By Lewis Loflin
What many attendees at Congressman Boucher’s August 20 Town Hall thought of the President.
President Obama visited Bristol for the second time in 2009, accompanied by several hundred protesters. I saw him briefly. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents Kroger workers, but the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) brought in three busloads of Obama supporters just before his arrival. Congressman Boucher, an early Obama supporter, represented a community that largely opposed the President.
This event was presented as a town hall but functioned as a staged rally with pre-selected attendees and questions. Meanwhile, Remote Area Medical (RAM) operated nearby, yet within a 30-minute drive, approximately $60 million was being spent on projects like a $30 million convocation center, $8 million Wise Inn renovation (plus $700,000 from VCEDA), and $20-$30 million for an energy research center, often used to secure grants. The Virginia Tobacco Commission allocated $873,745 to Windy Acres Nursery for bioenergy, a private business project, raising questions about priorities when basic services and jobs are lacking.
Congressman Boucher scheduled two healthcare reform town halls during work hours: August 18 at New River Valley Community College (1,200 attendees) and August 20 at Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. At the latter, I was 15 feet from Boucher. The hall was 85% full with nearly 1,000 people. Key points from the three-hour Dublin meeting included Boucher’s refusal to endorse specific legislation, concerns about a government insurance option destabilizing rural hospitals, support for tort reform, and his vote against HR 3200. He emphasized decisions weren’t based on political future (*Roanoke Times*, August 19).
In Abingdon, some Obama supporters left after an hour, frustrated by Boucher’s stance against a government option. Abortion debates dominated, though the forum remained open. Boucher called on People Inc.’s head first, drawing boos due to the agency’s tax funding. He evaded questions on bike paths and farmers’ markets’ relevance to healthcare and claimed Blue Cross/Blue Shield coverage. On illegal aliens, he cited 35 million uninsured U.S. citizens, asserting HR 3200 barred non-citizens, though specifics on enforcement were unclear.
Boucher attributed healthcare costs to uninsured emergency room visits, but Wellmont CEO Mike Snow and another hospital CEO countered that Medicare (45% of patients, 90% reimbursed) and Medicaid/TennCare (65% reimbursed) were the bigger issues, with 70% of patients unprofitable due to government mandates. Private insurers bear the shifted costs. I suggested government contracts with flexibility and copays to reduce overuse—Snow agreed—but these ideas weren’t discussed. Drug abuse in the region was also noted. Email corrections to lewis@bvunet.net.
Local news included a Washington County couple’s carbon monoxide deaths from a generator (December 20, 2009), Universal Fibers’ $13 million expansion with $600,000 in incentives potentially adding 84 jobs (*BHC*, December 12, 2009), and new eco-toilets at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (*AP*, November 27, 2009).
Stretching Your Dollar: Feeding Yourself on a Budget in SWVA - Practical tips for eating affordably in Southwest Virginia.
New for 3/28/2025 Food City’s $6 Million Payoff, Opioid Settlements, and Social Apartheid’s New Face in Southwest Virginia.
Lewis Loflin Personal Homepage and Resource Collection
Common Sense Environmentalism - Life in rural Washington County, Virginia.
Climate Change Impacts on the Byzantine Roman Empire - Analyzes how climate shifts influenced the decline of the Byzantine Empire.
Climate Change and the End of the Vikings in Greenland - Examines how cooling climates contributed to the Viking abandonment of Greenland.
Climate Change and the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island - Investigates the role of climate in the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony.
Whale Fossils Reveal a Past Ice-Free Northwest Passage - Highlights evidence of historical climate shifts through whale fossil discoveries.
Shockingly Rapid Climatic Shifts are Real - Discusses evidence of rapid, natural climate changes throughout history.
Hypsithermal Warming Spreads Civilization - Explores the Mid-Holocene Warm Period’s (approximately 7000 BCE to 3000 BCE) role in advancing early human civilizations.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article. The final edits and perspective are my own.
