff to find larger venues for upcoming listening sessions. Tomorrow's 3:30 p.m. Janesville meeting has been moved to the large auditorium at Craig High School, 401 South Randall Ave.

Thursday's Racine listening session on health care reform, originally slated for the Great Lakes Room at Gateway Technical College, has been moved to Roma Lodge, 7130 Spring St., still from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Other sessions are listed here. Racine's session is scheduled to last an hour, whereas Kenosha's ran well past 90 minutes.

The first 25 minutes of Tuesday's session in Kenosha were taken up by Ryan's discussion of the faults of Obama's proposal, and the country's already serious financial problems. "Seventeen percent of the entire economy is devoted to health care," he said, and "existing entitlement programs -- Medicare and Medicaid -- "are already in debt."

"Will they have to be rationed? Unequivocably, the answer is yes. Inevitably we must ration care on the basis of costs. Massive debt is coming due. Let's fix what's broken in health care," he said. "Let's not break what's working."

It didn't take long for the questioners to show their oppostion to President Obama's proposal, and their support for Ryan's refusal to go along. The second questioner -- keep in mind that few people actually asked questions; most made statements -- said "I've paid into Social Security for 30 years. We should secure that before we start something new."

"I agree," said Ryan.

Another man, who identified himself as a retiree, said "Nobody should expect free insurance in this country." That was met by long applause, as was the next person's statement that he also opposed Obama.

In response to a question about our "elitist" Congress' own health care plan, Ryan said, "If we're going to foist this on everyone, we in Congress ought to be in on it as well." But, he said later, Republicans "don't have enough votes."

A schoolteacher asked what she called a rhetorical question: "We in America believe that everyone deserves a public education. Why would we not believe that everyone deserves health care?" She went on to say that she'd be willing to pay "an extra 1%, 2% or 3%" in taxes to ensure that everyone has coverage.

Ryan responded that "we already spend lots -- $5 trillion; Let's spend that money smarter, without spending more, without the government taking it over." He's willing to impose higher taxes on the wealthy -- "It's OK if it's Aaron Rogers, or Bill Gates," he said, "but the problem is small businessmen." During a discussion on federal borrowing, Ryan said, "Half the federal budget is borrowing." Some Democrats responded with a remark about Iraq, and Ryan's support of war spending, but he said, "The war is a small part of it." (Actually, $902 billion so far, and counting; and the national debt grew by $5 trillion under the Bush presidency.)

In answer to an audience member's statement, "We know your vote," Ryan made it crystal clear: "I am going to vote against this." That earned him more big applause. "My hope is that we scrap this thing and start over," he said.

Ryan said he was willing to look at other countries' plans, while at the same time pointing out flaws in many; England, for example, has a $22,000 limit on end-of-life care, he said. "Switzerland has a pretty good system," His goal is to "give the patient more power; give him more money." And he wants to make sure that pre-existing conditions and the uninsurable are covered, while limiting their out-of-pocket costs. He cited the example of an unnamed employer of 25, one of whom had breast cancer. "Everybody's premium doubled," he said.

"I want to target the subsidies where they ought to go. You can do that without massive new spending. Unfortunately, this is the only idea Congress is paying attention to."

One man said, "Every day I wake up, I feel some of my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is being sucked out of my body."

Ryan spoke about transparency, wanting doctors' and hospitals' costs to be known up-front by patients. "Aurora and St. Catherine's are across the street from each other; what do they charge?" He said they should compete for patients' business on the basis of price and quality.

The session went on for more than the scheduled 90 minutes, from 2:15 to 4 p.m..

35 comments:

  1. Where was Greg Helding in that picture? Does he still carry his card or can we consider him a RINO now? Maybe he's out pushing for Obama's health care plan.

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  2. I notice they changed the location to one that is not accessible to people that rely on the bus to get around.

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  3. Makes you wonder why Ryan chose to move his event away from the city residents?

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  4. Oh please, Gateway doesn't have a room big enough for his listening session? Seems a tad disingenuous to me.

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  5. I guess Paul Ryan is too good for the city of Racine.

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  6. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209034/The-babies-born-hospital-corridors-Bed-shortage-forces-4-000-mothers-birth-lifts-offices-hospital-toilets.html

    What Obama care will bring

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  7. You can see from the visual, that Ryan is just criticizing the proposed plan! He has no plan!

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  8. Ryan's Health Care Savings Account is not the answer. Most people who do not have health insurance can not afford to put a significant part of their income into a HSA. The cost of family coverage in Racine far exceeds to amount he proposed for a HSA. We need a plan that will help low income wage earners get coverage without putting them in the "poor house". A persons earning $30,000 a year can not afford $12,000 to $15,000 for health insurance.

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  9. 8:40 they can handle the current health coverage - so it should not change.

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  10. Paul Ryan is a strong proponent of healthcare reform. His ideas are a fairly radical departure from the system we have now though. He wants employers to drop coverage. The idea is that your coverage should not be tied to your employment.

    Problem is that after your employer kicks you out of your plan, Paul Ryan is going to give you a $5000 check to pay for a $13000 policy. Most people with company provided health insurance really don't see the full cost because their company pays a portion. The rest you pay in premiums.

    If this is the best Republicans can offer we're doomed.

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  11. Why is Paul Ryan having his town hall at a really white private club where women cannot be full members?

    oh nevermind.

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  12. http://members.romalodge.com/membership_information.html

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  13. 10:23 - that is a stupid remark. I suppose people should not have weddings or meetings there also. You're just looking for something to whine about but it has no legs.

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  14. My group won't have meetings there anymore because of it, not that stupid at all.

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  15. If this was a Democrat changing the venue for his town hall meeting, that would be fine with all you two-faced liberals. But let a Republican do it and it's mean and evil and there's some sinister plot behind it. Give me a break!

    As for Roma Lodge itself, what's wrong with it being exclusively a men's club for those of Italian lineage? If this was some black or Hispanic or woman's organization you liberals wouldn't be spouting a word about it. What a bunch of hypocrites!

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  16. The Roma Lodge can do whatever they want. But for a public official who represents all of us to schedule a public meeting at a private club that does not allow all people as members is just tone deaf and crummy.

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  17. Wait a minute. Is Ryan using tax dollars to pay Roma Lodge?

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  18. Thank you Rep. Ryan for moving this to a big enough venue to accommodate all those that want to attend.

    And also thank you, from someone who doesn't live downtown, for having this closer to the rest of us.

    You may not realize this, but everytime comes to Racine - he avoids Mt. Pleasant, he avoids Raymond, he avoids Yorkville, he avoids Caledonia and always goes to downtown Racine either at Gateway or City Hall. What about the rest of us - don't we deserve a convenient venue to see our congressman as well?

    For those of you that are worried about the bus - I'm sure Kelly Gallagher can get you fixed up with a ride - after all - isn't that what she's supposed to do as a community organizer?

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  19. For those of you who are complaining about this move please realize that the City of Racine doesn't have very large meeting rooms. The largest meeting areas in East of I-94 are in Mt Pleasant and Caledonia.

    My guess is that had Ryan stayed with the initial location and not everyone could get in the meeting he would have been roasted for picking too small of a location. Then some would have accused him of trying to keep the crowd down by picking a location that was too small.

    Any wonder more people don't run for public office. He is just trying to accommodate everyone.

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  20. well what about a high school?

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  21. It was clear to me that many showed up that were Ryan supporters long before the session began. Ryan called on people, ignoring those he knew not to be supportive of his plan.Not mentioned in this article is that Ryan"s top contributors to his campaign are Health Care Insurance providers. Who does Ryan work for/ I thought us but, apparently it is the HC insurance companies

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  22. Does not matter what he says anyway, Democrats control things now. Thankfully his 'Insurance company' written bill will never reach the floor of congress. FYI: Ryan's top three campaign contributors are from the Insurance Industry. Hummm...

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  23. He began the whole show with "we have the best health care in the world" Huh? The World Health Org. ranks us what 36 or 37th? Close enough for the adoring crowd.

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  24. Ecoprairie just sounds like another one of those left wing Marxist liberal crybabies. You socialists only control things until the next election. Then it's all over for the liberals and the O'Nazis.

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  25. And the supposed "Governors" biggest contributors were the Unions, that are over pricing every job in this State!

    Requiring every contractor to pay ridiculous wages for any State job!

    Following what the proclaimed savior has done!

    Unions once had a place in this country...their time has long passed!

    Time to wake up people.

    All you screaming liberals need to take the blinders off.

    We are being pushed down a path our forefathers fought against?

    Read your history books and enlighten yourselves!

    We need less government, not more which is coming your way via the Obama train!!!

    Anyone want to debate my thoughts.... Bring logic and common sense...and I will consider it.



    IMHO

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  26. Obama tried to ram this bill before the recess because he knew the majority would not go for it. That is exactly what has happened. What a low life to try that tactic.The "right" side has prevailed when this is all done - there will be nothing this year. Even Feingold is smart enough to realize this. It's about time the far left socialistic democrats realize it. Thank god for the blue dogs.

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  27. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6092658/Cruel-and-neglectful-care-of-one-million-NHS-patients-exposed.html

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  28. yes, let us take a good hard look at our fore fathers shall we?
    Lets see, slavery - wrong, then righted. The industrial age- sweat shop labor - wrong, then righted.
    Now, the good stuff. Public education, drivers licenses, welfare to work program. All of which the new republicans call 'government controll'. Government for the people BY THE PEOPLE . Not meganopoly corporations.
    Perhaps if Ryan were not funded or perhaps rejected funding by United Health Care Systems and other Insurance giants, I would not say these things. If our unemployment in the first CD did not exceed the National average, I wouldn't write these things.

    And 'O'Nazi' ? Come on, grow up and converse like a rational adult. Using idioms like that means you do not get the fact the sitting President of the United States won by the largest margin in history. I think perhaps actual history eludes you.

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  29. I wish this was at the Racine Country Club.

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  30. "And the supposed "Governors" biggest contributors were the Unions, that are over pricing every job in this State!

    Requiring every contractor to pay ridiculous wages for any State job!

    Following what the proclaimed savior has done!

    Unions once had a place in this country...their time has long passed!

    Time to wake up people.

    All you screaming liberals need to take the blinders off.

    We are being pushed down a path our forefathers fought against?

    Read your history books and enlighten yourselves!

    We need less government, not more which is coming your way via the Obama train!!!

    Anyone want to debate my thoughts.... Bring logic and common sense...and I will consider it.



    IMO"

    fixed.

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  31. I am a self employed individual, married for 16 years with three children, I agree that we need to overhaul our health care system but by no means do I want to see the Fed have any control or say in this issue. I pay enormous premiums each and every month for average health care, and those of you that believe you are entiled to free health care need to do what my wife and I do "work for it"! We sacrifice eating out regularly, buying fancy new cars, and living in large over priced homes in an attempt to keep up with the Jones'. Why is it that a once hard working "Blue collar" country has turned into a group of people that believe being born in the USA intitles them to sit home and collect a check and recieve everthing for free? Come on people we are loosing the ideals that our forefathers fought for. Government is getting bigger, people are getting fatter and lazier and no one has the forsight to see this? Reform the system do not revamp it!!

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  32. 9:35 - good post.

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  33. Kay, grow up.

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  34. Ecoprairie, once again makes a fool of himself.

    No, the Founding Fathers were not perfect. They lived in a society where slavery was acceptable, and yes, some of them did have slaves. But that was the times they lived in. Some of them lost their fortunes funding the revolution, others gave up their slaves and lost their properties. Their first priority was to gain freedom for the colonies, and that's what they did. They then based the principles of the new nation on Christian principles and thus started the move towards ending slavery.

    You can hardly blame the Founding Father for the injustices of the Industrial Age, which didn't really begin until the late 1800's.

    Public education: something the Fed has no business in. That was, and should have been left, at state level. Thank for screwing that up liberals (not to mention rewriting history).

    The "welfare to work program" was one started by FDR and was only intended to provide welfare for 2 years while people got educated or found work. Thanks once again to the socialist liberals for perverting the program and giving us generation after generation of welfare leaches that have never worked a day in their lives. That is nothing more than liberals making slaves of those people to free government handouts, paid for by the money and sweat of those who DO work for a living.

    If you don't think Obama and his ACORN and union thugs aren't national socialists, you better take off you blinders and look again.

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  35. anon 12:10,
    I was outside Roma Lodge today listening to RYAN SUPPORTERS complaining that he moved the venue. Not any liberals. A couple oft them said they were informed by or associated with the 911 group. Strictly Ryan supporters. They felt it was wrong for Ryan to move the event to limit the citizen participation!
    They were also all swooning over Glen Beck and how they get all their information from him...I don't think you can get much more right wing than these people and they were upset, not me. I was disappointed because the weather and a train delayed me from getting there earlier.

    So, if you think that I need to grow up because I think it was a mess that he moved the meeting and it was because he wanted to limit the crowd you need to send that message to the 911 groups. Write to Glen Beck and tell him that conservatives were complaining about Ryan limiting citizen involvement.

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