THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in Wortham was standing room only for a talk by U.S. Rep. Joe Barton that centered on health care reform legislation being debated in Congress. A town hall meeting held last week in Wortham by U.S. Rep. Joe Barton proved to be long on verbage and short on substantive information.

The meeting was held at the Presbyterian Church and played before a standing room only crowd—-the pews, lobby and choir loft were full, and attendees stood along walls in the sanctuary.

Majority of those attending were senior citizens— the meeting was held in the middle of the day when younger people were at work.

In a show of hands, most of the people at the session indicated this was the first town hall they had ever attended.

"I've done town halls here before," Barton said. "I don't think I've seen as many people before."

Most of the comments and questions addressed to the congressman dealt with health care reform.

Barton distributed a flow chart he says outlines proposed healthcare legislation being debated in the U.S. Congress and gave a short explanation of its parts.

The chart shows current healthcare laws and agencies, plus the addition of proposed legislation and new agencies.

"I am against this, but that does not mean I'm against healthcare improvements," Barton said. "We have problems with our healthcare system."

An area in which the congressman disagrees is mandates requiring hospitalization insurance, whether it be provided by employers or individuals.

Under proposed legislation, employers with $500,000 in annual payroll costs would be required to provide hospitalization insurance for employees, or pay an eight percent payroll tax to fund health insurance through a public plan.

He fears that the high cost of buying private hospitalization insurance will push employers into the public plan because it would be less expensive.

Barton also disagrees with forcing employers to provide an "acceptable" level of coverage dictated by the government.

The congressman touts transparency from health care providers and accountability for their level of care.

Transparency, he explains, would require that doctors and hospitals make public their fees for service so that patients could comparison shop.

Covering costs for individuals buying hospital insurance could come in the form of government vouchers or income tax deductions, Barton says.

"This bill, if it becomes law, would destroy healthcare in America in 10 years," he declares.

Few people at the town hall session favored a government sponsored health care plan, but a Fairfield woman, Sandy Bell, spoke in favor of universal health insurance.

She pointed out that her brother and father died because they could not get insurance, or their insurance coverage expired—-her brother could not get hospitalization insurance because he had a congenital heart problem and her father was undergoing treatment for cancer when his insurance was terminated.

Ms. Bell declared that she supports a single payer hospitalization insurance system under which premiums for universal health care would be paid through payroll deductions.

Wortham resident Dwight Cherry asked why Congress did not tackle health care reform eight years ago, when President George W. Bush was in office and Congress was controlled by the Republican Party.

"We never tried to pass a comprehensive bill because, frankly, I don't think its necessary," Barton answered.

Navarro county resident Joyce Fields, who announced she is 79 years old, declared she was against health care reform and asked the congressman if the proposed legislation could be beat, or repealed in the future if it passes.

Barton said he feels as if the bill will fail if town hall meetings being conducted throughout the country reflect the sentiments of residents of his district who are against the legislation.

"No current Congress can bind a future congress," Barton said. "If I am chairman of a committee and this becomes law, I will repeal it."

A Corsicana man, Ted Rich, stated that he was a military veteran of three wars and declared: "I'm scared for this country."

Rich explained that he has no active political party affiliation, but that he objects to a single political party controlling both houses of congress and the presidency.

"We, the people, have to decide whether politicians own this country or we own this country," the Corsicana man said.

Barton pointed out that voters decided in which political party they wanted in power, but that could change in the next election. He advised the gathering that if they want change they need to take an active part in affecting change.

In a brief discussion over the cap-and-trade bill passed this year by Congress, Richland- Chambers area resident Barbara Lawrence stated that she opposed coal-fired power plants such as are in Freestone and Limestone counties, and wants clean air legislation.

She also noted she is against cap-and-trade, as is the congressman.

"We are tired of breathing dirty air and the consequences of breathing dirty air," Mrs. Lawrence said.

Barton declared he supports coal-fired power plants, as well as those powered by solar, wind, water and nuclear power because energy production is necessary in society.

He pointed out that there is a difference between emissions and pollution, and that power plants are regulated for five pollution standards.

"I don't agree with shutting power plants just because they are coal-fired," he says.

Under cap-and-trade, greenhouse gas emissions must be cut 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.

A national emissions limit would be establised by the Environmental Protection Agency and require companies to buy or sell credits to offset emissions. Costs for the program would be passed on to consumers.

In a handout distributed to those attending, the congressman states: "Achieving this target essentially requires replacing virtually the entire fossil fuel energy infrastructure of the United States over the next four decades."

Mexia resident John W. Duke asked Barton if he received a cost of living pay adjustment as a congressman this year, pointing out that there is no Social Security COLA raise this year.

The congressman said he did not believe that Congress received a COLA this year, buy was not quite sure.

"Most years I would vote to give myself a cost of living adjustment, but I wouldn't this year," Barton said.

Members of Congress received an automatic $4,700 pay raise effective Jan. 1. They will receive an automatic pay raise in 2010 unless they vote to forgo the hike.

A Mexia resident, Bennie Green, said she is concerned about "csars" appointed by the administration to oversee different government programs.

Barton, noting that "csars" is a term used by talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck, are special assistants and that all presidents can appoint special assistants. However, he pointed out that the special assistants under President Obama have more authority than in the past.

The congressman says he, theoretically, could launch an investigation, but as a member of the minority political party that would do little good.

Congressmen throughout the country are conducting town hall meetings, a number of which have become racous affairs.

Barton outlined his rules for the town hall at the outset, telling those attending that there was to be no debate among speakers and that speakers should be given the opportunity to be heard even if others disagreed with the message.