From Salvador Sandoval MD (Merced, CA)

I would like to report on an encounter with Tea Party people and a semi-town hall meeting with Congressman Dennis Cardoza of the Blue Dog Coalition. There isn’t a formal PNHP chapter here in the conservative San Joaquin Valley town of Merced, California. However, through the Journey for Justice we got wind on short notice of a meeting of the county of Merced supervisors where proposed cuts of the medically indigent program would cut off about half of those already on the program, as well as eliminating dental, eye, and podiatry services for the rest. We managed to delay the inevitable for about a month. However in the process, a doctor read about our testimony, made contact with me, and wrote an excellent op ed on single payer, dovetailing with our proposed Medicare anniversary where we were going to approach Cardoza to support expanded Medicare for all. Her letter brought out some supporters, but also a bunch of elderly irate white citizens who attempted to preempt our picketing of a main thoroughfare near Cardoza’s office. They also barged in on the Congressman’s staff, who thought incorrectly that they were us! Fortunately, I had my life support equipment with me in case one of those elderly counterprotestors collapsed. But they weren’t so appreciative. And luckily I was able to keep my equipment unused for another day.

Through the quick actions of one of our members, the sabotage was averted, and we had our meeting with the Congressman’s staffers, proposing a formal town hall meeting. I won’t belabor you with the content of our presentations, but they were damn good with people talking from the heart about family members dying or suffering from lack of health care. Luckily, we had a young guy make a video of the testimony.

We have had experience earlier in the year with the Congressman when union members of the CSEA and CNA and Health Care Now joined us in a CaPA sponsored meeting with him in Stockton in the futile attempt to get him to sign on as a cosponsor. He had excuses about why he couldn’t support single payer, something about his being on the rules committee being a conflict of interest.

Then the media picked up on the Tea Party people around the country, and Mr. Cardoza started making excuses about why he couldn’t hold a town hall meeting. He did get alot of well deserved flak from all sides, including the general public, and from the local conservative newspaper. He claimed that a phone conference with 4000 people, with no questioning other than for some preselected questions qualified as a town hall meeting. He has generally run unopposed. However, a Republican farmer has announced that he will be running against him in the next election.

Now, out of the blue, Mr Cardoza decided to meet with the local medical society. He actually called that meeting a townhall meeting, although there were only doctors there. There were some vociferous ones against “government run care.” However, there were single payer advocates speaking out too. , The Blue Democrats, which Cardoza represents, are for fiscal responsibility and say they don’t want to be rushed to support a bill that can’t be paid for. It was suggested that perhaps we should go back to the drawing board and include single payer, in the spirit of considering all the options, and particularly since it would save $350 billion. To this Cardoza responded that Congress would never adopt a single payer bill.

There will be at least one town hall meeting held in September, with an empty chair reserved for Congressman Cardoza. A debate will be encouraged, with invitations extended to single payer advocates, public option people, and Tea Party types. I hope to report to you on the results of that meeting.