Questions to ask my Congressman, TX-26, for town hall

[dnt.throwaway]

Hello, my Congressman is finally holding a town hall this Saturday and I plan on going. This will be my first town hall and I haven't been more passionate about politics than I have been now and wanted to ask on DU what questions to ask. I do want to ask about investigations with Trump and his Russia ties, the Yemen raid and the ACA, but really don't know how I would phrase the questions. I want to be polite and respectful, but do want to call him out on any BS.

Any suggestions and advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[Gothmog]

1. Burgess is the idiot who wants to end ACA

[dnt.throwaway]

3. Yes, I'm embarrassed he represents me 😕 Eom

[dembotoz]

2. Perhaps with a trump who has been shown to lie on many occasions

When faced with the inevitable crisis...How are we supposed to trust anything that comes out of his mouth

[vlyons]

4. TX-26 is Denton, north of Dallas-Ft Worth

Formerly Dick Army's seat. Now "served" by Mike Burgess (R). He's an obstetrician and member of the T-party. So basically, you have an arrogant Dr. who is "uncertain about climate change" and is anti-abortion. It's always best to ask a question about something that really really is important to you, and to do a little research to get your facts right.

I would suggest that you read the 2016 Dem party platform on the issues that are important to you. You can google to easily find the platform. Also google to see who his top contributors are and what committees he sits on. He will know more about issues of his committee. Here are his committee assignments: http://burgess.house.gov/about/committeeassignments.htm

I would begin with something about what he plans to replace the ACA with? I would ask why can't we have a universal, single-payer healthcare system, just like the people in the rest of the industrialized world. Ya know, like Canada, Germany, japan, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Mexico, Finland, Norway, China, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Italy, Australia, etc etc.


Ask him why does U.S have the highest healthcare costs per person with poor outcomes. See how the U.S. compares to other countries here: http://www.pgpf.org/chart-archive/0006_health-care-oecd

Finally, if you get a chance, ask him isn't it true that the real reason the GOP wants to repeal the ACA is:
1) because rich people and Wall St doesn't want to pay the 3.8% ACA surtax on investment income: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/obamacare-investment-income-tax_n_2236687.html

2) insurance companies don't want to provide 80% of customers' paid premiums, limiting them to on 20% profits.
http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-rate-review-80-20-rule/

So do your homework. Get your facts straight. Use your brain. And don't be intimidated by the congressman. He will tell a bunch of lies about how the ACA (Obamacare) is a big failure because insurance companies are dropping out and raising rates. Don't fall for that BS. Read this post about how the GOP crippled the ACA to force insurance companies to drop out. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028702908

He will may talk about how the GOP wants a patient-based system and "freedom." That's also BS.

If he says that insurance companies should sell across state lines to create more competition, ask him what's to prevent insurance companies rushing to incorporate in states with the weakest wimpiest regulations, where it's easier to commit fraud and sell junk policies.

Good luck and come back and tell us how it goes. Cheers

[dnt.throwaway]

5. Thanks!

Awesome! Thank you very much for the reply. I do want to do my hw and come prepared as possible. I will read up on Dr. Burgess and his contributors and I looked a little bit on his voting records. I plan to be an active constituent and will do my part to turn TX blue. Thanks again for the help! Will update too.

[vlyons]

6. One of his committees deals with energy

But since he's a Dr, healthcare is natural to ask him about. You'll only get 1 question (if that) and maybe a follow up, but probably not. Print out and take with you any of the pages that I provided and any more that you find. That way if you get flustered and nervous, you can refer to and read hard copy pages.

He'll get up and make a speech about blah blah blah. You'll have prepared and know some facts to recognize when he is lying.

[vlyons]

7. I just wanted to add one last comment

This is just my personal perspective, which you may or may not agree with, but something to mull over. It is my view point that by and large, Republicans support unbridled, run-away, unregulated capitalism. In their view, capitalism is a true believer ideology, fueled a lot by human greed and the love of money as the highest value. To them socialism is not much different than communism (they are not the same). So to that end, human beings and human activities are seen as "profit centers." For-profit prisons, for-profit schools, toll roads, for-profit hospitals, private "contractor" soldiers in private armies, for-profit insurance-run healthcare all make profits off humans. So that's why they want to "privatize" everything that isn't nailed down. What makes it even worse, is that they want to "socialize" he clean-up of the environment with tax-payer money. Tax credits for corporate R&D. So it's privatize the profits and socialize the costs with tax-payer money.

But there are some things that should not be privatized because they are part of the common grounds, the "common good." Article I, Section 8 of the constitution gives congress the power to spend money to pay for the common defense and provide for the common welfare, not the welfare of private corporations. Education, helthcare, roads, bridges, ports, airports, parks, nat'l forests are part of the commons.

Tax cuts for the rich are paid with taxes from the 98% of us. If you understand "privatize the profits and socialize the costs," you will understand what drives Republicans BS rationales about their agenda. When they talk about "freedom from big gov't and cutting regulations, what they are saying is cut their fair share tax responsibilities.

[dnt.throwaway]

8. Enlightening!

Thank you for your replies. Very insightful. I get what you're saying and I agree with you 100% that greed corrupts any good intention.

These past few years I've learned a lot ... what the GOP stands for and what Democrats stand for and I am for the latter. With AG Sessions support for private prisons and the GOP wanting to dismantle the ACA and other entitlement programs, I can't understand for the life of me why Americans vote Republican, who do not serve their best interest.

Being in Texas and former AD military, I found myself (and still do) alone arguing and defending why the Democrat platform was the best for most of Americans. I frequent right wing sites to view their perspective and opinions and they just eat it up. I am no better then them, but I try to seek as much information as possible to be an informed voter. What I hate about politics and "choosing sides" is the hate that comes out of people and from both sides.

Anyways, I appreciate your feedback and enjoy your posts. I will study the constitution more and continue to be vocal about my views and base them off facts. I also plan on joining a local democratic club soon. Thank you!

[DFW]

9. Careful about lumping countries in together

I live in Germany. Single payer? No such thing. Far from it. Unfortunately. I don't know where Americans get this notion. It's as false as a Fox "News" report, although it certainly seems a popular misconception back in the States.

When I moved here, I looked into local health insurance, as I was in the unusual position of being employed and paid in the USA but residing and taxed in Germany. My wife took early retirement at age 60 a few months later, due to health reasons and mobbing at work. I took over her €400 a month health insurance payments, as she was unemployed and had no income, and no pension yet. Even when her pension starts later this year, it's only about €800 a month--about enough to cover a sleeping bag under a bridge. I went to an insurer for myself, and was quoted €2500 a MONTH, or over $30,000 a year, due to pre-existing conditions. No joke. So, I keep my lousy Blue Cross in the States, pay up font here, and submit the German bills with my claims, which get routinely denied with excuses like non-approved provider (in Germany, DUH), bills they can't understand (as if no one at Blue Cross had access to a glossary of German medical terms, right).

Better check your facts before making blanket statements like that. Germany does NOT have single payer. IF you have insurance here, it is quite adequate, usually far better than in the States, although you often have to wait months for an appointment for non-emergencies. Connections help. A LOT. If you have no insurance, and my wife, a social worker here, says several hundred thousand Germans have none, you are pretty much as at the mercy of the emergency system as you would be in the States.

One thing we ARE grateful for--cancer treatment here seems to include one thing apparently unknown in the USA, and my wife just completed her second round with cancer. After the operations, chemo, radiation, whatever, Germany has a system of rehab Spas that cater to certain kinds of cancer. Tomorrow, she heads to the same one she was at 16 years ago after having breast cancer. It is way down south in the Black Forest. They have 3 meals a day, aquatic muscle rebuilding, hikes in the forest, counseling, massages, pretty much a total wellness program. It did her a world of good last time. This time, her cancer was more dangerous. The clinic that operated on her nicknames it "the murderer," as it is usually discovered too late for recovery. But with her, they DID discover it early, even if it was purely by accident (now THAT'S the kind 1% we like belonging to). We are hoping she'll come back as rejuvenated as she did last time. In Germany, they consider this an integral part of cancer treatment, every bit as important as operations, chemo and radiation. Insurance covers everything, even including her train down there and back. So, I am happy I could afford to pick up her €400 a month health insurance, which was a tariff specifically tailored to German citizens in her situation. Otherwise, she would have been SOL. When she turns 65 in June, her German version of Medicare kicks in, and I no longer have the €4800 yearly financial burden. As for €30,000 a year for me? Gimme a break, I don't think so.

[DFW]

10. Oh, and good luck if your Congressman istens!

Mine, the awful Pete Sessions, is so bad, you could turn on a Fox Noise broadcast, and find pretty much the same text of any answer he'd give you on any question.