Anthony Rendon of Lakewood receives death threats after postponing single-payer bill

[Dashinka 25,897]

I guess even Democrats have issues trying to write healthcare bills.

 

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon is getting death threats days after his decision to postpone further consideration of a bill that would create a single-payer health care system in the state. 

The California Highway Patrol, which has a Capitol Protection Section, confirmed on Wednesday that it is investigating threats against the Lakewood-based politician. 

 

“We are aware of the situation. Our officers are always vigilant,” Officer Deborah Sherrick-Lopez said. 

Rendon received threats made over Facebook and Twitter, and he said in a statement that the hostile messages followed his recent decision to postpone further consideration of SB 562.

 

 

“There’s been a variety of reactions to my decision to hold SB 562, from supportive to quite negative. Even death threats to me and members of my family. I’m a grown-up in politics, so those are things I can handle,” Rendon said in a statement.

Rendon went on to chastise supporters of the single-payer bill who, in his assessment, offered “false hope” that the legislation would give Californians access to health coverage.

“SB 562 is more a statement of principles than a genuine bill that actually does anything to create a single-payer health care system in California that covers everyone,” Rendon stated. “The sponsors need to decide if they are serious about having a policy discussion about how to do this. Because a shell like SB 562 certainly isn’t it.”

 

 

Rendon’s office provided examples of the threats. One of the postings contains a proposition to burn down politicians’ “mansions” and to threaten them physically in retaliation for “threatening our health.” 

More explicit posts reference various methods of execution, and another person wrote that he prays someone checks Rendon’s schedule for baseball practice. That post is likely a reference to the shootingcommitted earlier this month in Virginia by an assailant whose own social media history reportedly included several statements against Republicans and President Donald Trump. Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise sustained a critical injury after being hit.

 

 

Rendon is a Democrat who has repeatedly issued anti-Trump statements since the latter’s election. On the subject of health care, Rendon announced late Friday that he would not allow a bill seeking to create a single-payer health care system to proceed through the Assembly after its passage in the state Senate.

 

http://www.dailynews.com/article/20170628/NEWS/170629429

[TBoneTX 47,545]

That bill alone would have cost something like 3 or 4 times the entire state budget.

[Dashinka 25,897]

4 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

That bill alone would have cost something like 3 or 4 times the entire state budget.

That is what I heard as well.  It is interesting how the threats start flying even when someone is being fiscally responsible.

[TBoneTX 47,545]

Oh, but good intentions are what count, logic be damned man.