KOLD TV – Sep 01, 2009
By J.D. Wallace

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) – Hundreds lined up to talk about health insurance reform with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Monday night at Buena High School in Sierra Vista.

“I do disagree with her views, but she’s very accessible, and I do respect that,” said Scott Edelen before he joined the crowd.

“I think her mind’s made up and don’t think we’re going to have anything that’s going to change today,” Dale Cook said from a seat in the auditorium.

The crowd offered plenty of cheers and boos to the representative as she heard comments, took questions, and offered explanations.

“If you want to ask me questions about it, I will do my best to try to discuss it, but really, tonight is about you, your questions, your comments, your concerns, and when we go back to Washington next week, I can bring your perspectives,” she told them.

Giffords said that illegal immigrants would not be covered, there would be no “death panels” that require discussing end of life care with a doctor, and she supports a public option of health insurance offered by the government to those who have no private provider.  However, she also emphasized that there is no final plan before Congress right now.

“My commitment is to listen, my commitment is to understand, my commitment is to bring back good information and to bring your information to Washington,” she said.

“I have been denied coverage of care, I have watched the person I adore be slowly taken away from me because the insurance company was greedy,” Marty Huffman said into the microphone in front of the crowd.  “If we don’t do something about health care and we don’t allow Congress to do the job, we are not going to get anywhere and every one of you standing here denying health care right now could be in my position tomorrow.”

By the end of Monday night’s forum, some who agree that change is needed, still had concerns about whether it will move in the right direction.

“Once this starts, it’s an entitlement,” Cook said.  “You’ll never get rid of it and I think that’s very true.”