Posted to General on

Healthcare Questions Answered at Brooklyn Town Hall

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — Brooklyn residents’ questions about health care were answered Monday night at a town hall meeting.

President Obama’s health care overhaul plan is sparking heated debate with many people not fully understanding the proposal. Organizers of the meeting say they hope the public’s uncertainties were cleared up.

One resident says she had heard the proposal was controversial, but was unsure of the specifics until she attended the meeting. Most in attendance say they are still unclear about who will pay for the health care reform.

Related Articles

23 Comments

  • concerned citizen

    My question was not answered. She didn’t come to listen to what we, her constituency have to say, rather she had already made up her mind, and came to the JCM in order to try to convince us that her twisted “reform” is the way to go. While her plan might help some, it will lower the overall level of health care in this country, and hurt way more people then it will help.

  • A big disappointment, on most levels

    B“H

    You of course were 100% correct. I spoke to a Yid who went, and there were very few Yidden there.

    The place was packed with smiling imports from Park Slope and the Unions, and a few elderly non-Jewish Blacks. It was a huge, tightly controlled photo op.

    The Yid I know who went had to really assert himself to even be allowed in, and when he got in, it was a big ”Rah, rah“ session for Anthony Wiener and other liberals giving empty, lying speeches about how ”great” Obamacare will be.

    The Yid said there were hardly any other Yidden there, except for smiling, silent officials from our community.

    The notable exception was that Mrs. Dinah Abrahamson — a wonderful, exemplary, frum Lubavitcher, articulate, high-ranking official in the Republican National Committee — was there. She was rightly wondering, too, where all of the other Yidden were. I hope Representative Clarke got to hear from her; by 8:00, Clarke had still not yet appeared at the meeting, unless she made a brief appearance at the beginning (6:00) then left.

    There was no opportunity for anyone other than Obama-ites to be seriously heard at all, at least during the 7-8:00 hour that the Yid I know was there.

    The Yid had brought his cheder-age son, and the child was so bewildered by this bizarre scene!

    This was Pirke Avos, concerning government and politics, in action.

  • ah poshitah yid

    what a sham !!!! it was done to show the non jewish world that we open the jcm 4 comunity /town hall meetting for all the people , since it did take $$$$ from goverments .

    just a show

  • Where were the other Yidden?

    This is the first I am even hearing about such a meeting. Why wasn’t this publicized in advance??

  • happy

    if obama dos not know yet what he is doing how could they answer question.the jews are always on the wrong side.

  • Concerned Resident

    Staged political event, room filled with Congresswoman’s supporters, Blacks, Liberal whites (from somewhere) and a handful of Jews that love rubbing elbows with the politicians (not there to look out for their fellow Jews)

    The Congresswoman ran the show as was expected, her agenda, using the same tired black and liberal excuses of hatred and lies by conservatives to scare people, and everyone was grouped into that category if you oppose the Obamacare bill, no mention of any attempts at bi-partisant partnerships to keep this country from splitting, Republicans just like the Democrats understand we must have a health care bill, however believe me there is a lot of fine print attached to that explanation you heard last night, If you really want to know the truth get a copy and start reading.Congresswoman Clarke “will” and “can” do for her “p”resident regardless to what is happening in and to the country.

    And just a word to all Jews, the blacks that are attacking us and our kids every week (and yes these incidences are hate crimes)the Rev. Wright’s and yes even the Yvette Clarke’s “They Won The Election” as they are so fond of reminding us, Do you think they care anything for us? “really” Since they won the election divisiveness even at the cost of this country is the name of the game and it has nothing to do with the color of skin the president has, if you have decided to be non-involved, a by-stander, just not care, let me just ask you to re-think your position, we are in a war that will directly effect our values, morals, families and quite possibly our life. Not A Scare Tactic!

  • Benny

    I must say that I spent the 2 scariest hours I can remember in my life in that so-called town-hall meeting about government controlled health care at the JCM last night. It was obvious that the meeting was staged with participants to create a pro government health care crowd and therefore subdue any real dialog from any challenging views or opinions. The idea that my future and my family’s future or healthcare can be decided by these people is a very scary thought. The current laws regulating the healthcare industry have created this problem. Now the government wants to lay blame on the insurance companies for this problem and create a bigger problem in the name of fixing the current problems. After the meeting, it was recommended to me that I watch Ronald Reagan’s speech about socialized medicine in 1961 (type in you tube’s search box ‘Reagan Socialized Medicine’ to pull it up). It is amazing that the Democrats/Liberals/Communists have tried to do this a couple of times in the last century. I really hope that they will not be successful this time either. Take a look at socialized anything in this world and see how successful it is and how happy the constituent are. The definition of insanity is someone who does the same thing over and over expecting different results. If you want real health care reform that will work read John Mackey (CEO of Whole Foods) op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Aug 11 titled “The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare”. As the greatest president I knew once said “Government is not the solution to the problem, it is the problem.”

  • real health care

    where is slavin? you would think the congresswomens sidekick would try and cultivate crownheighters to come?, the pitty is that the congresswomen does not realize that she has no power in deciding how this health care reform will turn out, Obama will either force it through or give in to public pressure – which is highly unlikely as he has not done so to date!

  • Ceaser does as Ceaser Wishes

    All town hall meetings are the same… it has been that way for years. You go there thinking your voice is heard, and the people in power do what they want.

    There are so many porr Jews in Crown Heights, they will sell their soul; for the bribe they get from liberal democrats. If their health care plan was so good, why wasn’t Kennedy on it for years?

    Liberals (no matter what party) = Socialism & Anti-Israel

    Liberals love free speech, until you are against them

  • Concerned Resident

    Are we as a community going to do anything besides make comments on the web, or are we going to wait or ignore as we did one other time?

  • CR

    the only thing worse then this catastrophe in the making being rammed down our throats is that they used a yiddishe facility and community to make it look like frumme yidden are on board with this travesty of government.

    this isn’t a forum or debate, it’s a stage for liberals to “explain” to us dumb Joe Citizens how smart their plan is.

    Once again, Shame on our crown heights “leadership” for letting us be used as pawns.

  • yosef

    When this event was announced to be held in our community, we had no chioce but to show up (the whole community) even if it meant all standing outside and not going in to listen to the lies,as a show of non-support, the media should have left with that photo op. Instead things worked out just as planned, and the world continues to believe we are on board with every liberal that smiles our way.

    What happened to us being a light to the nations?

  • joe

    I was there and this basically how it went, the first 2:15min where just a bunch of politcal specches praising the bill, then I got up and said enough of the speeches I came here for a town hall meeting, after the last politician spoke they got to the Questions which where read by some disgusting liberal radio show host only after a black women in a wellchair ask how come her question wasn’t read did I get up and ask the same, it was fun seeing a bunch of aids going thru the pile of cards looking for mine, when the radio guy read mine he first had to announce that my Question was belligerent, he then tried to misquote me, but I right away jumped up and made them read my question the way I worte it, so yes this meeting looked very staged and except for me and a few other yidden it was like a TV show, of course I need to say thank you to all of the jewish enforcers who tried to calm down the few yiddin who scream out but sorry boys your crap didn’t work last night.

  • To CR.

    you say: Once again, Shame on our crown heights “leadership” for letting us be used as pawns.

    My question is who made “this” people our leadership, they are a self announced leadership board, yet as far as most of crown heights is concerned these people just keep on sucking up to these “congress” people who have not done anything for our community and think that they can sell us this fraudulent health care plan.

    The fact that literally no one from our community came to this “meeting” (actually a meeting is a discussion between two parties – this was more of a speech!)
    besides the congresswomen’s “pets” who she uses as pawns to try to get into our community (you can see how far that got her!)
    shows how much crown heights residents think about this liberal soaked health care plan.

  • actavist

    Your all full of it. how many of you are registered voters of either party? how many of you voted in the primary or general election? how many of you contributed to or helped in any way a candidate that you think is better and that you support? Don’t complain about something before you do something to fix it.
    In two weeks is primary day and then in November is election day, register to vote in the republican or democrat party, learn about the candidates, and vote for the one you think is best. If you just sit home, then you don’t deserve to complain.

  • a local yid

    I was denied entry, the reason stated was that the room was filled to capacity. From the photos it seems to me that there was plenty of standing room.

  • david

    I didn’t go because I wrote to clarke a few months back about an issue I was having with government, and I never heard a peep. my a phone call or letter. that’s how much she cares about the people she represents. in the end I took matters into my own hands and resolved it at the highest level of local government I could find.

  • Rabbi Hoffinger, say it ain-t so!

    B“H

    ‘Sounds like Hoffinger likes completely socialized medicine in the U.S.

    Both of the links he gives are propaganda for a ”Single Payer“ program, which is what Obamacare would eventually also result in.

    (Why/How? Anyone who’s ever taken ”Economics 101“ knows that the private health insurance industry cannot compete with Obamacare — which will never have to show a profit because it’s a federal bureaucracy that can run as big a deficit as possible. Thus, eventually, private health insurance companies will either go out of business, or only sell other kinds of insurance than healthcare — auto, homeowners, etc.)

    Rabbi Hoffinger, I expected better from you! What about Tort Reform??? This would cut the cost of healthcare more than any ”single payer system“ ever could.

    Also, I don’t know about you, but the centralized health-information-gathering in a ”Single Payer“ system (AND in Obamacare, please know!) offends my sense of freedom and privacy.

    To me, it’s none of the government’s business how many fillings I have in my mouth, or what illnesses run (genetically) in my family, or how fast my eyesight is deteriorating, etc.

    Either you believe in the small ”g“ of ”government control“ or you believe in the big ”G“ of ”G-d and His Torah,“ by Whose principles the founding of the U.S. Constitution was inspired. The U.S. is not a ”perfect union“ but for sure, a ”Single Payer System (translation: National Socialized Centralized Medicine)“ is only going to have the same outcome as all other Socialism — power in the hands of a greedy few, corruption and waste, rationing of scarce healthcare, and, ultimately, the dismantling of the last bastion of consumer freedom in the US.

    But I see the ”Single Payer” lobbyists have you hoodwinked . . . .

  • concerned Resident

    Rabbi Hoffinger you are quoting some confirmed liberal sites for people to obtain information, I would like to respectfully ask if you yourself have read the proposed health care plan? The following is the former Director of the AMA speaking regarding this bill and just to reference you to one more to investigate (there are many more I can provide) look at HR141

    http://www.youtube.com/watc…

  • lazer cohen

    Much what is wrong with the proposed program was ignored and passed over with poltical gobblygook and smooth doubletalk. This so-called proposed health care reform is another step towards big brother talking over more control in everyone’s personal life. The congresswomen proposed a single payer government runned system but yet provided no details of supposed to be except to admit that there will be a overpowering need to continual readjust everthing for the next serveral years. the audience was so partisan that it seemed that the paticipants were screened.