My story on Congressman Charlie Dent's town hall in Hanover Township will appear in The Bethlehem Press. Over 400 people attended, so many that parking had to be re-directed to a nearby church. Some wonder why Dent gave such little notice. He explained that his schedule keeps him pretty busy, but when he thought he could juggle some time, he did. His secretary told me he actually had to move some appointments around to conduct a town hall. Another problem he faced was finding a venue. He said he was turned down at several places because of liability concerns. But a third reason for such little notice is that these town halls have devolved into a circus. Though Dent is far more popular among Democrats than many Republicans, he still had to contend with a number of partisan Democrats, most of them middle-aged women for some reason, who seemed to think that 400 people came to listen to them interrupt and yell.
I also found it odd that many NorCo Republicans were missing. This includes party boss Lee Snover. I have since learned that Dent was not at the county party's Lincoln Day breakfast.
According to 538, Charlie Dent has a 92% Trump score, meaning that he votes overwhelmingly in accordance with Trump's wishes. If the NorCo GOP party has trouble coming to grips with that, it's no better than the people disrupting town halls.Also,I thought iy was the party's job to elect Republicans, not set policy.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
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Monday, April 03, 2017
27 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
Dent's January 13 vote against the process to repeal Obamacare contravened his prior alleged 7 year stance. His vote there was a Doozy as was his explanation for his intended no vote against the later version of the bill. When it comes to actually doing something (other than proclaim). Dent is absent, except for his TV appearances, of course, bashing his right. He has failed to govern.
ReplyDeleteDent deserves some credit for his willing to face his constituents.
ReplyDeletemost tea party type Congress folks seem to lack the nerve to face their people.
dent having a 92 percent trump rating and yet trump claims he is destroying the party seems like trump is the problem.
of course aligning yourself 92 percent with trump while being considered a moderate republican is somewhat laughable.
more Democrats may support Dent then republicans--that only means the fractured republican party has not purged the fanatics that are in the way of reasonable government.
Dent voted against Trumpcare but that just means he realized that his political future could be affected by it.
hardly a reason to believe he is champion of the people and has earned a statue.
while Dent appears more rational than most Congressmen it still does not explain where is the Dent plan to straighten out healthcare?
How long has he had to suggest a workable idea?
The "Obamacare" (ACA)repeal bill contained many provisions that should concern conservatives, the main problem with the repeal portion of the bill is the failure to repeal most of the insurance regulations that contribute to the rising cost of health care. The Republican proposal not only maintained the overall regulatory framework of Obamacare, but also subsidized that regulatory framework through new refundable tax credits aimed to help individuals buy their own health care plans – plans that would have remained highly regulated and overly expensive. Republicans promised to fully repeal Obamacare, campaigned and won on full repeal, and voted over 60 times to repeal parts or all of the disastrous healthcare law. Congress can repeal Obamacare by simply re-passing the 2015 repeal bill (H.R. 3762) with additional language repealing the insurance regulations. The 2015 bill was supported by nearly every single Republican, but ultimately vetoed by former President Obama in 2016. Now that voters gave Republicans a unified government including the White House, there are no more excuses. Repeal must include the insurance regulations, as it is the regulatory architecture which imposes significant costs on taxpayers. Reform must include free-market health care which lowers cost, increases choice, and restores the doctor-patient relationship. The devil is in the details.
ReplyDeleteArlen Dent wasn't at the VP Pense event back in October either. BTW Lee doesn't live in the 15th CD.
ReplyDeleteThe VP's name is Pence, not Pense. On that date, Pence was at two events. One was at the Hotel Bethlehem and the other was in Lehigh County. Dent was at both events, too. He left Hotel Bethlehem so he could see Pence in Lehigh.
ReplyDeleteIt does not matter where Lee lives, so long as it is Norco and she is the Chair. It is her job to get members of her party elected, not to set policy on Obamacare or any other issue, or to argue with Rs over how they voted.
That is not true because Pence went to the Lehigh County event 1st, then Norco, before moving on to New York. Chuck was there before Pence arrived, made it known he was not happy with Pences visit and then high tailed it out of there so he would not be seen in Pences company. He's a real winner.
DeleteActually, what I said is true and you're an anonymous.
Delete" Dent is absent, except for his TV appearances, of course, bashing his right. He has failed to govern. "
ReplyDeleteDent is one of the few adults left in DC.
I don't think it was very adult of him to be attacking those who are attempting to achieve the same goals that Dent has espoused to support. Those kinds of party disagreements should be handled back-channel and not on the Sunday talk shows
Delete5:48, Oh I see and you are an adult?
Delete"of course aligning yourself 92 percent with trump while being considered a moderate republican is somewhat laughable"
ReplyDeleteDent considers himself a center-right politician, and that is how he has consistently voted except during his first year in office.
" it still does not explain where is the Dent plan to straighten out healthcare?"
ReplyDeleteHe opposed Obamacare and favored and incremental approach. I wrote at least ten blogs or more explaining his position on various aspects. One of his biggest pushes is the reduction of paperwork driving up healthcare costs and keeping medical professionals from doing their jobs. He has pushed for elimination of the bedpan tax. He supported allowing insurance companies nationwide to compete for customers, which would drive down the cost of premiums. He believes tort reform is needed to educe costs as well. Don't forget, this is supposed to be the Affordable" Health Care Act. When premiums double, the legislation is a failure.
"Reform must include free-market health care which lowers cost, increases choice, and restores the doctor-patient relationship. The devil is in the details."
ReplyDeleteRight. Keep believing that Health Insurance companies are benevolent entities that want to give you all the healthcare you need and want and do not want to make a profit. Science and an older population drive cost. That's Ok, keep ignoring the obvious. Within twenty years universal healthcare will exist in the US, finally.
Why shouldn't middle-aged women express their opinion against this law?
ReplyDeleteAnd government is a benevolent entity? I have trouble bridging the gap between declaring something a human right, and demanding that a wasteful bureaucracy that consistently explodes costs, administer the human right. Each dollar costs 90 cents to administer. That's a lot of paying the SEIU before those who were promised help actually get it. It's not efficient. It's mean. There has to be middle ground.
ReplyDeleteWhile Dent is certainly popular enough in his carefully Gerrymandered district that runs like a snake from the LV to Hershey, he may be a problematic political ally in parts of the LV, where Trump won in traditionally blue precincts. The very suspect 538 can cite agreement with a number of Trump positions. But not supporting replacement to Obamacare is the issue of the season. Dent voted to repeal Obamacare about a thousand times when it didn't matter. When it finally did matter, he flip-flopped on one of the most important issues of the last election. Charlie's a slick politician. But as Arlen Specter proved, your flips and lies eventually catch up to you.
ReplyDelete"Each dollar costs 90 cents to administer."
ReplyDeleteWill you please supply a reference for that statement? That sounds suspiciously like it comes from a far alt-right source. Actually it is downright silly.
3.56
ReplyDelete" a wasteful bureaucracy that consistently explodes costs, administer the human right. Each dollar costs 90 cents to administer.
quick search
http://www.cbpp.org/research/romneys-charge-that-most-federal-low-income-spending-goes-for-overhead-and-bureaucrats-is
" show that, in every case, federal administrative costs range from less than 1 percent to 8 percent of total federal program spending. Combined federal and state administrative costs range from 1 percent to 10 percent of total federal- and state-funded program spending."
then
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-04-10/the-reason-health-care-is-so-expensive-insurance-companies
" after the diffusion of managed care and the widespread adoption of computerization, found that administration constituted some 30 percent of U.S. health-care costs and that the share of the health-care labor force comprising administrative (as opposed to care delivery) workers had grown 50 percent to constitute more than one of every four health-sector employees."
sounds like private companies need to be more efficient like the government
We all need access to CongressCare... PERIOD. If their single payer plan is good for their family, it is good for ours. For immmigration reform, they scream to secure the border first. The same analogy should hold true for health care....control the rising costs, then premiums can be managed. How the hell does a single pain killer pill cost $48 to administer?
ReplyDeleteyeah, I'm anonymous and we are discussing substance, so what.
ReplyDeleteIt is actually anonymouse bc you have no courage, that's what. I know Dent met with Pence in Lehigh. I also know that is his home county. I standby what I wrote bc I actually made some calls at the time over a rumor that Dent had been kicked out of the NC event, which was untrue.
ReplyDeleteI spoke of no rumors and nary a word about the NC event -I'm guessing you meant the Lincoln Day Breakfast or maybe you have our comments mixed up. I simply wrote that I don't think Dent should be on TV dissing those in the Party he purports to agree with -in goals at least, He should do that back-channel -if he was acting adult -as you say he is. I disagree especially in view of the his purported positions, those positions he campaigned upon. Dent voted against Obamacare before he voted against repealing it. I spoke with his office many times. So I am very disappointed. He also voted against the stimulus before he voted for it. So I question what he really stands for. Go ahead, pivot to my anonymous status rather than address my substance, say I have no courage. I thought you want substantive discussion, which I offered.
ReplyDeleteThe person I called anonymouse is the person who claimed Dent avoided seeing Pence. Completely untrue. If that is you, it is you whom I called anonymouse. If not, then you are free to comment.
ReplyDeleteOK. Got it! Thanks for the clarification. I retract any bait!
ReplyDeleteLet's try this again..... not sure what happened to my first post. Dent/Millan can be beat! They are passe with their establishment politics! They both are out of touch with reality! I would like to see Dent primaried so we can keep the seat!
ReplyDeleteIt's time to show Dent the Rooney/Ritter road to unemployment.
ReplyDeleteThese are really very troubling times. We need more moderates - like Charlie Dent, or we are never going to solve the dysfunction in Washington. It's a pathetic situation.
ReplyDelete