FLASHREPORT

I attended the annual Grossmont Hospital Foundation gala last night while Congressional voting was taking place on healthcare.  Some say it wasn't a good night for hospitals to celebrate, but the Grossmont event was scheduled long ago and Nancy Pelosi didn't ask about any scheduling conflicts.

Any night that the community comes together and significant funds are raised for a local hospital from hundreds of generous donors -- the Feds not included -- it's a good time to celebrate.

It remains to be seen how difficult such private efforts may become in the future.  In the meantime, some area GOP voices on the healthcare vote:

California Republican Chairman Ron Nehring...
California's 19 Republican Members of Congress tonight stood together on the side of the American people and against a giant, costly new health care bureaucracy that will transfer decisions about Americans' health out of the hands of patients and doctors and into thousands of bureaucrats' little cubicles in Washington D.C. ... Tonight's vote demonstrates Democrats have no interest in learning the lessons of the 2009 elections that gave Republicans control of two governor's offices plus many state and local government posts.  As the Democrats lurch further to the left, we'll seize the opportunity to teach those same lessons again in 2010.

Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-52)...
The Democratic health care bill puts an enormous burden on workers, businesses and, worse, future generations.  This proposal is nothing more than a partisan power-grab that will unfairly disadvantage the very Americans it's meant to help ... We can certainly achieve responsible reform without imposing a government takeover of our nation's health care system.  There is a real chance to enact meaningful reform but this opportunity is being wasted on a plan that will lead to higher taxes, reduce the quality of care and compound already record debt levels.

Congressman Darrell Issa (R-49)...
This 2,000 page, 1.3 trillion dollar bill will cost Americans more jobs, add to an exploding Federal deficit, make it more lucrative for trial lawyers to sue doctors, and take away health care choice.  At the same time, it won't control the growing cost of health care.  The American people are opposed to this flawed bill and I expect they will hold those who ignored their concerns accountable.

Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-50)...
The bill, written in backrooms and closed-door meetings that shut out the American public, carries a heavy price tag. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the non-partisan congressional agency that provides economic analysis, projects the true cost of the bill to the American taxpayer as more than $1 trillion. Since that projection, H.R. 3962 supporters have added more programs, and the bill has bloated to $1.2 trillion...$300 billion more than President Obama's $900 billion goal. The CBO has also said that H.R. 3962 will cost America more in the long run than if we kept the current broken system in place. Recently, the CBO estimated our 2009 federal budget deficit at $1.6 trillion (or 11.2 percent of our Gross Domestic Product—the highest since WWII) and a ten-year projected budget deficit of $9 trillion. That begs the question: How will America pay for the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act?

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-46), via Twitter...
When the Berlin Wall came down 20 years ago, we made the mistake thinking that socialism was defeated.

By the way, all of the above was easily culled from their respective websites and/or press releases sent out following last night's vote.  I had intended to also toss in a fair representation from the Democrats representing San Diego County and the State Party.  Nothing yet.  Here are the links, in case their websites are updated to reflect anything they have to say on the matter...

California Democratic Party

Congressman Bob Filner

Congresswoman Susan Davis

Have a great week.  Here's to your health!