# These town hall meetings have been interesting **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 23, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549 "2017-02-23T13:53:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/1 "2017-02-23T13:53:52Z")
I’m going to one with my representative tonight. He’s a Democrat so I expect a more sedate meeting than folks like Tom Cotton of Arkansas. [Woman with dying husband confronts Tom Cotton: “What kind of insurance do you have?”](http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/2/22/14704812/tom-cotton-town-hall-angry-obamacare-insurance) > [@](#): > > One voter, her voice raw with emotion, told Cotton that her husband is dying and has Alzheimer’s and other conditions. > > “And you want to stand there with him at home, expect us to be calm, cool, and collected? Well what kind of insurance do you have?” she said, as the crowd erupted. > > The woman told Cotton that they currently pay only $29 a month for her husband’s insurance and $39 a month for hers. They can’t afford higher premiums, she said. “If you can get us better coverage than this, go for it,” she said. “Can you beat that? Can you?” > > At one point, another attendee asked members of the audience to stand up if they were affected by Obamacare. Nearly everyone did. Many GOPers have either faced similar grilling or have cancelled town halls to avoid facing angry voters. About time they were held to account. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/2 "2017-02-23T14:06:15Z")
You’re one of those paid agitators, aren’t you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/3 "2017-02-23T14:13:06Z")
How much does Tom Cotton pay a month for his insurance? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/4 "2017-02-23T14:20:53Z")
I thought this was amusing. From the [Lexington Herald-Leader](http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article134074694.html) on Tuesday: "Next, a woman asked McConnell to explain his often-repeated position that former President Barack Obama’s environmental regulations had decimated the coal industry in Eastern Kentucky. Demand for coal has been dampened by a variety of factors in recent years, including an abundance of cheap natural gas produced from hydraulic fracturing and tougher federal regulations on coal-fired power plants. ‘If you can answer that, I will sit down and shut up like Elizabeth Warren,’ the woman said, referring to the Massachusetts Democrat McConnell rebuked during a Senate debate over the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. ‘I hope you feel better,’ McConnell said." ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/5 "2017-02-23T14:21:36Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > How much does Tom Cotton pay a month for his insurance? > > Regards, > Shodan And this has to do what with this thread? Might I suggest a forum called General Questions for answers to questions like this. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/6 "2017-02-23T15:17:57Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > And this has to do what with this thread? Might I suggest a forum called General Questions for answers to questions like this. Eh, probably as much as what that woman who was xomplaining pays for hers. I’m a grudging fan of the ACA, but the fact that repealing it will hurt this woman isn’t in itself a reason not to repeal. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/7 "2017-02-23T15:24:06Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > How much does Tom Cotton pay a month for his insurance? > > Regards, > Shodan [TRELAINE, SQUIRE OF GOTHOS] You _must_ try harder, this is too easy! [/T,SoG] Answer: Nothing. We The Taxpayers pay for his insurance. Now, do you have an actual tricky trick question for the audience? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/8 "2017-02-23T15:29:25Z")
Inevitably, several volumes’ worth of Profiles in Cowardice have [shied away from facing their irate constituencies](http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/22/politics/congress-missing-town-halls-trnd/): > [@](#): > > …After testy town halls for representatives like Utah’s Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa went viral, some GOP politicians are staying clear of town hall-style events in their home districts. > > California Republican Rep. Paul Cook is probably yearning for the old days of angry letters and phone calls. Missing congressman notices have been photographed on milk cartons and posted to the @WhereIsPaulCook Twitter account and website. > > Even the lactose intolerant of Cook’s district have been alerted to his “disappearance” via almond milk containers… > > Another California congressman who hasn’t been seen at a town hall recently is Rep. Darrell Issa. > > The high-profile Republican failed to show up for a town hall on the repeal of Obamacare, a town hall he had never committed to attending. Hundreds protested, erupting in “Where is Darrell?” chants… > > A cardboard cutout of Waldo – of “Where’s Waldo?” fame – with Issa’s face stood in for the congressman… > > Sen. Pat Toomey didn’t attend a town hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night, so attendees propped up an empty suit… ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/9 "2017-02-23T17:09:50Z")
I wonder how much time this entitled woman spends thanking taxpayers and higher-premium payers for subsidizing her and her husband’s healthcare. Actually I don’t. The welfare state has produced these perpetual children who throw tantrums when they don’t get their free stuff. It is not in the best interests of society to encourage this behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/10 "2017-02-23T17:17:37Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I wonder how much time this entitled woman spends thanking taxpayers and higher-premium payers for subsidizing her and her husband’s healthcare. Actually I don’t. > > The welfare state has produced these perpetual children who throw tantrums when they don’t get their free stuff. It is not in the best interests of society to encourage this behavior. You really are a fucking moron, aren’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/11 "2017-02-23T17:18:25Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I wonder how much time this entitled woman spends thanking taxpayers and higher-premium payers for subsidizing her and her husband’s healthcare. The whole _point_ of insurance is that the people who pay in and don’t use it subsidize the ones who file claims, genius. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/12 "2017-02-23T17:19:27Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I wonder how much time this entitled woman spends thanking taxpayers and higher-premium payers for subsidizing her and her husband’s healthcare. Actually I don’t. > > The welfare state has produced these perpetual children who throw tantrums when they don’t get their free stuff. It is not in the best interests of society to encourage this behavior. Yeah, fuck her for being poor! Just die already, amiright? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/13 "2017-02-23T17:20:37Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > I’m going to one with my representative tonight. He’s a Democrat so I expect a more sedate meeting than folks like Tom Cotton of Arkansas. > > [Woman with dying husband confronts Tom Cotton: “What kind of insurance do you have?”](http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/2/22/14704812/tom-cotton-town-hall-angry-obamacare-insurance) > > Many GOPers have either faced similar grilling or have cancelled town halls to avoid facing angry voters. > > About time they were held to account. They are very very busy fleeing from or cancelling, and blaming “shit that didn’t happen” on left wing radical violence. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/14 "2017-02-23T17:24:40Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I wonder how much time this entitled woman spends thanking taxpayers and higher-premium payers for subsidizing her and her husband’s healthcare. Actually I don’t. > > The welfare state has produced these perpetual children who throw tantrums when they don’t get their free stuff. It is not in the best interests of society to encourage this behavior. They watched the fucking Tea party and took notes maybe? Because what the fuck did you think THEY were doing? As for welfare queens etc, ACA was a universal health insurance. Insurance implies a large pool of money that covers Everyone, by spreading the risk… and it was working. Do you have insurance? Car insurance? Health insurance? House insurance? Flood insurance? Earthquake insurance? ANY INSURANCE? If you do, then you are a fucking hypocrite. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/15 "2017-02-23T17:26:11Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I wonder how much time this entitled woman spends thanking taxpayers and higher-premium payers for subsidizing her and her husband’s healthcare. Actually I don’t. > > The welfare state has produced these perpetual children who throw tantrums when they don’t get their free stuff. It is not in the best interests of society to encourage this behavior. Yeah, and I say that the “free” police service and fire fighting should not be encouraged to serve those children either… :rolleyes: Or, we should, besides realizing that we should be human, that properly done health care for all does save money for the whole society as virtually all advanced nations have demonstrated year after year by covering all people and with better results and less cost to all. > **[U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective](https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2015/oct/us-health-care-global-perspective?redirect_source=%2Fpublications%2Fissue-briefs%2F2015%2Foct%2Fus-health-care-from-a-global-perspective)** > > Despite spending far more on health care than other high-income countries in 2013, Americans had comparatively poor health outcomes, including shorter life expectancy and higher rates of chronic conditions, according to a new Commonwealth Fund... ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/16 "2017-02-23T17:32:54Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Yeah, and I say that the “free” police service and fire fighting should not be encouraged to serve those children either… :rolleyes: > > Or, we should, besides realizing that we should be human, that properly done health care for all does save money for the whole society as virtually all advanced nations have demonstrated year after year by covering all people and with better results and less cost to all. > > [Spending, Use of Services, Prices, and Health in 13 Countries](http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2015/oct/us-health-care-from-a-global-perspective) Good point. Police and Fire are part of the nanny state. they need to go. If you aren’t strong enough to protect your own shit, you deserve to lose it 🆒😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/17 "2017-02-23T17:41:24Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > If you do, then **you are a fucking hypocrite**. That much has been obvious for years. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/18 "2017-02-23T17:52:23Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > You really are a fucking moron, aren’t you? Is that hypothetical? > [@Steve\_MB](#): > > The whole _point_ of insurance is that the people who pay in and don’t use it subsidize the ones who file claims, genius. Maybe you don’t understand the structure of the ACA and how it differs from free market insurance. It’s a complex topic, so don’t feel bad. > [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Yeah, fuck her for being poor! Just die already, amiright? No. fuck her for feeling entitled to free things and showing no appreciation. > [@SteveG1](#): > > They watched the fucking Tea party and took notes maybe? Because what the fuck did you think THEY were doing? > > As for welfare queens etc, ACA was a universal health insurance. Insurance implies a large pool of money that covers Everyone, by spreading the risk… and it was working. > > Do you have insurance? Car insurance? Health insurance? House insurance? Flood insurance? Earthquake insurance? ANY INSURANCE? If you do, then you are a fucking hypocrite. Another one who doesn’t understand how the structure of the ACA is different from free market insurance. I hope you guys don’t talk about this stuff in public. > [@GIGObuster](#): > > Yeah, and I say that the “free” police service and fire fighting should not be encouraged to serve those children either… :rolleyes: > > Or, we should, besides realizing that we should be human, that properly done health care for all does save money for the whole society as virtually all advanced nations have demonstrated year after year by covering all people and with better results and less cost to all. > > [Spending, Use of Services, Prices, and Health in 13 Countries](http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2015/oct/us-health-care-from-a-global-perspective) All advanced nations once institutionalized slavery. A poor argument. Back to the Activist-O-Sphere for you. > [@silenus](#): > > That much has been obvious for years. I am not a hypocrite because others fail to grasp nuance in positions. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/19 "2017-02-23T18:07:11Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Answer: Nothing. We The Taxpayers pay for his insurance. That’s not actually [true](http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/health-care-for-members-of-congress/), of course. This woman claims that the total amount paid for her and her husband’s insurance is less than $70. I find that difficult to believe - I think she is talking about out-of-pocket premiums. So she is being pretty heavily subsidized by other people. Or else we just switch everybody in the country to her plan and solve our health care cost problems. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549/20 "2017-02-23T18:07:26Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > No. fuck her for feeling entitled to free things and showing no appreciation. Entitled to stay alive? In the wealthiest nation in world history? Sure. And to whom should she (and I, for that matter) send a thank-you note? You? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-town-hall-meetings-have-been-interesting/780549.md?page=2)