A health care forum in Woodstock, CT with 2nd Congressional District Congressman Joe Courtney drew quite a large crowd--the Norwich Bulletin estimated at least 350 people were there.

Congressman Courtney made some opening remarks (which can be viewed here) and was joined by a couple of special guest speakers, who briefly addressed the attendees before a lengthy Q&A session. One of those guests was Judith Stein, who has spoken at a number of health care forums around the state. Last night, as she was telling a personal health care story, someone hollered out that she should just "switch" to another health insurer. Take a look at the video below to see how Ms. Stein responds:

The second guest speaker was Jenny Bass, whose family has had a farm in Eastern Connecticut for 299 years, but can no longer afford health insurance. While she told her story and spoke in favor of health care reform, some members of the audience treated her with disrespect. One such person was later given an opportunity to address the crowd:

This is something that healthy people who oppose health care reform say all the time. It relies on the assumptions that if you are once healthy that you can and will always be healthy, and that people who eat healthy diets and regularly exercise never need expensive medical care. Both of these assumptions are flawed. Statements like that are right up there with Medicare recipients who stand in firm opposition to government health plans:

Overall the event was a positive one, which can be credited to the gentleman who asked the first question, setting a civil tone for the forum. He shared his statement (and the reaction) over at DailyKos:

"I've been an independent voter most of my life, I've lived in this district for most of my life, and I've never been to a town hall before, but I'm here because I am appalled that the private insurance companies are spending 1.4 million dollars a day to kill the public option, paying off and busing in phony citizen groups; the insurance companies know the only way to kill reform is to get people of good conscience fighting, while they laugh all the way to the bank. They don't think very highly of our intelligence.

"But I think that this year - this time - they're wrong."

The majority of the room erupted in applause, with only silence and no booing coming from the stunned wingnuts.

For the rest of the meeting, they still did make SOME noise and still talked back when they heard things they didn't like - but no longer loudly and abrasively enough to disrupt the meeting and interrupt any who spoke in favor of a public option for several seconds at a time. Their cover was blown.

If you'd like to read a little more about the forum, a firsthand account of the event can be read at Woodstock, CT Café.

Congressman Joe Courtney recently held health care roundtable meetings in the 2nd Congressional District, and shared his knowledge about where Congress is at on health care reform as well as heard health care concerns from constituents. Below are video highlights from the July 1st meeting in Norwich.

Congressman Joe Courtney describes the state of health care reform from his perspective, and explains why 2009 is the time to act:

A constituent expresses her support for a real public option to Congressman Courtney:

CCAG Executive Director Tom Swan has an op-ed in the Connecticut Post about the recently passed Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, which was sponsored by Chris Dodd, Connecticut's senior Senator.

_{Tom Swan speaks about how the unfair practices of credit card
companies affect CCAG members and others in Connecticut.
[March 13, 2009]}

Swan explains the importance of the bill:

The bill puts an end to absurdly high fees that drive families further into debt, requiring that penalties be proportional to the violation and prohibiting issuers from charging fees when customers simply pay by phone or unknowingly exceed their credit limit.

It prevents credit card companies from charging you if they delayed crediting your payment and requires far better disclosure of card terms and conditions.

It includes tough protections for the particularly vulnerable demographic that has been a cash cow for credit card companies in recent years: young people and students.

Click here to continue reading excerpts from Swan's op-ed.

The Better Choices for Connecticut coalition rallied at the Capitol this week to oppose cuts to vital services and to express support for increasing revenues instead. The Better Choices plan proposes raising income taxes for the state's wealthiest residents--those who make $200,000+ every year--and closing corporate tax loopholes.

Governor Jodi Rell's proposal is to balance the budget on the backs of the poor by cutting much-needed services. This is far from a "shared sacrifice" when she has failed to ask the state's wealthiest residents to pay their fair share of taxes.

Connecticut can maintain quality services and balance the budget by asking for more from those who can best afford it.

Learn more about the Better Choices for CT proposal on the coalition's website.

More videos from the March 25th rally can be viewed below, just click on the "read more" link.