Salon covered last night’s health care forum, placing some of our citizens’ ignorance on embarrassingly national display. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Archive for Sideblog »
Thanks for posting….great meeting last night. I learned a lot and was glad to see so many people engaged in the debate.
I could not have disagreed with Rob Schilling’s vitriolic, hate filled coverage (on WINA) of the meeting today more. When will he realize that if he hates the majority of the people of Charlottesville as much as he seems to, he has the option to move. It must be miserable being so miserable….
I don’t always agree w/ Congressman Perriello, but he’s got to be one of the most honest, hardest-working public servants in the country. Hats off to him for all the hustle and patience.
That said, I hope not all of us who have serious, and, I believe, legitimate questions about HR3200 (or the competing bills) will be marginalized b/c of a handful of idiots identified by Salon.
FWIW, Gallup’s polling shows that these dopey protestors aren’t hurting their cause, which would seem to me to speak very poorly of the independents and Republicans who are actually persuaded by people who display photos of Obama-as-Hitler and accuse Democrats of trying to murder everybody’s grandmother.
What I find bizarre about these results is that it’s a total reversal of the political world just a few years ago. As recently as 2004, a huge chunk of Republicans believed that protesting against the war was an act of treason that shouldn’t be permitted. Here we see that 38% of Republicans believe that drowning out a fellow citizen’s opposing view at a town hall meeting with insulting, angry screaming is “democracy in action.” I would love to find specific individual who believed precisely the opposite just a few years ago and ask them what changed. My guess is that the only thing that’s changed is the president.
Listen to talk radio and that kinda crap is all over the place. They spew a bunch a crap about democratic politicians, policies, etc,.. but when you actually listen to it- take the same words- rewind it to 4 to 6 years earlier and it still applies.
One word defined it then. The same word defines it now.
Republicans = Hypocrites
National NPR covered this meeting as well. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111814900
It’s almost like the media is making sure that Periello’s name and plight as a new congressman becomes a household word or perhaps it’s just a large (happy?) coincidence. Thank goodness the crowd was overwhelmingly democratic. I mean in the city of Charlottesville, what are the odds of that happening? ;)
I think it’s rude and unproductive to yell at anyone at public meeting. Protest as treason is wrong, so is telling me that medical coverage is right (I couldn’t find it anywhere in the bill of rights). The party out of power people always seems to end up screaming at lawmakers these days but it’s better than silence.
Waldo: “As recently as 2004, a huge chunk of Republicans believed that protesting against the war was an act of treason that shouldn’t be permitted.”
??? I don’t necessarily doubt, but was there a poll?
TrvInMn: “One word defined it then. The same word defines it now. Republicans = Hypocrites”
It works both ways, I’m afraid, but I wouldn’t make such a broad generalization.
My last comment to you got eaten, so I apologize for this short remark.
Will, that’s a very good question — I think that the antics of the screamers may cause a backlash. More and more, I’m seeing reports about just how inaccurate their charges are, and I think that damages the credibility of anyone seeking to raise legitimate questions. In the end, they may be just stiffening the spines of those who support the program.
My favorite are the people who say that the current system is just fine. It is — IF you you already have coverage. But for those who don’t, the system is this: get sick, ignore it until it gets much worse, then show up in the ER for more expensive treatment that you can’t pay for, which gets “written off,” which increases the costs for everyone.
Questor, I don’t think I’ve seen a poll. But when I posted some misgivings about Bush’s war at the beginning, I remember lots of responses about how it was important to rally behind the president in a time of war, and that expressing anything but “go get-’em” patriotism gave aid and comfort to the enemy. There was no room for small-d democratic dissent.
I’m not saying that opponents have a similar obligation to support health care – that’s ludicrous. But I did want to refresh your memory of what happened in the recent past.
What happened to the free speech zones?
You bet–I remember at least a couple of polls showing that some big chunk (a minority, but still a big chunk) of Republicans believed that protesting Bush or the war was un-American, treasonous, and should be prohibited by law. My Googling around isn’t getting any useful results just now, unfortunately, but if I turn something up, I’ll be sure to follow up.
@Waldo: I believe you, no need to strain. Those people are idiots, and not representative. Thanks.
Here’s a survey that doesn’t mention political affiliation, unfortunately, but it’s a start. Check out some of those internals in the poll, which is a reminder of how truly weird things got come 2003 or thereabouts.
Questor wrote:
Yep you are correct. But since the talk radio folks seem happy to make broad generalizations I figured I should feel free to do the same.
An additional update:
Today the Perriello folks sent out political mailers all over Charlottesville, including parts of town for which the Ruckersville Town Hall would’ve been closer.
The political mailers advertise only one (probably the last one) Town Hall meeting, August 27th in Scottsville VA. At Victory Hall on Valley Street.
Now Victory Hall only seats 200 people (that’s the Fire Marshal’s maximum).
Charlottesville has already had 2 chances at public town hall type meetings. Why advertise all over Charlottesville for a meeting that should be for the Scottsville area residents?
Perriello is trying to “stack the deck” in Scottsville for the local media.
Most of Scottsville is predictably conservative.
If half of the people in Charlottesville and Northern Albemarle areas that were sent mailers- if half of those people show up in Scottsville- no one who is actually lives in or around Scottsville will actually be able to get in.
I’m now calling “Shenanigans” on the Perriello folks.
The opposition party candidate will be receiving a small donation from me for the next election.
Although it’s possible that you’re right about the motivation here, TrvlnMn, I think you’re probably reading too much into it.
For starters, Scottsville is a long drive from Charlottesville. I can’t see many people making that drive just for the heck of it. Folks who live in Scottsville have a long head start, and I expect they’ll have plenty of opportunity to take their seats. Why “no one who is actually lives in or around Scottsville will actually be able to get in,” I can’t imagine.
Also, the event at CHS the other night was full up. There were folks crowded in the back, sitting on the floor, and standing on the sides. And it got a lot of media coverage. It took me a good five minutes to find a parking space, and I got one of the last few (and I got there a few minutes early), finding it way around a section where I didn’t know there was parking, 180° from the entrance, on the back of the school. So not only are there people who came, couldn’t find a space and left, but there are lots of people who read about the event or saw it on TV, and knew that they missed their chance. It makes perfect sense to send out a mailing to promote a follow-up event for those willing to make the trek to Scottsville.
Finally, I don’t buy your logic. We got that mailer on my country road, and I live right near the Orange County border. My supervisor is Ken Boyd. My delegate is Rob Bell. If I lived just a few miles north, my congressman would be Eric Cantor. This is a conservative part of the county. If this was a deliberate attempt to get liberals there, then this is a pretty badly targeted mailing.
It’s possible that you’re right, but it’s also about the least likely explanation that I can summon. A far more reasonable one is that, having found that this event was more popular than anticipated, his office has seen fit to publicize it. It’s awfully tough to fault a politician for wanting to operate out in the open, and invite the largest possible audience to witness and participate in that process. God knows it’s more than Virgil Goode ever did.
Waldo you make fair points.
Yes I was probably plenty over the top in my last post.
Personally I think health care reform needs to happen in some form- if only to reign in the insurance companies to halt/end some of their truly egregious shenanigans.
I disagree with the politicians decision not to use the negotiating power of government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices (which I understand was one of the concessions given). It already seems like U.S. Rx prices allow all these other countries to get their Rx drugs at discounted prices at our expense.
It is tough to fault a politician for wanting to operate out in the open. Very true.
However it is very easy to check and find out that the Fire Marshal capacity in Victory Hall is only 200 people. But they sent the mailers to many many more than 200 people and in the Charlottesville area- not Scottsville. And this is the hot button issue it is (with the capacity crowds at CHS as you pointed out).
Victory Hall is nowhere near the size of the CHS performing arts auditorium. So Victory Hall isn’t the place to reach out all those constituents that missed out on the first go-around.
Much better to re-book the CHS performing arts center for a 2nd town hall to accommodate all those that couldn’t make it the first time. If you truely want to give the Cville area a 2nd opportunity to meet with and voice their concerns to their elected delegate. Instead of bringing it to Scottsville.
I don’t think the issue will be any less popular on August 27th than it was when the CHS Town Hall happened- so why choose a HUGELY smaller venue?
It serves no purpose to invite the City of Charlottesville and a huge chunk of Northern Albemarle County to discuss health care reform 18 miles south of town, at the southern most tip of the county, if you really want to engage the voters of that small hamlet and it’s surrounding area.
Granted with regards to politics non-transplant scottsvillians are a pretty apathetic bunch. But folks who live in Scottsville still commute to other places (mainly Cville) to work.
I honestly think that by trying to “stack the deck” which is still what I think the Perriello folks were trying to do- they are missing out on the opportunity to seriously address some the concerns real voters with an opposing, uneducated, or purposefully misleading opinions might have.
Not to mention that “stacking the deck” just looks shady from the get go.
And that’s still what I think they tried to make happen.
Waldo writes:
“38% of Republicans believe that drowning out a fellow citizen’s opposing view at a town hall meeting with insulting, angry screaming is “democracy in action.” I would love to find specific individual who believed precisely the opposite just a few years ago and ask them what changed.”
I think it’s a fair point to point out inconsistent behavior and double standards. So I would ask Waldo, who today decries angry public protest, whether he ever spoke out similarly about the constant, vitrolic public behavior by people on the left throughout the Bush presidency. How many times did we see Bush/Hitler signs? How many Republican appearances were disrupted by protestors who had the specific intent of drowning out the proceedings? How many liberals applauded in glee when our president’s appearance was interrupted by a physical attack (a thrown shoe)? To coin a phrase, “where was Waldo” when all of that was going down? If he wasn’t speaking out against it, I’d ask this specific individual what changed?
In 2006, Nancy Pelosi encouraged protest and said she was a “fan of disruptors”. Hillary Clinton shouted in 2003 that “I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic.” Today, though, Pelosi calls protest “Un-American” (http://tinyurl.com/mt2uvb) while Harry Reid calls protestors “evil-mongers” (http://tinyurl.com/q65dqh).
Again, the original point is fine, but I don’t see how it’s possible to omit mention of the precisely analogous “other side of the coin”.
Ha. :) You must be new here. You just read this and then you can come back here to apologize. :)
Aha! Thank you for pointing me to that excellent discussion. Yes, I am new here, which is why I phrased the first part of my comment in the form of a question. To the extent that the line of questioning implied its own answer, I’ll apologize.
So I would change the focus of my response. You’ve (fairly) pointed out that some on (what we’ll broadly call) the right have apparently flipped on the question of strident vs. polite forms of protest.
I think it would only have been fair to point out at the same time those on the left who have clearly flopped in precisely the opposite manner.
In a one sentence blog entry? Nah. As you presumably don’t know, being new here, readers of cvillenews.com are really quite well informed. That would not come as any sort of news to them.