J's Cafe Nette

This afternoon at 4 o’clock the doors will open at the local community college for a town hall meeting with our Congressman to begin at 5 o’clock.

Since we have a family here in town it presents a conflict. Our twelve year-old granddaughter is a member of one of the high school swim teams, even though she is still in middle school.

When I heard Obama was going to give his version of what he wants in health care “reform” I wondered if it would be worth the time and effort to go to the town hall since everything might be changed by next week, and what we will be discussing is the pending HR3200 bill.

We decided my husband will attend the swim meet and I will attend the town hall. (Our granddaughter said she wants me to attend because she doesn’t want to be burdened with all these extra taxes and bad health care when she grows up. Smart girl.)

Here are the rules set forth by Congressman John Spratt (D-SC), chairman of the House Budget Committee:

1) ID must be shown and residents of the congressional district will be given priority.

2) No signs will be allowed.

3) If a person wishes to speak he or she must put his or her name on an index card and drop it into one of three boxes: For, Against, Undecided.

My first question upon reading the invitation email sent to the district was why have such an important meeting at a time when workers will have to take vacation time, leave work early, or not be able to attend due to an hour-long commute when most of them get out of work at 5 pm?

My second question was why put the cards in boxes designating your position on the issue? Why not just take the questions at random? Judging from what I have heard in the community, the one that will be full is the one marked “against”. I may put mine in “undecided” just so I have a chance of asking a question.

I know many people will ask about what is going to happen to Medicare and the same general questions we have heard throughout the country.

I agonized over what to ask and finally decided to ask about the tax provisions in the proposed law. First, Charlie Rangle, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has inserted penalties for people who make mistakes on their income taxes and those who do it deliberately. Coming from a man who is under congressional investigation for that very thing, and on the heels of his disclosure that he paid taxes on only half his taxable income for the past few years, I find that to be pretty ironic.

In addition to this penalty, which has nothing to do with health care, are at least 3 items that do have to do with taxes and health care “reform”.

First, a Health Care Commissioner will be appointed. This commissioner will have the right to ask for any citizen’s tax return for any reason, as the reasons are not specified.

Second, the IRS will be required to send income tax return information to the states so they can figure out how to run their programs.

Third, the IRS will be required to provide the Social Security Administration, upon request, with income tax returns so the SSA can check to see if a person(s) is/are eligible for assistance in getting prescription assistance even if such person has not applied for such assistance.

When the Supreme Court decided a woman’s “right to choose” abortion was constitutional based on privacy they opened up the argument of privacy.

Our tax laws have always protected our privacy from everyone except the IRS employees cleared to see the information. This is more of an invasion of privacy than asking a woman to let her baby live, in my opinion.

I don’t want this bill to pass at all, but after the Democrats in the House have their meeting in the basement with Plosi and possibly Obama or at least his aides, we can be pretty sure they are going to put the screws to their thumbs to vote for the bill.

Our job is to put the screws in the thumbs and all fingers first, but they may not be able to resist the temptations thrown their way. Temptations such as pork for their districts if they “go along”, chairmanships of committees, memberships on prestigious committees etc. Not to mention having their knees broken if they vote against it. (Just a sick joke there.)

If there is any chance at all of this bill passing either house of congress I want to make sure I have brought my concerns to my congressman and senators to get these tax information requirements out of the bill.

I have no idea how long the meeting will last or whether I’ll be able to ask a question or not, but if I am unable to ask the question I will try to stand around to have a word with the congressman and pass him copies of the legislation that addresses these issues.

If I am not successful at that I will snail mail, email and call his office with this information.

I’ll report on the meeting Friday. Wish me luck.

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