Heated Health Care Town Hall Meetings Continue with Inglis Tuesday

In the midst of fireworks nationwide in recent weeks, hundreds turned out for a town hall meeting on health care Monday night in Piedmont. Many, like Kathy Adams, say they're not happy with the country's current system. Adams is a breast cancer survivor, who lost 75% of her income this year. She can barely afford coverage. "Frankly, I don't know where next premium is coming from," she says. "I just paid one, but I don't know where the next is coming from."

Adams is like many others who turned out at the meeting, sponsored by District 4 Representative Bob Inglis. Tony Knox is a small business owner. As of next month, he'll no longer be able to have insurance for his family or employees. "W are between a rock and a hard place,"he says. "It's either give it up now, or do it in six months, and lose our business and insurance as well." For those like Knox and Adams, Inglis says he's here to listen. He spent Monday going door to door in neighborhoods talking to residents about what they want in health care coverage. He's also preaching why President Obama's plan is not good enough. "Obama Care", as it's called, offers a public option, that would challenge private insurers, but letting the government offer a package to consumers. "It's a problem," Inglis says. "When the average American family of four is paying $1000 a month for insurance premiums, that's too much."

Still, those at the meeting said they want more solid solutions. "The best thing for the American people is for the government to give us some option other than what we have," says Adams. Knox agreed. "We're in a hurry. We need to fix it."

Inglis will hold more health care town hall meetings in the month of August to hear from constituents and explain his 16 reasons for opposing the public option.
Inglis will walk an area neighborhood for a few hours prior to holding each town meeting. Staff members from the Fourth District office will also be available 30 minutes prior to each town meeting to assist constituents needing help with federal agencies.

Below are the upcoming town hall sessions:

• Tuesday, August 18 at 7 p.m.; Gateway Elementary School (200 Hawkins Rd., Travelers Rest)
• Thursday, August 20 at 7 p.m.; R.D. Anderson Applied Technology Center (1151 Moore Duncan Highway 290, Moore)
• Monday, August 24 at 7 p.m.; New Prospect Elementary School (9251 Highway 9, Inman)
• Tuesday, August 25 at 7 p.m.; Lake Forest Elementary School (16 Berkshire Ave., Greenville)