Democrat John Hall hiding from his Health Care vote: A tale of two health care events

By Sam Foster
Via Nan Hayworth's Blog, Poughkeepsie Journal, & Hudson Valley Patriots

Last Friday John Hall, Democrat congressman representing NY's 19^th Congressional District, held two town hall events.  One was held at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and featured roughly 60 business people.  The other was a town hall for local constituents.  However, the content of these two events was similar, but the outcomes couldn't be more telling with regard to how far out of touch with voters, congressman Hall has become.

Congressman Hall demagogues at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel:

According to information from Hall's office, health care costs for small businesses have increased 129 percent over the past decade, with workers paying an average of 18 percent more for premiums than those employed by larger companies.

Hall estimated 45 percent of small businesses can afford to offer health benefits.

He said the Affordable Care Act "puts into place comprehensive reforms that will open up access to affordable and quality health care for America's small businesses."

At the end, Nan was able to confront John Hall and request the opportunity to debate in open forum the claims congressman Hall made at the event.  No surprise, Congressman Hall balked.

So Congressman John Hall headed off to event number two at Cortlandt Manor.  Wildly popular with fellow Democrats and local independent constituents, the only people to show up were Nan Hayworth supporters, according to a blogger who attended.

While Congressman Hall's rhetoric about how great health care reform is for small businesses may have passed muster in the earlier closed event, Hayworth supporters weren't buying it.  Even Congressman Hall flip-flops on his earlier remarks that health care will bolster small businesses, Hudson Valley Patriots reports:

"Basically, the men (congressman Hall) said there are 1,000 things that needed to be corrected in the bill. So someone asked why they even passed a bill that needed so much "fixing". One man complained he'll be out of business come January 1, 2011 because he cannot afford to give his 50 employees health care and not increase his rates. He cannot increase his rates because his competitor hires illegal aliens and won't have to buy health care for them.

Another man said he manufactures in the area and is proud of having 53 employees working, but he too cannot afford to provide health care to the workers and compete with China. Come January 1, 2010 he advised the only way he'll be able to stay in business is if he has only five employees who can help him unload the trucks with the chairs made in China.

Both congressmen told the men they were right and they were trying to fix the bill."

Could this be why Congressman Hall refuses to debate Nan Hayworth?

According to Nan Hayworth's blog, part of the reason the Cortlandt Manor event was so poorly attended was because John Hall changed the event location and time at the last minute, which appears to be true.  The original event announced in the local press on Wednesday afternoon was to be held at the Hudson Valley Hospital Center.