Andy Morrison of Aromas took the microphone first Wednesday at
Congressman Sam Farr’s town hall meeting in Hollister and started
off by thanking him
”
for being man enough to come and listen to us,
”
while noting how several other federal leaders had canceled
similar engagements due to hostile crowds.
HOLLISTER
Andy Morrison of Aromas took the microphone first Wednesday at Congressman Sam Farr’s town hall meeting in Hollister and started off by thanking him “for being man enough to come and listen to us,” while noting how several other federal leaders had canceled similar engagements due to hostile crowds.
“But I have to tell you,” Morrison continued, “socialism does not work.”
As happened throughout the annual town hall meeting hosted by Farr, and with a resounding backdrop of an increasingly fiery national debate over health care, the speaker’s frankness with the congressman elicited a rash of applause and murmurs.
Farr responded to Morrison’s comment by saying he didn’t understand the talk about socialism with the health care bill.
“This is all done by private insurance. This is the private insurance business,” Farr said.
Hollister’s event had its fair share of hollering, booing and cheering, but for the most part the it remained respectful relative to a series of analogous town hall meetings by other congressmen across the country over the health care debate. Farr’s stop in Hollister was part of a six-meeting tour of sorts he does each year.
With the bill being such a contentious issue nationally, this year’s meetings, including the one in Hollister this week, have brought out hundreds more citizens than the traditional Farr gatherings.
The bill, for which Farr has expressed support, strives to provide health insurance to millions of Americans without it. The proposal’s many twists and turns, however, stretch throughout the 1,100-page bill, which one resident cited as a concern.
In a written question recited from a card by Farr, the resident asked him whether he read the entire document.
Responded Farr: “I started reading it a week ahead of time. I like to read bills. I used to write them.”
For the full story, see the Free Lance on Tuesday. Below is video coverage from the event.
