Tensions Mount in Governor Bredesen's Office: Occupation Day # 3 Round-Up

The recent tv coverage of the TennCare Protest at the Capitol is portraying Governor Bredesen as increasingly annoyed, irritated and just plain pissed.

Why won't those pesky protesters taking up space in his office just go away?

Anna Thompson at TNIMC reports on some of the signs of the Governor's increasing annoyance, and summarizes some of the events of Day # 3 of the Occupation of Governor Bredesen's Office:

{snippets}

The Governor refused to speak to the assembled crowd of thirty and held a separate press conference in his office absent any Enrollees. The assembled crowd then organized their own press conference and presented their list of demands to the media. Tensions are mounting in the Governor's Office and there has been an increase in the number of State Troopers assembled in the Capital Building and there is now the continuous surveillance of an officer from the TBI who is controlling who is allowed to enter the Governor's reception area. Enrollees say they will stay until the Governor agrees to their demands.

Lori Smith, who has Lupus and is about to lose her Tenncare, said the Governor is refusing to meet with the Enrollees this morning, "The Governor's spokesperson said he declined to meet with us. He said the Governor is working to save the taxpayers money and this is the best he can do. . .. I have put my job at risk because of this action and I will stay here as long as my health allows me to do this. We remain committed to being peaceful and abiding by our Constitutional rights. If they have us arrested that will be the Governor's decision. The Governor has always been reluctant to talk. We have continuously asked for public forums and he has continuously denied this."

Louis Patrick who [has] been at the Capital for three days waiting to meet with the Governor [said]: "Health care should not be a politically divisive issue. We are going to be here until this is over."

Matt Leber of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center said that he was disappointed in the Governor's response, "There was a group of people on Tenncare that invited the Governor to come meet with them and the Governor said a spokesperson who didn't talk to us and talked to the media and then left.

I think he refused to meet with us because he felt it would make him look bad. It is too bad that he is calling these people who are sick and physically disabled and about to lose their health insurance a circus. It is too bad that he feels this way about the people he is supposed to be representing, many of whom will die if they lose their health insurance."

David Cline said that he was hoping the Governor would sign a document committing to retain private duty nursing as a Tenncare benefit as well as that he halt termination letters and that he resume talks by June 30th. He said he will continue to stay there until the Governor signs these demands. Cline has degenerative arthritis and scoliosis and said he got only two hours of sleep last night sleeping on the hard stone floor of the Capital building.

"We need his signature on these documents. There were three people in wheelchairs sleeping on the floor here last night." Enrollees say they will stay as long as needed until the Governor meets with them and agrees to their demands. Bredesen is expected to leave Nashville tomorrow to go to Washington DC to make a speech to the National Press Club about his Tenncare Reforms as a model for Health Care Reform nationally.

there's more . . .