CURRENT UPDATE The story below was published in August 2008. See most current story on East Bay Town Hall Rallies for August 2009
Congressman George Miller (D-Martinez) will hold Townhall Meetings in Contra Costa County on August 12 and 13. Join the Congressman for a lively discussion about offshore drilling, energy prices, and other issues important to you. The August 12 meeting in Richmond will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Plaza Two Building (Hilltop), located at 3620 Blume Drive. The following evening, Miller and his staff will invade Tauscher country and meet at the Clayton City Council Chambers in the Endeavor Hall located at 6000 Heritage Trail, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. For ADA or more information call 925-602-1880.
Bill Gram-Reefer is Editor & Publisher of Halfway To Concord, founded in 2004. Halfway To Concord is the leading online source for community-driven political news, events, and opinion for Contra Costa County and the San Francisco East Bay.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I plan to attend Mr. Miller’s 8/13 meeting and I hope that everything I’ve read on this site about his town hall meetings is not realized. This is a time for meaningful exchanges without shouting, condescension or smearing. It’s time for the Congressman to listen and to not repeat the ObamaCare & Cap & Trade mantra…..we’ve heard a lot already and we want to give our input! The 8/4/09 comments by P.O.’d concerning Medicare fraud & waste and the need for tort reform are correct…..this is what needs to be attacked now to eliminate maybe 20-30% (who knows?) of governmental waste of our money.
~ EDITOR REPLIES — Tony take a look at the date of the original post. Miller is running away from open public meetings in 2009. The last thing he wants to do is hear from his constituents.
Before I go into my rant….I don’t disagree that there should be reform….but the way to control costs is to eliminate fraud (medicare, etc) and tort reform….these are huge and addressing these two issues are crucial
Nationalizing Health care is not the answer to this….removing a free enterprise system means removing choices.
And another thing…hospitals write off MILLIONS of dollars of medical bills to charity….While I understand that many people get into medical debts not of their own chosing….they are able to file for BK and save their house, etc. I mean, its not as if these unpaid medical bills become an anvil for the rest of your life….I’m not saying its preferred, but lets be pragmatic here….
These congressmen/women and senators that DO NOT hold town hall DISCUSSIONS (Not mutual cheer parties, but REAL discussions) on health care are cowards….that’s right ….COWARDS!!!!!…they can’t face the people they represent…the people that pay their salaries…because they can’t defend their position….of course, they don’t know their position because they didn’t read the bill.
Think I’m wrong congressman….prove me wrong….schedule a meeting to have a discussion on this….I can tell you now that for once you might just earn your salary if you can defend and explain this bill!!!
Pelosi, Miller, Boxer….all poster children for term limits….
Wow, if commenter “Contra Costa Progressives” isn’t 10th District candidate Adriel Hampton himself, he certainly is a supporter.
I was in attendance at the All Saints Church meeting and it was not exactly billed as a ‘Town Hall Meeting’. This was basically a Panel question and response set up.
There was an excellent Rah Rah speech by Mark DeSaulnier talking about how the Governor was out of touch with the people in regard to cuts to the Cal-works and Healthy Families programs. He also spoke about the idea that California use to have a graduated income tax above 50,000 where it now caps out at 9%. There use to be a range of up to 11% for those over 600,000 in income but that it had been removed under the Wilson period. He would also like to see a suspension of the tax loopholes given in the recent budget compromises.
Miller made a few good points amongst them was that we are witnessing what happens when we have an employer based Health Care system and then 11% of the people lose their employment. Also that the number one cause of personal bankruptcy in the country is medical care costs and that 75% of those people actually had medical insurance, so that clearly the current system is not working. He also wanted caps on out of pocket expenses so as to prevent people from going bankrupt, and a more uniform and accessible technological record system that can go with the patient from provider to provider rather than one that is kept by the providers separately.
The panel brought up the issue of care for immigrants as well as the fact that the current county system is being overwhelmed because of the large increase in the number of people with needs and no other place to turn.
The warmongers of the Democratic party including Miller and Pelosi are trying their darndest to help little Jerry McNerney duck the supplemental vote altogether so he doesn’t piss off his left.
We already know where Miller stands, but shame on you Jerry for taking a chicken shit approach just to suck up to Generalissimo Pelosi.
Why haven’t the rightwingers like DeSaulnier, Garamendi, and Buchanan taken a stand on this critical issue for Democrats who finally get to show their true colors?
Or is it more business as usual from Miller’s back benchers?
Time for Miller to retire as he’s lost his fire.
I have to agree with BGR. What Miller is doing is a lecture, without public interaction, it isn’t a “Town Hall” meeting. I think we can all agree something isn’t completely kosher when it comes to Health Care, but there are many reasonable ideas that could cut costs and spread service, but this issue is too important and too divisive for one sided, majority powered, lectures.
I also love when candidate people come on here and blow smoke up the rears of the “their” guy. Seriously people, if you are going to promote, learn to be subtle, as if to only whisper honey in Rome. There are some pretty smart cookies who read this site, TRY HARDER.
To be successful in close districts we (republicans, right leaning independents) have to bring more to the table than concerns about ear marks, only 1% of our budget. It’s kind of ridicules; we have to try harder as well.
I went to the town hall mtg today featuring George Miller. Started at 10:30am, sponsored by an interfaith group. After 30 min of cute little kids singing and teenagers sharing the mike to thank us for coming, we were given the ground rules. “There will be no public interchange” Congressman Miller arrived a little after 11, and there were several speakers from county government and community health honchos. Then Miller delivered a fiery speech about how the Dems were going to get us out of this Health care mess-with a bill on Obama’s desk by Oct. Each promise was met with cheers, noisemakers, interspersed with more introductions of late arriviinglocal politico’s. I left at noon with a heavy heart-nothing is going to change…it’s all politics as usual.
No public interchange
That is the fist sign the fix is in
Those clowns can’t stand public scrutiny of their BLAH BLAH BLAH
Miller doesnt want to tell his supporters he’s not going to vote for single payer and will vote for the supplemental and Will try to scuttle Fed accountability
That’s why he does NOT want public interaction
Because him and his gang including torklesen DeSaulnier bonilla and majority of suprvisors are bankrupt talking heads unnaccountable to their own grassroots supporers
Glorious Mark DeSaulnier?
Represent(s) true interest of the people?
Without regard to interest group politics?
He is brave, courageous, honest?
Totally willing to risk everything for what he believes in?
He should replace Miller or even Obama?
He is the greatest leader we have ever had?
Too many questions.
Except for the glorious Mark DeSaulnier. He just continues to represent the true interest of the people without regard to interest group politics. He is brave, courageous, honest and totally willing to risk everything for what he believes in. He should replace Miller or even Obama. He is the greatest leader we have ever had! Isn't that right renegade?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!!!!! Do you really expect to have serious dialogue at one of these events. If you want to have a serious conversation with an elected official then write check to their reelection campaign for whatever the campaign limit is and you will get face time up front and personal.
I have attended these "town halls" before and they are a joke. The Congressman can only spare an hour, and then it's just all Congressional Democrat talking points with little room for real town hall give and take after George does his anti-Bush rant.
Tough questions like what is George and Pelosi doing about cutting ear marks and pork in Congress will get shouted down by the fawning purple pants and gray-haired mullets.