Health meeting sees little hostility

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A crowd of a couple hundred people turned up Monday at a public meeting to discuss health care reform with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., but the crowd was much less hostile towards the senator than he and his colleagues have seen at similar events across the country.

The meeting was organized by New Mexico First, a nonpartisan group Bingaman and then-Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., set up more than 20 years ago to encourage debate by New Mexicans on important issues.

Protestors did show up outside the Albuquerque Convention Center, but hardly any protest made it into the meeting.

This meeting was set up differently than most other meetings. Participants were split into small discussion groups to come up with a consensus on questions to ask the senator when the entire group reconvened.

During the larger meeting, Bingaman said he supports a public option, arguing it would give private insurance companies competition and help keep premiums down.

"It would have to operate on the same basis that private operators operate: charge you health premiums with their policy to offset the cost of claims that are made," he said.

The public option has been one of the most controversial parts of the reform plan. National polls have shown Americans sharply divided on that part of the plan, but a show of hands at the meeting showed about 90 percent of participants support it.

Some participants questioned whether the audience was stacked.

"I don't think the group was a very diversified group," said David Harris. "I don't think it was very indicative of the general public. … I still have some concerns. I think the questions that were asked were pointedly asked to get a response from the senator that fit their motivations."

Others called it a good discussion.

"There's no contention, there's consensus," said John Cordova. "People get to talk the issues."

Anne Manning said she didn't agree with everything Bingaman said, but, "I think the questions we asked he addressed quite well."

Organizers said the crowd was not pre-screened.

Bingaman is one of the so-called "Gang of Six" on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee trying to negotiate a compromise between Democrats and Republicans over healthcare reform.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Udall is scheduled to hold a town hall on health care reform on Tuesday morning at 10:30 at the Ruidoso Convention Center.