Jackson - An estimated crowd of 400 people filled and surrounded the Jackson Civic Center on Saturday morning to hear Congressman Dan Lungren give his take on the highly contentious topic of health care reform. TSPN was on hand to record the town hall meeting, which will be playing all week during the “Our Sports Show” segment. Lungren, a Republican who represents the 3rd Congressional District, spoke against health care legislation pushed for by President Obama and many Democrats, which includes the idea of a public option. He said it would be a slippery slope towards a government takeover of the country’s private health care system. Lungren’s words were met with a combined chorus of cheers and boos from the divided crowd in attendance. Although Lungren said he favored some reform, he called government-backed healthcare programs a form of “rationing,” and said he supported a more surgical approach. Outside, protestors and supporters of the reform plan paraded back and forth carrying signs. One fervent opponent carried a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, while a number of Democratic supporters waved signs reading “Health Care Can’t Wait” and “Medicare for All.” The majority of those in attendance seemed aligned with Lungren’s views on the matter, although supporters of Obama's healthcare plan turned out in large numbers as well, surprising for a county whose makeup consists mostly of older, retired Republicans. A couple heated arguments sparked outside between reform supporters and those satisfied with the status quo. We have two clips of speakers from the town hall representing both sides of the debate. The first is Amador County Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Hartmann, and the second is a union retiree. Check our online programming schedule at tspntv.com to find out when you can watch the debate on TSPN TV. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.