For Immediate Release

September 13, 2009

Contact: Cisse W. Spragins, Ph.D., Missouri Libertarian Party Spokesperson
at 612.309.9232 or vicechair@lpmo.org.

Missouri LP Polls Show Fair Goers Overwhelmingly Oppose President’s Health Plan

Kansas City, MO -- At the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia (Aug 13-23) and at Santa Caligon Days in Independence (Sept 4-7) the Libertarian Party conducted a “penny poll” on health care. In the question, posted on a large sign, attendees were asked if they favored President Obama’s health care plan. They answered by placing a penny in the “yes” or “no” cup. Pennies were provided. All passersby were invited to participate, and instructed to only vote once. Hundreds of people voted at each event. If the ballot box was “stuffed” the votes were thrown out and polling started over.

And the results?

• State Fair: Yes: 16%, No: 84%;
• Santa Caligon Days: Yes: 14%, No: 86%

“We thought we might see a difference between the two venues, since Sedalia is a very rural area, and Independence is in the Kansas City metro area,” stated Missouri LP spokesperson, Dr. Cisse Spragins, “but the results were virtually identical.” Clearly a majority of people are opposed to the plan.” “I seriously doubt that the average Missouri fair attendee is a shill for the insurance industry,” Spragins stated, as has been charged by the backers of the plan. “The poll evoked a lot of emotion on both sides. There were a few people who said they really didn’t have an opinion, but the majority of visitors were pretty decisive.”

Apparently, however, it doesn’t matter what people think. On Saturday (Sept 12), President Obama stood before a Minneapolis crowd and told them that his “one voice” could “bring health care to every American” and then defiantly declared, “They can’t stop us. Let’s go get this done.” Will President Obama and the Democrat majority in Congress use the tyranny of their majority to impose a government take over of health care on the majority of americans who oppose these types of reform?

Most people agree that changes need to be made. However, the pro-market proposals, as laid out by the likes of the Cato Institute (http://healthcare.cato.org/) and Missouri’s own Show-Me Institute (http://showmeinstitute.org/docLib/20090819_smi_briefing_19.pdf) are not getting any real air time on either side of the aisle. The only bright light is that citizens are finally waking up to the fact that their elected representatives are largely out of touch, and disinterested in the majority’s desire for smaller, less intrusive government,” Spragins stated.

The Missouri Libertarian Party is an established political party in the State of Missouri and is affiliated with The Libertarian Party.