AWOLs? It’s a historic vote, arguably the most important vote of the 2011 session… so why was it 89-47? That equals 14 representatives of the people who did not represent the people in voting on the 3rd reading of this landmark legislation. Take one off for the Speaker, who often doesn’t vote unless it’s a close one, and you’ve got 13 reps with something else to do. I don’t know about you, but aren’t votes on potential laws like this the very reason one would want to be a lawmaker, whether you’re pro or con?
The list of missing includes 9 Dems and 4 Repubs. Yeah it was a done deal, so the Dems hardly needed to be whipped, and yeah, there were no doubt some good reasons (I see both St. J reps, the D and the R, were out – that suggests something may have been up in the district), but it makes you wonder. The absentees represent quite an ideological range, and were: Aswad (D-Burlington), Christie (D-Hartford), Clark (R-Vergennes), Condon (D-Colchester), Howard (R-Cambridge), Howrigan (D-Fairfield), Keenan (D-Albans City), Masland (D-Thetford), Mitchell (D-Barnard), Mook (D-Bennington), Reis (R-St. Johnsbury), South (D-St. Johnsbury), Winters (R-Williamstown).
Topper, we hardly knew ye… Remember when Topper McFaun (R-Barre Town) was the darling of the health care activists? The poster boy for why single-payer neednt be a partisan issue? Here’s Martha Abbott writing on the Prog Blog back in ’07:
This may be a first in Vermont Politics: A Republican is the featured speaker at a forum organized by and sponsored by the Democrats and Progressives. The Republican is Representative Topper McFaun of Barre and his bill is called “Universal Hospitalization and Premium Reduction”. It could be the next giant step forward for Universal Health Care.
Here’s a 2009 letter to the Washington World from a Montpelier voter:
I strongly protest the removal of Rep. Topper McFaun (R-Barre) from the Vermont House Health Care Committee by newly-elected Vermont House Speaker Shap Smith. It appears to be a deliberate act to undercut progress toward single payer health care in Vermont.
Here’s what McFaun said in support of William Hsiao’s proposal to take on the health care issue – a proposal which led to the current bill:
“His group has a track record all over the work designing health-care systems,” said Rep. Francis “Topper” McFaun, R-Barre. “He knows what works.”
McFaun voted no on the health care reform bill.
Howrigan is no surprise. He leans predictably right. Keenan? I don’t know. I’m disappointed she didn’t show up and vote for it. She may be treading softly since Dustin Degree swept Jeff Young out of office. Knowing it wasn’t going to be a close vote, she may have been given a hall pass to keep her less vulnerable to defeat next time. But she’s been there so many years now, and what’s the point if you’re not willing to take a few chances.
The vote didn’t happen until midnight. People started peeling off as it got later and passage seemed assured. Not an excuse, but some context.
Representative Greg Clark, (R-Vergennes) suffered a major heart attack a little while back and is likely on a medical leave from his positions as a public school teacher and as our representative. I did get a chance to speak with him for a moment at this year’s town meeting day, as he found enough strength to attend. Lightheartedly (no pun intended) I suggested to him that the good news about his medical condition is that we now have proof that he actually has a heart. We both chuckled and then I wished him (and I continue to wish him) the best of luck on a speedy recovery.
Representative Clark made a comment during his annual “report” to the city from Montpelier that he was incredibly impressed with the treatment he received at FAHC and that he felt he would have died were it not for the advanced medical intervention he received while there. At that point I muttered aloud, “Sure, it’s good if you can afford it”. My comment was met by some very cross looks from some of the roughly 30 or so citizens in attendance while I observed nods of agreement from some of the others.
I guarantee that Greg would have found a way to make it to Montpelier for that vote if there was a chance in hell that his vote would impact the overall outcome. Unfortunately, for the residents of Vergennes, his vote never does.
This should be a wake-up call. I read in the Herald some comments from legislators. There appears to be some consternation primarily concerning the details, one of which has Hsiao advising the state to sidestep federal law concerning large companies like IBM who cannot be forced to participate making them in essence do just that. Bad move.
Too many bad apples in the basket of a large employer is not a good thing. Sends a message to other prospective businesses also.
I support single payer. Flooding of issue from insurance companies trying to save their a&&es, mere complicated paper-shuffling schemes which represents all they actually do, is sickening, along with the ‘we need to slow down’ advice from the right.
It would appear that there obviously needs to be some work-arounds.
On final passage, Dick voted Yea today. I do hope folks in Franklin-2 call him and say thanks. I’ll be doing so tomorrow.