Moran Town Hall Part II

Part two of KSCB’s coverage of Jerry Moranź??s town hall meeting that took place Tuesday focuses on pay raises for congress and health care.

Moran was asked by a member of the jam packed crowd of over 150 people when the Congress would stop buying uneccessary items such as new jets and giving themselves automatic pay raises. Moran responded by saying that this year there actually was enough votes to halt the automatic pay raises, but that in the past Congress was able to get around the Constitution that states that automatic pay raises arenź??t allowed.

“The Constitution figured this out by our founding fathers a long time ago. It says no member of congress can be paid more until they stand for election after the pay raise has incurred. Well, Congress in their fashion of trying to figure out how to get around that said it’s not a pay raise it’s a cost of living increase,” Moran said.

Moran also said congress right now simply doesnź??t deserve a pay raise.

“My constituents are struggling. They make a lot less money then I do in many instances and we have not done anything in Washington D.C. that suggest to me that we deserve any kind of pat on the back.”

In regards to health care Moran used an example of a Native American who has government run health care.

“I had a meeting in Elkhart where there was a lady who says her dad is a Native American and his health care is provided by the federal government and (he said) you do not want this system.”

Stay tuned Friday for the third and final report on Moranź??s town hall meeting. It will focus on Moranź??s thoughts on the consequences of borrowing money from China and Moranź??s opinion on comments that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin made about how the health care reform bill would be like a death panel for children like her son who have a disability.