Health care forum is part of organization's mission to beat Broun

Editor:

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Pull the Plug PAC is an independent political action committee. Our mission is simple: We plan to help end U.S. Representative Paul Broun Jr.'s career as an elected official in Washington D.C.

As a founder of Pull the Plug, I was pleased by the successful health insurance reform forum we organized recently in Evans, a wonderful town that just might prove central to our efforts to help defeat Broun in next year's election. And we are grateful for the support from the both the Columbia County Democratic Party and their neighbors in Richmond County.

The forum provided a meaningful way for concerned citizens to exchange thoughts and ideas about President Obama's health care initiative. There were opponents of the current health care reform legislation in the audience, and we welcomed their presence in a civil dialogue.

Our panel included Fazal Khan J.D., M.D., a health policy analyst and law professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, and Neal Priest, an emergency room physician at St. Mary's Hospital.

Both Khan and Priest are passionate, informed advocates for the thousands of uninsured and under-insured children, seniors and families in Georgia's 10th Congressional District.

Topics included the public option, health insurance for children, senior care and more recent issues like the Stupack Amendment, which if included in the final version of the federal health insurance reform bill would block private insurance plans participating in the national insurance exchange from covering abortion for its members.

For example, until very recently, the Republican National Committee's health insurance plan covered employees that elected to have abortions. The amendment would bar such plans from being offered on the exchange.

As one might imagine, the amendment has both supporters and detractors. During our forum, our panel openly discussed the issue with participants. Pull the Plug is a policy-driven committee so we are not going to avoid an issue just because it is politically correct to do so.

But let me be clear: Pull the Plug has a simple position on health insurance reform. We believe Congress should support a strong public option and agree on legislation that provides stable, quality care for all children and seniors. Inadvertent or purposeful attempts to mislead the public on our positions might work for a while, but will prove unsuccessful in the end.

Our mission is open and transparent. We plan to help put an end to Broun's career in Washington, D.C. We worked towards our goal in Evans by standing up for the uninsured children, seniors and families in Northeast Georgia.

The American Community Survey recently reported more than 100,000 people living in our congressional district do not have health insurance. 17,000 children are included in that number. The cost of doing nothing about this humanitarian tragedy is staggering.

A recent Harvard study shows that around 47,000 Americans die each year for lack of health insurance.

Unfortunately for all of us, Broun is doing nothing to help in these difficult economic times where the cost to care for a sick loved one can lead to a family's financial ruin. Instead, he bandies around the words "fascism," "socialism," "communism" and any other "ism" he thinks might spread fear and hatred of reform. ...

Importantly, Broun routinely distorts facts and rarely provides a source for his data. For example, his official Web site states that the House-passed health care bill would raise the deficit $200 billion.

In reality, the Congressional Budget Office found the House bill would reduce the deficit $138 billion. (http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10741/hr3962Revised.pdf)

Broun's own health care proposal includes language to end Medicare as we know it. The proposal has not been co-sponsored by a single other member of Congress. He has betrayed the children, seniors and families that call Northeast Georgia home and need his help.

Our district needs a change in representation and we encourage a strong field of candidates from different political persuasions to rise to the occasion. But Pull the Plug's job is not to support any other candidate. Our job is to help defeat Broun next year.

Pull the Plug PAC will continue to organize events in cities across the 10th District, no matter the voting history of the particular area. We will continue to find and grow significant support because of our efforts. ...

Broun has oddly positioned himself as one of the more inflammatory politicians in the country, yet he represents a conservative district known for electing reasonable politicians.

Let's work together for better representation. Broun is a poor leader that has betrayed our trust. Let's Pull the Plug on Paul Broun Jr.

Russell James Edwards

Treasurer, Pull the Plug PAC

Athens