Shea Porter in Alton - Granite Grok

Shea Porter in Alton

 Shea Porter on milk carton

Found

Our friend Terry Stewart attended Carol Sheas Porter’s visit to Alton, NH this morning, where she faced some 30 or so residents. Apparently nobody there was all too pleased with the Congresswoman or her fellow politicians’ actions down in DC. I asked Terry to write a quick take on the event… 

I had a chance to attend the meeting today at Alton’s town hall in which congress women Carol Shea-Porter was invited to speak. 

I will immediately admit that I am NOT a fan of Shea-Porter’s ideology. I do however give her credit for answering the questions she was asked. The attendees and Ms. Shea-Porter were very polite and respectful however not one speaker spoke in favor of the current direction of our government and in particular the health insurance bill that was recently passed by the house. Ms Shea-Porter respectfully disagreed and stated her position.

The first question came from a local lady only identified as “Barbra”. She gave a very good 10 minute outline of the various spending proposals that have occurred since Obama was elected. My attempt at reiterating her passionate speech simply would not do it justice. In capsule form she, like so many of us, simply doesn’t trust any of these proposals coming out of Washington. We were told that we wouldn’t have government run car companies or banks and now we do. “I no longer trust what you say.” She concluded. She received a huge round of applause from most everyone in the room.

Shea-Porter responded that everyone could agree that Wall Street millionaires left to their own devices caused this crisis along with over paid CEO’s. She said that she voted for the auto bail out because the CEO’s put the company out of business and the workers were out of a job due to no fault of their own. “We needed to put them back to work!” She also added this statement; “I also supported the auto industry bail outs because if this country ever goes to war, we must have the ability to manufacture automobiles. It’s a national security issue!” (I guess no one told her that we’re in a war)

The next question came from a local small business owner who also believes that the massive stimulus spending and the health bill initiative will be the death of small businesses across the country and raise taxes on all working families.

 

Shea-Porter quickly explained that the tax burden will fall mostly on the shoulders of the “rich”. The questioner immediately asked her why we have to target a segment of our society when, according to Shea-Porter, health care is “everyone’s” responsibility. The questioner further stated “I have never been hired by someone poor, rich people are the ones who create jobs and I won’t pick on them… I want to be one of them some day!” (Another huge round of applause)

Shea-Porter asked the individual to contact her office to get the information related to how the health care bill will help his business. The next question came from a retired gentleman on Medicare. He wanted Shea-Porter to explain the rationale behind supporting a public option when plenty of evidence suggests that government would eventually make up the rules to drive out the private insurers. He also stated that he goes to the Mayo Clinic on a regular basis and the waiting room is always full of Canadians who cannot get timely care in their own country. He continued, “Please explain the rationale behind this decision when Medicaid, Medicare and the VA are riddled with waste and fraud.” In fact, he stated, the private insurance companies only experience 4% waste and fraud while the current government providers experience 20%. (Another round of applause)

Shea-porter explained that she understands these things happen and she is going to support aggressive measures to eliminate waste and fraud.

There were a few more statements from the public that spoke against the government’s current direction and Shea-Porter continued to defend her position. The meeting ended with Shea-Porter making a compassionate plea to encourage people to not look so cynically at government. “Are there people in congress abusing the process? Yes. Are all the solutions perfect? No. But on balance there are a lot of people, like me, that care about getting it right for struggling American working families. We should believe that we are good people working to do good things. “Don’t just focus on the bad things, government does a lot of things great. America has the best military in the world!” She concluded.

Okay, after observing the dialogue and assessing Shea-Porter’s answers, I would love to have have had a chance to comment and ask her a few questions:  I will give her the benefit of the doubt that she honestly believes that she and other legislators with a clue are going to right the wrongs of the government system. So why does she support the creation of a HUGE new government program that will eventually be under the control of future politicians that can change it (improve it) because they believe THEY need to right the wrongs?

I would have also told her I disagreed with her belief that the CEO’s created the auto industry crisis. Didn’t the labor union play a role?

Lastly, I would have stated that I take issue with her faith in government’s running of the military. Our military has been watered down, BY POLITICIANS, to the point where it is becoming less effective. Soldiers can’t shoot on the enemy without permission or they risk legal action. Troop levels are reduced by politicians for political reasons. Political correctness is now actually costing lives in the ranks of our military. 

Each of us could go on and on about government run programs that have become a complete mess because politicians simply can’t help themselves. It’s not a matter of if but when she will be replaced with a legislator that is her polar opposite in interpretations of what is “right” and what is “wrong”. That day can’t come soon enough for me!

Terry Stewart lives in Gilford where he serves on the municipal budget committee. He is a regular contributor to GilfordGrok.com.

>