Information
Here are some websites with information you can use to arm yourself for townhall meetings with your Congressmen or conversations with your friends and family:
- GOP.gov > “Reading Guide – Democratic Health ‘Reform’“
- The Obama Experiment > “Health Care Talking Points“
- Heritage Foundation > “Analysis of the July 15 draft of The American Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” “Rapid Response: Obama Health Care Plan,” “A Federal Health Insurance Exchange Combined with a Public Plan: The House and Senate Bills,” “Micromanaging Americans’ Health Insurance: The Impact of House and Senate Bills,” “Employer Health Care Mandates: Taxing Low-Income Workers to Pay for Health Care,” “Medicaid Expansion: The Impact of the House and Senate Health Bills,” and “New Taxpayer Subsidies: The Impact of the House and Senate Health Bills“
- Christian Coalition of America > “Health Care Action Center“
- Independence Institute: Patient Power > “Real reform: free markets” (includes responses to common arguments for government-run health care)
- Fix Health Care Policy > “Senate Health Bill” and “House Health Bill” (among other documents)
- Pacific Research Institute > “The Top 10 Myths of American Health Care: A Citizen’s Guide“
- Americans for Free Choice in Medicine > “American Health Care: Essential Principles and Common Fallacies“
- Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine
- John David Lewis, PhD > “HR3200 Health Care Bill: What Does it Say, in more detail?” and “HR3200 Heallth Care Bill: 2 Page Flyer“
- Common Sense from a Common Man > “The HC Monstrosity-All 1,018 Pages” and “Politifact Checks a Chain Email, I Check Politifact“
- Newsmax.com > “Fact-checking Obama on Healthcare“
Tips:
Here are some other things to keep in mind:
Rush Limbaugh has recommended that you ask about specifics at townhall meetings, and Mark Levin has strongly suggested recording the meetings.
The Heritage Foundation has provided a list of five questions to ask about health care at town halls (Go to that page for information about what is in the bill regarding these points):
- Can you promise me that I will not lose my current plan and doctor?
- Can you promise that you and your family will enroll in the public plan?
- Can you promise that Obamacare will not lead to higher deficits in the long term?
- Can you promise that government bureaucrats will not ration health care for patients on the public plan?
- Can you promise me that my tax dollars will not fund abortions?
Rocky Mountain Right has posted these questions, which should be “should be asked in townhall meetings, letters to members of Congress, speeches, TV appearances and in conversations with your friends and acquaintances”:
- Do you think one person or one company can manage 20% of the American economy fairly and honestly?
- When you get a big NO, ask, do you trust any politician or the 535 members of Congress to skillfully, honestly and fairly to run health care in a way that is good for anybody but their campaign contributors and favorite lobbyists?
- Then ask, do you think Congress and the President could radically change 20% of the economy, the health care markets, and get it right? Ever?
- Are you prepared to see Washington’s careerist politicians turn your health insurance and health care into another mismanaged, corrupt Katrina, California, New York , Illinois or New Jersey?
- Do you realize that on a per person basis, Medicare is more expensive to administer than private health insurance and that nothing Washington will do will cut administrative costs?
- Do you want government-run health care that favors the rich and powerful as well as the political class who will take care of their friends and themselves regardless of how it hurts you?
- Will you support changes in health care insurance laws and regulations that won’t put the employes of large and small businesses out of work?
- And, finally, are you ready for some minor changes in state and federal insurance laws that will let private health insurers sell and administer policies that don’t discriminate based on your medical history, can’t be cancelled when you get sick, can’t be made more expensive after you submit major claims and make it possible to take your insurance with you when you change jobs?