The fuss over town hall meetings reminds me of the time more than 10 years ago when our local county supervisor held a meeting about a controversial subject: putting a cell phone tower on our neighborhood’s pool property.
After brief remarks, she began to take questions and listen to comments. Most of them were skeptical if not down right hostile to the idea. Those of us on the pool board had encouraged everyone, including people inclined to support the construction, to attend. But it was clear from the questions she was getting the impression that this was not going to fly.
I then suggested to her to ask for a show of hands for and against. She was shocked to learn that a sizable majority supported the idea. It was the turning point in our effort to get it built. (Without the income from it, our community pool would have closed years ago.)
After a 13-month battle, requiring approval from the planning commission and the board of supervisors, we received approval and got it built.
If supporters of health reform can get out to these town halls, they should ask for a show of hands. They should ask that the question before the group be “How many of you support some kind of healthcare reform?” If we don’t win that question, then we don’t deserve healthcare reform.