Americans For Prosperity Health Care Town Hall in La Crosse

The health care town hall was very interesting and well worth my time (click here for photos).  John Stossel was terrific and nailed one common sense point after another. 

The panel was an interesting mix including an insurance expert, a business owner, a doctor, and State Senator Dan Kapanke.  The highlight of the event was when Senator Kapanke suggested that any health care changes first be done as a trial program for legislators before they force it onto the public.  Some people thought he was joking but I think Dan is serious.  He knows that we're sick and tired of the self-appointed wizards of smart telling us how to live our lives while they soak up special privileges and power for themselves.

I was a little disappointed in the one-sidedness of the forum.  It would have been much more interesting to hear a respectful debate between the philosophies.  There was no one there to represent the government worshipping crowd who think Washington has the answer to all our problems.  Ron Kind, for example, would have been a good addition but apparently he chose not to attend so the discussion was limited to just the opinions of people who believe in individual liberty.  Not that I'm complaining. I just think it would have been much more interesting.

Another excellent aspect of the discussion was the audience questions.  I am very impressed with the people in our community.  There were very good questions asked that really hit at the heart of some of the serious challenges we face.  One, for instance, brought up his experience of having been denied coverage by insurance due to a pre-existing condition.  The insurance expert on the panel informed the audience that employer provided health insurance must cover pre-existing conditions.  I did not know that previously so, thanks to the audience member, we all learned something new.