U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., handled himself well during a "town hall meeting" held recently in Wheeling. We hope Mollohan put as much effort into listening to the concerns of his constituents as he did into explaining why he supports a proposed national health care system.
Many of those who attended the event are worried that enactment of the current proposal will make it more difficult for them to obtain affordable, quality health care. High on their list of reservations is one about the government health insurance program being promoted by President Barack Obama and liberals in Congress.
Yet Mollohan continues to support such a program, the so-called "public option." Frankly, we wonder whether he understands it.
In a statement released last week, Mollohan stated that he supports "creation of a new national exchange where the roughly 47 million Americans currently without insurance could choose from a variety of plans, including a public option."
It is true that about 47 million Americans do not have health insurance. But Mollohan is in error in believing that they would all be covered by the plan now under consideration.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the plan would provide insurance for only 37 million of those now without it. That leaves 10 million Americans - more than five times the population of West Virginia and nearly that of the whole state of Ohio - without insurance.
That is far from the only flaw in the plan. Far from lessening the cost of health care, it is likely to increase it for many Americans. It will result in new government controls on the quality of care available to many. While it will increase taxes for many people, it also will add to the federal debt.
Critics of the proposal, including many who voiced their concerns during the meeting in Wheeling, don't think that congressmen who truly represent their constituents should vote for the measure.
Again, we wonder whether Mollohan is giving enough weight to the views of constituents - in comparison to leaders of his political party.