Editor's Note: HeraldTimesOnline.com will be broadcasting the town hall live Wednesday night.
If you want to get into Wednesday’s town hall meeting on health care with U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, you might want to get there early.
Admission to the meeting, scheduled for 6 to 7 p.m. in Bloomington High School North’s auditorium, will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The total
number of people allowed into the auditorium will be determined by the fire code capacity — 998, or 971 if people in wheelchairs are present.
At Hill’s Monday night health care reform town hall meeting in New Albany, people started lining up outside the massive conference room at 2:30 p.m.
— four hours before the hourlong event was scheduled to begin.
“The room’s capacity was 400, and we reached that at about 6:10 p.m., 20 minutes before the meeting started,” said Katie Moreau, Hill’s press
secretary. “We set up a speaker outside in a courtyard for another 200 people, so they could hear what was going on and ask questions.”
Some of the 200 appreciated the overflow area. Others did not.
“We had announced time and again that attendance would be on a first-come, first-served basis,” Moreau said. “So I was a little sad that some people
were mad that they weren’t admitted into the main meeting room.”
Moreau said about 25 people asked questions during the hourlong meeting in New Albany.
“People were very civil and didn’t do a lot of yelling, but you could hear the passion in their voices, especially when they were telling their personal
stories,” she said. “Because health care is such a personal issue, it lends itself to emotional arguments both ways.”
Moreau said about 70 percent of the questioners said they were opposed to health care reform, yet several shared personal stories about how the
current health care system has failed them.
One person said he had diabetes and was working 60 hours a week, but still could not afford health insurance.
“Baron feels that should not be occurring in a country as great and as affluent as this one,” Moreau said.
Wednesday’s ground rules
Moreau said the format for Wednesday’s meeting will be the same as the one followed at Hill’s previous town hall meetings. After Hill gives a few brief
remarks, people wishing to ask a question may raise their hands. Hill will randomly select people to speak, signaling a staff member to approach them
with a wireless microphone.
Moreau said police will be at the meeting, as they are for all of Hill’s town hall meetings.
“We’ve found that their presence is very effective,” she said. “But we also have faith and confidence in the folks who will attend that nothing will get out
of hand.”
Another forum Friday
Hill, along with local community leaders and experts on various economic issues, will conduct an economic forum from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Friday at
the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center at Indiana University Southeast, 4201 Grant Line Road in New Albany. Check-in will begin at 8:30
a.m.
The forum, which will focus on key economic issues facing southern Indiana, will begin with remarks by Hill and Nancy-Ann DeParle, counselor to the
president and director of the White House Office of Health Reform. Time will be allotted for questions, answers and discussion.
The forum will consist of three panel discussions — Perspectives on the Current Health Care Debate, Outlook on the Southern Indiana Economy, and
Moving Toward Energy Independence.
The health care panel will include Scott Keefer, vice president of policy development of federal affairs of America’s Health Insurance Plan; Ann Latche
from the Service Employees International Union; and June Lyle of the American Association of Retired Persons. The moderator will be Jim Bickel,
president and CEO of the Columbus Regional Hospital.
The panel regarding the economy in southern Indiana will include Joe Craig, general manager of Craig Buick; Ron McKulick, executive director of
Workforce Development Associates Inc.; Tracee Lutes, principal broker of Avenues Realty Group LLC; and Ben Mascarello, vice president of
operations for Hilex Poly Co. LLC. The moderator will be Michael Dalby, president of One Southern Indiana.
The panel addressing energy issues will include Ray McCormick with Farmer/Conservationist; Thomas Olson with the Environmental Defense Fund;
and Jim Stanley, president of Duke Energy Indiana. The moderator will be Kyle Forinash, professor of physics at Indiana University Southeast.
