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Pasco Conservative Club fears health care plan

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By LAURA KINSLER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 1, 2009

ZEPHYRHILLS - If the dozens of white-haired residents who attended a health care plan awareness meeting Monday were worried about the proposed legislation before, they were downright terrified afterward.

For nearly two hours, members of the East Pasco Political Club – soon to be renamed East Pasco Conservative Club – warned the mostly senior crowd that the current bill, if approved, would open the door for government to interfere in people's marriages, abort their babies and mandate their end of life decisions.

Club officer Dick Albrecht said the club chose not to invite any politicians – or anyone who supports the reforms - because it didn't want a repeat of the hot tempers at Tampa's town hall meeting last month.

"We really wanted to make people aware of the bill so they don't have to rely on the media or TV," he said.

Albrecht told the crowd at Chancey Road Christian Church that none of their representatives or senators had actually read the 1,018-page bill – but he had.

"I haven't met one single person who can explain what the bill does," he said.

Albrecht said he was not an expert and could not understand most of the bill's language. Then he told the frightened members of the audience that they would lose Medicare benefits, veterans' benefits and would end up paying higher taxes to give free health care to illegal immigrants and thugs.

"You've seen them in line at the grocery store, getting food stamps," he said. "They're dripping in gold jewelry and talking on the most expensive cell phones, and then they go and get into the fanciest Cadillac you ever did see."

He took written questions from the audience. One example: "I have an excellent health plan, and I don't want to give it up. What will happen to me?"

Albrecht told said they would lose benefits or the ability to choose their doctor. "My opinion is yes, you're going to have to give up something."

Another asked about a reference in the club's promotional flier that refers to home nurse visits for first-time mothers. The flier included Albrecht's assessment of the counseling: government abortion.
What the bill actually outlines are the types of counseling that would be covered by the public plan. It states that some public plan recipients would be eligible for home visits from nurses for the purpose of "Improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies."

The home nurse visits also serve to reduce cases of child abuse and prepare teenage mothers to continue their education.

"Is this home-serve abortion?" one person asked.

Albrecht said yes. "It's an opinion," he qualified. "They will have someone who has been trained to tell you how many children you should have and how you should raise your children."

When it came down to discuss provisions for end of life counseling, Albrecht toned down the rhetoric. He did not repeat rumors of "government death panels" that have been widely disproved. In fact, he praised that section of the bill.

"I think it's a good idea that as we begin to write the last chapter of our life, to sit down with someone – either a physician or a trained specialist – and discuss end of life matters," he said. "My daughter works in a funeral home, and every day she sees the repercussions for the families of people who didn't plan for end of life."

That didn't quell Helen Finizio's fears. She said doesn't want the government deciding who gets to live and who should die. "It reminds me of Nazi Germany," she said.

No one in the audience seemed to mind that they only heard one perspective. This was a group that carried paperback copies of Glen Beck's book to the meeting.

The East Pasco Political Club defines itself as a group of "conservative and independent registered Republicans" that is not sanctioned by the Florida Republican Party.

"This is just my opinion," Albrecht said. "Some people will say your opinion stinks. That's fine."

Club Vice President Tim Mitchell, pastor of the church, urged everyone to write members of Congress and tell them not to pass the bill. "Doing nothing just means we'll be sitting here and complaining in six months," he said. "Write! Write! Write!"

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 259-8109.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 259-8109.

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