Town Hall meetings with Congressman Coffman

March 21, 2011 Town Hall meeting with Congressman Coffman (CD 6), Heritage Eagle Bend

1970 58% discretionary spending

2040 24% “”””””””””

Taxpayers supporting each social security recipient – 1950 – 1 recipient for every 16.5 workers, 1960 – 8.6, 2009 3.0, 2040 – 2.1 %

When Social Security was implemented, life expectancy was 60, now is 78 years. Now “pay as you go”

Can’t resolve budget crisis by cutting discretionary spending. – although will help. Now need to make changes in least invasive way. People on social security and age 55 and up - won’t have to affect benefits. Younger ones will. Move age up, tax incentives for savings. If that enough, will need to have means testing. If we wait, won’t have the luxury.

Medicare –need to incentivize people to buy their own insurance. Substantial reform needed.

Medicaid – fastest growing program – running up the deficit. Need to do what Congress did to welfare reform in 1996. Feds told states – no longer a federal entitlement program. Give states a block grant. Dollars not micro-managed in Wash. D.C. Things better left to states.

Much of controversy today based on fear. People saying, “we’re going to take away your Social Security” – don’t have to if do something now. Either going to make the difficult decisions today or bankrupt the country. Will be voting on raising the debt ceiling soon. Either there is substantial movement towards reform or he won’t vote to raise the debt ceiling.

Commenter #1) The solution is to wean country off all three programs by 2050 – no constitutional authority for them. Government shut down – have to furlough non-essential workers. Need to do what other laid off workers have done. $5 billon Michelle Bachman talking about. Coffman - cornerstone of Health Care reform the individual mandate per Obama admin.

Coffman - 3 debates will be happening in Congress- budget for this past year, budget for next year, and 3)debating debt ceiling. He believes there needs to be health care reform – but encouraging individual policies – tax incentives for, versus employer driven insurance.

# 2) Dept of Energy – Carter put in – “working real well” or dept of education or commerce. Privatize the post office. Energy – Congress needs to come up with a program. Do away with diesel, encourage natural gas. “Shut the government down” – yes, but don’t default on the debt. 74 years old, on social security and medicare – would hate to lose any benefits but would accept that if needed to fix the problem.

Coffman – energy issue – “America needs to develop America’s natural resources. A number of regulatory barriers. 100 year supply in the U.S. Dept of Interior doing everything to stop development. If oil goes to $140/barrel, will see double dip recession? Ethanol – disaster from a policy standpoint.

#3) - H.R. 1 – cut $61 billion – will reduce government jobs, but it’s the small business that supports government.

#4) – Voters clearly stated “spending is a problem.” Politicians, including Republicans, are “rearranging debt chairs on the Titanic.”

#5) – nobody put in prison – banking crooks – China “owning “ us.

Coffman - worried about China having that type of leverage over us – amassed about 95% of rare earth metals. Introduced a bill to address.

#6) – I did not write anything down at the time, but must have complained about Congress’ pensions.

Coffman - “miniscule amount of money” – Congress’ pensions. Vested 1.7 % per year. Military – 2.5%

#7) – extension of Bush tax cuts – put in with extension of unemployment benefits. “5% of upper income earners “are not paying their fair share”. Since they earn most of the money, they should pay the most taxes.

Coffman – Laffer – study. For wealthy people, as you increase the tax rate, so increase tax avoidance. Need to reform tax structure – whatever % are supposed to pay – actually do. Need tax simplification.

#8) – concerned about veteran benefits. H.R. 1 – half of veterans “losing housing allowance.” Voucher for mortgages. Take money from TARP funds.

Coffman - while he adamantly supports the military, “too often asking for benefits for veterans that have no relationship to their service.”

#9) – retribution for bankers? Pell grant, etc. “having to bail out the bankers”

Coffman - Have gotten money back from bankers.

#10) – redistricting – some of CD 6 going to 1 or 7?

My answer from having attended redistricting meeting – yes, CD 6 has to “lose” 79, 356, while CD 1 is under by 56,418, CD 7 is under by 40,047. Others: CD 2 over by 15,348, CD 3 under by 12,271, CD 4 over by 6,584,

#11) – Randy Corporan – feeling a little disappointed that Coffman did not refute some invalid facts by other commenters, such as the 700,00 jobs lost are government jobs, so a good thing. Taxes – high earners not paying their share – lie. 6 billion cut on a day when 76 billion added to national debt – not enough.

Coffman - “At end of day want to get to same place. Tactical differences on what willing to shut government down over. Coffman wants overall entitlement reform.”

#12) – Kaddhafy is a terrorist.

#13) – Andy from Aurora. Our country is being spent into oblivion. Flat tax

#14) – 15 year old. By the time she can vote, will there be a chance that we won’t be completely mired down in debt?

Coffman, “Parents – ran up a credit card. Debt to % of GDP. Greece fell apart at 110% of GDP. By 2025 – will hit 110%. Was 3_%. Now 70%. Goal of some politicians was to create dependent constituents.”

#15) – past pastor of Evangelical Church of America. His pension has been reduced 6% and 11%? He is paying the price for malfeasance and greed of those who ran the banking system. How is the government now responding to this? The complications of tax code are due to a special interest going to a Congressman.

Coffman, Need to talk about “tax expenditures” – i.e. tax breaks. Financial services regulation bill – government left out. It was the government that produced the mandate of giving money to people who couldn’t afford it. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Barney Frank

My Questions, Didn’t get a chance to ask – What do you think of the fair tax? How can Harry Reid say Social Security not a problem? I think he should be impeached. Are the things that caused the financial meltdown, such as derivatives, etc. being regulated now? Do you think the repeal of Glass-Stegall was part of the cause, i.e. need to re-implement?

March 23, 2011 Town Hall with Congressman Coffman at Ken Caryl Ranch House

Commenter #1) Obamacare – “since you are opposed to current health care” are you opposed to health care for all? Coffman - There is health care for all. Via the E.R., but not cancer therapy. Pinnacol – private when wants to, public when want to. If you are unwilling to provide us affordable health care – are you willing to give up yours? Shouldn’t strip ½ trillion out of Medicare to fund Obamacare (then count anyhow)

“Government that people can’t afford.” – either allow Congress to bankrupt

Why did you vote yes on the latest C.R. ? – Wanted to continue the dialog for 3 more weeks.

If government can create jobs, would be great but right now trying to do that with stimulus spending. Govt doesn’t create jobs; leaving the money in the hands of people who do create jobs does.

With his military background, he wants to be the “fiscal hawk” in Wash on defense spending.

SSN – “If have the courage to address the issues now, can effect the changes at age50 and below.

“How to keep money in the economy?” How does making the rich richer do that? Money sitting on the sidelines because companies are uncertain and are afraid to invest.

GOP talking about de-funding abortion versus creating jobs. Big talk before election was creating jobs, what legislation has the GOP proposed to do that?

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Permalink Reply by Cathy Mitchell on April 5, 2011 at 8:35am

Oh darn, just realized you can't edit forum discussions - perhaps that is one difference between forum discussions and blog posts?

Forgot the intro on the above discussion. I attended both meetings and took very rough notes, so if anyone else who attended wants to fill in the gaps, that would be great. If I was going to do a really good job of reporting, I would have to also tape record the meeting, then go back to verify. But I didn't, so please take that into consideration when reading.

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Permalink Reply by W. Branstetter on April 5, 2011 at 3:59pm

Thanks for posting your notes.

Note to other readers: A few days ago comments prepared for another blog were linked in these links. They may be helpful along with Cathy's notes.