Below is the response I was provided from Representative Carol Shea-Porter to the six specific questions I asked in my last letter. You will notice as you read through this response that she did not answer my questions and merely sent a boilerplate letter. Is this because she doesn't know the answers or that she simply doesn't want to answer questions from one of her constituents?

My next letter I am sending out today will address this new question and ask her one more time to answer the questions directly or to let me know that she won't answer because, as it appears, she doesn't care what I ask

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April 7, 2010

Dear Mr. Knytych:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding health care reform.

On Sunday, March 21, 2010, I voted to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act (H.R. 4872).  These two bills together represent comprehensive health care reform.  Although this health care reform package, like any legislation, is not perfect, I am confident that it helps middle class families, seniors, and small business. 

The following is a letter I sent to CSP with the questions I wasn’t able to ask at her town hall event at the Laconia City Hall on Thursday, April 1, 2010. I will post any response I get.

RE: Questions and Comments from the April 1, 2010 Town Hall Meeting in Laconia, NH

Please provide a response.

I would like to thank you for holding a town hall meeting here, in Laconia on April 1^st. I am a City Councilor for Ward 1 in Laconia and attended the meeting. I was not able to ask questions at the event but wish to now. Some of my questions are from personal concerns and some are from concerns I have for my city and the businesses here.

1) To start off you mentioned the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in your opening remarks and in response to a question posed during the event. I have looked through the bill and the CBO scoring that has been provided. I was wondering why you supported a bill that according to the CBO will cause the loss of an estimated 1.6 Million jobs in this country? It seems to me that there was a much better way to achieve the main goal of providing affordable coverage for insurance and eliminating the “pre-existing condition” practice with a more free-market approach that was offered and outright rejected on partisan lines as amendments at the beginning of this process. These approaches would not only have achieved the stated goal but also created jobs in the health care industry.

2) This bill does absolutely nothing in the area of torte reform and we both know that the skyrocketing costs of medical malpractice insurance, along with the practice of extra testing to eliminate potential litigation, are large drivers in the overall healthcare costs that grow faster than the rate of inflation. Why was nothing done to address this issue other than an advisory commission to explore the issue? We both know that there are a few different ways to kill a proposed legislation and among them are creating a commission that will only meet a few times and will provide a meaningless report that will just sit there with nothing done.

3) This bill will change the enrollment criteria for Medicaid, which will put additional expenses on the states to pay for the people newly qualified individuals. I am sure you are aware that the low Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements are another large driving force in the high medical inflation rate. I am also sure that you are aware that NH can’t afford the Medicare/Medicaid it currently has, as reflected in the lowest reimbursement rates in the nation. The state passes these costs onto the property taxpayers and hospitals to absorb the loss. Was this one of the “good” aspects of this healthcare legislation you voted for?

4) When asked at the event about why anyone would trust a government run program given the fact that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are near insolvency you responded about other government entities that run well. You spoke about the military and the highway system. 

First off, the military is not an entitlement program but is required in the constitution. Secondly, do you expect me to believe that the federal highway system, which also is not an entitlement program, is an example of proper management? It was not so long ago that we were told that our highways are in serious disrepair with bridges failing and that we needed an extra $109 Million to help restore them. This doesn’t sound like it is properly run system to me.

I would like for you to answer the original question as it relates to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

5) The revelation that this healthcare bill will actually increase premiums on younger individuals by 17% sounds like this bill doesn’t even achieve the state goal of reducing healthcare costs. Why is this legislation better than one of the alternatives that would actually reduce the costs across the board?

6) The recent revelation that this bill could single handedly kill the ski industry because of the extra expenses or fines for seasonal employees extends well beyond the winter ski industry. As a City Councilor I am especially worried about the summer tourist industry, which is the largest economic factor in Laconia and the Lakes Region. Can you explain to the lodging, restaurant, and attraction businesses that participate in the summer tourist season what you will do to help them avoid the added expenses that will need to be met due to your vote?

I have many more questions concerning healthcare but I will just stick to these six for right now. I would like a complete response to each of these questions in writing and not one of your generic boilerplate letters you usually send out when you don’t want to answer questions. I would also like the answers to be on point and not the talking points that are so often used in answering the tough questions.

Sincerely,

Greg Knytych

Ward 1 City Councilor

Laconia, NH 03246

To start off I need to say that I am writing this letter as a resident of Laconia, NH in the 1^st Congressional District and not in my positions of City Councilor and Laconia Republican Committee Chairman.

I sure hope the new Obamacare health plan covers hearing aids because it appears that our ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE needs some. How does Carol Shea-Porter not hear what we, her constituents, are saying? Let us review her record this session.

During the August congressional recess the healthcare debate was going strong (one sided of course) and the elected representatives left Washington to hear from their constituents back home. That is the representatives of the other 49 states had meetings. Since OUR representatives in New Hampshire refused to meet with us until the media pressure became so great that they conceded. Carol Shea-Porter only held 2 meetings at Federal Buildings in Manchester and Portsmouth where she felt safe. These meetings were not publicized; were filled with people from Massachusetts (not her district or state); and the questions asked were, for the most part, limited to her supporters only. How can you determine what your employers (the people in your district) expect from you if only one side is presented? Was it too scary to actually hear from the people that she represents?

She voted for the original House Bill that included bribes to legislators. She apparently has no problem paying OUR tax dollars as favors to other states. I am trying to remember who she represents, since I thought it was NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Charlie St. Clair and Jennifer Anderson have written a book covering the history of Laconia Bike Week and they have done a great job. 
Through words and pictures they will bring you through the history of the Gypsy Tour beginnings, through the Belknap Recreation Area (Gunstock) and into The Modern Era. Although many of the pictures outdate me or when I first moved here in the late 70's, it is exciting to see some of the things I remember from so long ago and to realized just how much has changed.
The photographs used are from both the Historical Society and from many private collections. It is exciting to read the words used to describe the time these pictures were taken in both the narrative and captions.
Of course all of us who live in the area know Charlie and Jennifer through their involvement in the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, so it is only natural that they put this wonderful book together.

Welcome to my blog site. I am Greg Knytych, the newest Laconia City Councilor. I live in and was elected from Ward 1, but I really represent all citizens and residents of Laconia. It is a new year and there are many exciting things happening in the city. My plan is to utilize this site to update the fine people of Laconia on what is happening in the city from the City Council and what is happening at the County, State and Federal arenas that may affect us.

I see this blog as an opportunity to provide valuable information to my local friends and neighbors and for them to provide me with input on what they are concerned with and interested in. I believe that a representative government is only as good as the input of those being represented. I encourage open and honest dialogue to help continue the positive direction I feel our city is heading.

There will be some controversial issues discussed and, after reviewing the pro's and con's of each issue I will be providing my thoughts. I know many people are already concerned about the proposed renovation at the Huot Technical School for many reasons. I have heard from individuals that don't think the school needs to be renovated as well as those individuals that think we should complete a renovation no matter the cost. It is still too early to decide what level if any that we pursue, but I can assure everyone that no matter what is decided I will not break the tax cap to fund this project. With that said I am confident that there are creative ways to complete any renovations necessary without going in debt we can't afford.

My hope is to start this site with positive input from all of you. I'm interested in what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of our city and on areas you see that can be improved upon. If anyone would prefer to contact me directly instead of publishing you comments here you may call my cell phone at 455-0114 or e-mail me at greg@knytych.net.