Cardin expecting big crowd for health care town hall
Session at Towson tonight; supporters plan 'rally against health reform opponents'
By Bryan P. Sears, bsears@patuxent.com
Posted 8/10/09
Protesters and counter-protesters at a town hall meeting tonight at Towson University on proposed federal health care reform will not be allowed to bring their signs into the building and will be restricted to sidewalks away from the building, according to organizers.
Susan Sullam, a spokeswoman for Sen. Ben Cardin, said about 1,600 people have indicated their interest in attending.
She said she expects a number of those attendees will be there to express opposition to health care legislation under consideration in Congress.
Other groups, such as one organized by Silver Spring-based Progressive Maryland, will attend to “rally against health reform opponents and for health reform now,” according to an e-mail sent out this morning by Matthew Weinstein, state coordinator for Health Care for America Now and Baltimore regional director for Progressive Maryland.
Protesters on either side of the issue will be restricted to sidewalks near the university’s Center for the Arts.
They will not be allowed to bring in signs or placards, Sullam said.
“Towson University will not allow that at any of their facilities,” Sullam said. “This is a town hall meeting. It’s not a rally and it is not a protest.”
The concert hall where the meeting will take place holds about 500 people. There is no standing room.
Seating will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis once the doors open at 6 p.m., Sullam said.
“It will be very crowded tonight,” Sullam said.
Most of the 90-minute meeting will be “open mic,” but the first three or four questions will be selected from attendees who pre-submit questions on cards, Sullam said.
Susan Sullam, a spokeswoman for Sen. Ben Cardin, said about 1,600 people have indicated their interest in attending.
She said she expects a number of those attendees will be there to express opposition to health care legislation under consideration in Congress.
Other groups, such as one organized by Silver Spring-based Progressive Maryland, will attend to “rally against health reform opponents and for health reform now,” according to an e-mail sent out this morning by Matthew Weinstein, state coordinator for Health Care for America Now and Baltimore regional director for Progressive Maryland.
Protesters on either side of the issue will be restricted to sidewalks near the university’s Center for the Arts.
They will not be allowed to bring in signs or placards, Sullam said.
“Towson University will not allow that at any of their facilities,” Sullam said. “This is a town hall meeting. It’s not a rally and it is not a protest.”
The concert hall where the meeting will take place holds about 500 people. There is no standing room.
Seating will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis once the doors open at 6 p.m., Sullam said.
“It will be very crowded tonight,” Sullam said.
Most of the 90-minute meeting will be “open mic,” but the first three or four questions will be selected from attendees who pre-submit questions on cards, Sullam said.
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