Monday, August 17, 2009

Should Be Interesting...

The Third District Congressional Representative for New Mexico, Ben Ray Lujan, is holding a town hall meeting on the health care bill tonight. I had intended to go, drove down to the Unitarian Church somewhat ahead of time, as MoveOn.org had suggested.

The parked cars long before I got to the church were a clue. At the church driveway, people were holding up signs: Town Hall at capacity per Fire Marshall. Maneuvering was getting difficult, owing to people stopping to talk with the people holding the signs and a woman headed the wrong way on a one-way street clogged with parked cars on both sides. So I wasn't able to see as much as I would have liked to, and the indications were that hanging around was probably not the greatest idea.

But I did take note of some things. At least two of the local television stations had trucks there. There was an ambulance and a Fire Department Brigade Commander truck, along with a number of police cars.

There were a couple of guys holding signs, one that I don't recall but was clearly anti-reform, and one that said "I'm Pro-Choice on Insurance." I think that may have been anti-reform, but it at first seemed to me that I'm pro-choice on insurance too, and that's why I support, for example, a public option.

So I untangled from the traffic mess and headed home.

Santa Fe is a liberal town. Chat with friends expected none of the rightwing ruckus that's been infecting our public discourse. But I think we were wrong.

Update: Here's the best coverage I've found.

1 comment:

Gnarlodious said...

Yeah I went there too, but the parking lot was full and the crowd was agitated and there was nowhere to park my wheelchair van. Rambunctious crowds are no fun for wheelchairs anyway so I left. On the way out, I noticed many cars with libertarian stickers lined up on the streets. So you know what? They win this one. I mean it is like, I identify with socialized health care but as a disabled person the people who are more soldierly will have to represent me. Yu have to accept that these events are not intended for the elderly, feeble and disabled.