2008 Woodie Awards
California speaks on health care
3,500 attend multi-media town hall meeting
Colleen Roberts
Issue date: 8/22/07 Section: Community
- Page 1 of 1
3,500 Californians gathered for the largest and most active town hall meeting in state history. On August 11, residents from eight areas of the state converged through multimedia to discuss health care and what policymakers in Sacramento should do to solve the issues.
Humboldt County, Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego communicated through group laptops, video uplinks, and personal voting machines. Eighty-two percent of participants felt our current health care system needs major changes.
State Assemblywoman Patty Berg was in attendance to watch the action. "This has never happened before," she said. "Healthcare is my priority issue." Berg intends to use the information gathered to help pass health care policies that will benefit all Californians.
Leonardo Gonzales, a student at College of the Redwoods, gave up his Saturday to attend. "I didn't think a lot of youth would be here," he said. "I wanted to represent."
Gonzales is concerned about the state of health care due to the capitalistic nature of business in our society. "Health care is just a big money market. I want it to be made a public utility," he said.
Sophie Anderson traveled from Redway in southern Humboldt County. Anderson said she is not worried about healthcare for herself at the moment, but she is looking to the future when she will have a family.
"I want to be informed about the issues and I think it is interesting to have a statewide community discussion," she said.
A willingness to contribute was expressed by many Californians in attendance. Eighty-four percent of the participants said they would be willing to subsidize the health care of others.
Organizers used a random sample to invite participants to the day-long event. Participants received free breakfast and lunch as well as gift certificates in exchange for attending.
Berg was proud that Humboldt had such a large turnout. "Humboldt is the only rural area involved today," she said.
Colleen Roberts can be reached at cr45@humboldt.edu
Humboldt County, Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego communicated through group laptops, video uplinks, and personal voting machines. Eighty-two percent of participants felt our current health care system needs major changes.
State Assemblywoman Patty Berg was in attendance to watch the action. "This has never happened before," she said. "Healthcare is my priority issue." Berg intends to use the information gathered to help pass health care policies that will benefit all Californians.
Leonardo Gonzales, a student at College of the Redwoods, gave up his Saturday to attend. "I didn't think a lot of youth would be here," he said. "I wanted to represent."
Gonzales is concerned about the state of health care due to the capitalistic nature of business in our society. "Health care is just a big money market. I want it to be made a public utility," he said.
Sophie Anderson traveled from Redway in southern Humboldt County. Anderson said she is not worried about healthcare for herself at the moment, but she is looking to the future when she will have a family.
"I want to be informed about the issues and I think it is interesting to have a statewide community discussion," she said.
A willingness to contribute was expressed by many Californians in attendance. Eighty-four percent of the participants said they would be willing to subsidize the health care of others.
Organizers used a random sample to invite participants to the day-long event. Participants received free breakfast and lunch as well as gift certificates in exchange for attending.
Berg was proud that Humboldt had such a large turnout. "Humboldt is the only rural area involved today," she said.
Colleen Roberts can be reached at cr45@humboldt.edu
