On Sunday’s Face the Nation, the venerable CBS newsman Bob Scheiffer revealed he was “dumbstruck when (he) heard the comments that are surfacing from an economist named Jonathan Gruber, who was paid $400,000 to help shape President Obama's health care plan.” In July, Jonathan Gruber was awarded a $450,000 contract with the State of Vermont to help design the funding for Vermont’s health care reform. According to WCAX, Governor Shumlin and Health Reform Chief Lawrence Miller are going to let Gruber keep his contract despite his statements against transparent government. Campaign for Vermont is calling upon Governor Shumlin and health care Chief Miller to revoke their contract with Jonathan Gruber.Campaign for Vermont is an independent advocacy organization.
Scheiffer cited how Gruber acknowledged that “the plan passed only because of a 'lack of transparency' and -- this is a direct quote -- "the stupidity of the American people.” Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean called Gruber’s statements"terrible,”commenting that "the healthcare law was put together by people out of touch with Americans."
Additionally, CBS’s Nancy Cordes found a couple of other things Gruber said going back to 2011:
“First by mislabeling it, calling it a tax on insurance plans rather than a tax on people, when we all know it's really a tax on people who hold these insurance plans.”
And there was this about Massachusetts' heath care plan:
"The dirty secret in Massachusetts is, the feds paid for our bill, OK? . . . Ted Kennedy and the smart people in Massachusetts had basically figured out a way to rip off the feds for about $400 million a year.”
“From the very beginning, Campaign for Vermont has trumpeted for more transparency in state government” said Cyrus Patten, Executive Director of Campaign for Vermont. “We are appalled that our tax dollars are going to a consultant who readily embraces the lack of transparency in the creation of the Affordable Care Act and, in his words, 'the stupidity of the American people'.”
“We ask Vermonters to visit the Campaign for Vermont website to sign a petition urging such action by the Governor and Chief Miller,” said Patten.
Source: Burlington, VT 11.17.2014 -- CFV