Giffords plans 3 town halls on health care

HAVE A QUESTION?

Not everybody will get a chance to speak at Green Valley’s town hall meeting. Send us questions about health care you’d like Rep. Giffords to address and we’ll make sure she gets them. The questions will be printed in the paper Aug. 30, and forwarded to her and to her staff. Email: dshearer@gvnews.com, or send in care of Dan Shearer, editor, 101-42 S. La Canada, Green Valley, 85622.

By Daniel Newhauser, Green Valley News

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz, has scheduled a town-hall style meeting in Green Valley Sept. 1 to discuss health care. The meeting is one of three Giffords will hold in Southern Arizona.

More than 20,000 phone calls, e-mails and letters about health issues, and her previous visits to Green Valley, including a private meeting at La Posada on Aug. 13, indicated to Giffords that residents here are passionate about health care, said C.J. Karamargin, her spokesman.

“Her constituents there are deeply interested in health insurance reform, so it makes sense to have one of those in Green Valley,” he said. “The goal is for her to hear from her constituents about health insurance reform and hopefully provide constituents with a clear idea of some of the many options being considered now in Congress.”

Town hall meetings across the country have been marked by vitriolic exchanges between members of Congress and citizens.

Rep. Frank Kratovil, D-Md, was hanged in effigy by a protester in late July and a swastika was spray painted on a sign outside the office of Rep. David Scott, D-Ga.

Last week, Sen. Barney Frank, D-Mass., told a woman who asked him why he supports a Nazi policy that he would enjoy a debate with her as much as he would with a dining room table, and asked, “On what planet do you spend most of your time?”

But Karamargin said Giffords feels this town hall will be a productive exchange of views on all sides.

“People, though passionate about this topic, can disagree without being disagreeable,” he said. “And we expect to see that.”

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

Green Valley

When: 9-11 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1

Where: West Social Center, 1111 Via Arcoiris, Green Valley.

RSVP: 881-3588 or e-mail RSVPGiffords.GreenValley@mail.house.gov.

Sierra Vista

When: 6-8 p.m., Monday, Aug. 31

Where: Buena Performing Arts Center, 5225 Buena School Blvd., Sierra Vista

RSVP: 459-3115 or RSVPGiffords.CochiseCounty@mail.house.gov

Tucson

When: 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1

Where: Saguaro High School, 545 N. Camino Seco, Tucson

RSVP: 881-3588 or RSVPGiffords@mail.house.gov