The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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August 13, 2009

Walz to host town hall meeting at East

By Mark Fischenich

MANKATO — South-central Minnesotans itching to have their voices heard on national health care reform will get their chance a week from today, and they won’t have to travel far to do it.

Congressman Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato, has scheduled a two-hour town hall meeting for Thursday, Aug. 20, at Mankato East High School. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for the 6 p.m. event at the East High Auditorium.

Town hall meetings during the August congressional recess have included several somewhat raucous events where opponents of the Democratic health reform proposals have gotten into shouting matches with members of Congress. One local opponent who called for Walz to host a meeting was optimistic that the discussion would involve both strongly worded opinions and a willingness to hear other viewpoints.

“I just find most people in Mankato are pretty respectful,” said Terry Kruse, who challenged Walz to hold an open forum.

Kruse, a strong opponent of federal health care reform and a veteran of the Tea Party protests of last spring, said she also thinks it’s OK if it gets a little impolite.

“If some voices do get loud, hey, he says he was a war veteran. ... Tough it out,” Kruse said.

Walz, a former West High School teacher who has joked in the past about his experience as a lunchroom monitor, said he never hesitated to hold a town hall meeting. It was just a matter of making sure it would fit with other parts of his August schedule.

Walz noted that he’s scheduled numerous smaller meetings already where he’s heard from both advocates and foes of reform. He said he believes it’s undeniable that the current health care system isn’t working for many Americans and some sort of change is needed.

While he prefers to focus on what that reform should look like, he had this message for opponents of any sort of reform.

“Keep speaking out. Keep speaking out. Be there. Be willing to listen,” Walz said.

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