El Paso County commissioners urged Congress on Thursday to oppose President Barack Obama’s proposed health care reforms that have produced shouting matches at town hall meetings across the country.“This bill will have a grave impact on El Paso County citizens, the county health care plan and health services,” Commissioner Amy Lathen said. “Government will make decisions … on your health care. You will have nothing to say about it.”Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution after hearing comments from about 15 people, most of whom backed the commissioners’ stance.Lathen said that part of her job is to assure a fertile environment for businesses, and the health care proposal would saddle the business community with additional costs for coverage or penalties for not providing it.“Businesses will be under the thumb of the federal government,” she said.Resident Marilyn Daniel said she has attended seven recent rallies in Colorado where the vast majority of attendees oppose the bill.“This is a horrible thing. They tell us not to be frightened,” she said. “I’m scared to death.”Del McIntyre sees a sinister intent behind the reforms.“This is not a bill on health care,” he said. “This is a bill to take over this country. It’s tyranny. Health care doesn’t need to be fixed. Our health care is fantastic.”But Wendy Dumas said the commissioners’ resolution contributes to “divisiveness in our community” and wrongly states that everyone in the county opposes the bill.The resolution states “that it is the sense of the County of El Paso, State of Colorado, that the United States should not pursue a public health insurance option.”“It’s not how you commissioners should be spending your time,” Dumas said.Lathen countered that it’s the commissioners’ duty to “speak up and say, ‘We can’t afford it.’”

Marilyn Daniel spoke at Thursday’s county commissioners’ meeting in support of the commissioners’ resolution concerning federal bill HR3200. Photo by KIRK SPEER, THE GAZETTE