by Matthew Huisman

Longtime community activist Charles Barron, who has represented the 42nd district of Brownsville and Canarsie as well as parts of East New York and Flatbush for nine years, said the new health care bill creates more questions than it answers due to the size and scale of the legislation.

“Before the bill people were always complaining about health care,” Barron said. “We don’t really know what it all covers. I am concerned that people will be fooled into thinking this is comprehensive change.”

Barron said it was in fact only a baby step toward health care reform because people are going to still be paying out of pocket instead of the government footing the entire bill. He also questioned some of the last minute changes to the bill and slammed fiscally conservative Democrats, whom he refers to as “blue dogs,” for demanding compromises to the bill in exchange for their votes.

“We want to stop these corporate run parties, Democrats and Republicans, from prioritizing profits for insurance companies over health care for the people,” said Barron, who feels the benefits of the revised bill favor insurers. “That’s the problem when you have a two party system and both are dependent on the money from corporate business.”

As of Monday, Barron’s office had not been directed any calls concerning the health care legislation.