Elect Ron Kind for Congress - Wisconsin Third Congressional District

WHITEHALL - Compared with the unruly, sometimes violent health care town hall meetings that have gained national attention in recent weeks, the forum led Friday by U.S. Rep. Ron Kind was downright tame.

That's not to suggest that the overflow crowd of at least 600 people packed into and around the Whitehall High School auditorium wasn't passionate about the issue of health care reform.

The powerful emotions stirred by the health care debate were on full display throughout the 90-minute meeting, manifested in both the impassioned words of the 30 or so people selected at random to speak and the regular bursts of applause that erupted from the audience when a speaker made a particularly pointed remark.

But police reported no incidents and the tone remained civil throughout the forum despite the obviously strong disagreement on the most divisive question regarding reform efforts - whether the government should assume an increased role in health care.

Kind, D-La Crosse, was joined on stage by Sue Conrad, a La Crosse nurse who opened the meeting with a statement supporting reform.

"We need to expand health care coverage to everyone," Conrad said, eliciting shouts of "No" from a few members of an audience that filled every parking spot at the high school and all of the street parking within a couple of blocks.

Kind stressed he believes something has to be done to reform a system that rewards how much is done for patients instead of how well it works. He cited research showing the U.S. health care system wastes $680 billion annually on care and treatment that doesn't help patients.

Garnet Shong of Eau Claire said she is apprehensive about the idea of more government involvement in a basic necessity such as health care and fearful that government's role would expand if a public option were introduced.

"I don't know if (private insurance) can compete with government ... and I worry that sooner or later government would eventually usurp it all," Shong said.

Kind, however, insisted that the proposed public option in the current reform bill wouldn't force anybody to take the plan in place of their current insurance. It would merely be an additional option.

"I think it can work under certain conditions, but it has to operate on a level playing field," he said. "It can't receive government subsidies."

Caroline Kaiser of Elk Mound said she appreciates government-run health programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Wisconsin's SeniorCare and believes a public option would be good for the country by taking the control from for-profit health insurance companies.

"In life we need to remember the golden rule, and we need to treat others like we want to be treated," Kaiser said. "I want to have health care, and I want you to have health care. We're all in this together."

But Dan Cramer of Alma Center argued that existing government-run entitlement programs are too expensive and are all going bankrupt. He said the country can't afford another such program.

"The government has a very poor record of getting things right," Cramer said, echoing the distrust of government apparent in the comments of several speakers. "We the people are speaking, and we do not want this nationalized government health care system."

Lloyd Granberg of Whitehall maintained that he, as a U.S. military veteran, enjoys the best and most cost-effective health care around and noted that it's run by the federal government.

"Not only is health care reform the morally right thing to do, but I believe the health of the U.S. economy is dependent on it," Granberg said.

Dave Usher, a family medicine physician from Eau Claire, thanked Kind for voting against the health care reform bill in committee this summer and argued that medical malpractice tort reform would be a better way to reduce health care costs. He acknowledged that doctors order many expensive tests just to protect themselves from potential lawsuits.

Thomas Kemp, an Eau Claire City Council member, said regular double-digit increases in health insurance premiums are forcing the city to cut important services. A public health insurance option would control costs by allowing the city to buy coverage as part of a larger pool with more buying power, he added.

The ground rules Kind set for the event included no signs, no disruptions and no long-winded speeches, so speakers were allowed to talk for two minutes. Many participants, however, wore their hearts on their sleeves in the form of stickers stating either "No to Government Health Care" or "Health Care for America Now!"

After the last speaker - the lucky few had their numbers drawn out of a glass container - Kind complimented the crowd for being respectful despite the controversial nature of the topic and attributed it to "home-grown western Wisconsin values." He said it would take more of the same to reach a consensus on health care reform.