Medicare protest returns to Burr’s office
Judy Coggins of the Alliance of Retied Americans asks Sen. Richard Burr’s Chief of Staff Dean Myers about the senator’s support for increased Medicare privatization.
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
A small group of protestors visited Sen. Richard Burr’s field office on Monday, Sept. 12, to inquire about his stance on Medicare privatization. The event, organized by the N.C. Democratic Party, drew eleven protestors to the office, including City Council Member Dan Besse. They walked in holding signs and were greeted by Dean Myers, Burr’s chief of staff,
who questions about the senator’s 2012 Medicare proposal.
The proposal, crafted with Sen. Tom Colburn, was hailed by Burr at the time as a way to prevent Medicare from becoming insolvent. It would’ve given seniors a fixed amount for either private insurance or a government plan modeled on Medicare. It also proposed gradually raising the retirement age to 67 and increasing Medicare Part B premiums.
Myers told them that the office only handles constituent casework and couldn’t speak on policy. Myers promised to in get in touch with Burr’s Washington office to get answers to their concerns. Burr’s office said last week that he didn’t intend to propose legislation based on the plan, but Burr himself then said he stood by his proposal.
His Democratic opponent, Deborah Ross, is currently attacking him on his proposal in TV ads. Democrats also held a protest on the subject outside the field office last month.
