Sign Up | Log In
REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS
GOP Decides to Charge People for Attending Their Town Hall Meetings
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 2:42 PM
KWICKO
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)
Quote: It will cost $15 to ask Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) a question in person during the August congressional recess. The House Budget Committee chairman isn’t holding any face-to-face open-to-the-public town hall meetings during the recess, but like several of his colleagues he will speak only for residents willing to open their wallets. Ryan, who took substantial criticism from his southeast Wisconsin constituents in April after he introduced the Republicans’ budget proposal, isn’t the only member of congress whose August recess town hall-style meetings are strictly pay-per-view. Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) is scheduled to appear Aug. 23 at a luncheon gathering of the Arizona Republican Lawyers Association. For $35, attendees can question Quayle and enjoy a catered lunch at the Phoenix office of the Snell & Wilmer law firm.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 3:26 PM
M52NICKERSON
DALEK!
Thursday, August 18, 2011 4:56 PM
Friday, August 19, 2011 3:10 AM
GEEZER
Keep the Shiny side up
Quote: CHICAGO — For many men, turning 50 can be a day of reckoning, marked by graying hair, a slowing step and the wistful recognition that you are probably never going to make it to the corner office. What could be better, at such a melancholy moment, than to celebrate at home, among old friends? But if you are already in the corner office, and it’s oval, you get to celebrate your 50th at a fund-raiser in a Chicago ballroom, with Jennifer Hudson singing “Happy Birthday,” Herbie Hancock jamming and 100 “friends” paying $35,800 a plate to commiserate over dinner, while bankrolling your bid to keep your job.
Friday, August 19, 2011 3:15 AM
SIGNYM
I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.
Friday, August 19, 2011 3:20 AM
NIKI2
Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...
Friday, August 19, 2011 3:30 AM
Friday, August 19, 2011 3:56 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: There is a separation between fundraising event and Townhall meeting.
Friday, August 19, 2011 4:01 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: Well no. See, Geezer believes in free market politics: representation for the highest bidder.
Friday, August 19, 2011 4:35 AM
Friday, August 19, 2011 4:41 AM
DREAMTROVE
Friday, August 19, 2011 5:21 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: Geezer, They do it too is a sorry excuse. If it's wrong when Obama does it, then it's wrong when Ryan does it, and it gets progressively more and more wrong the more it happens and the more people it affects.
Friday, August 19, 2011 2:53 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Geezer: Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: There is a separation between fundraising event and Townhall meeting. Yep. and these folks are holding fundraisers during the recess. So? Nowhere does the article state they don't hold town hall meetings at all. In fact, per the article, Rep Ryan will "... host telephone town hall meetings but no free events in person during the recess, spokesman Kevin Seifert said. Seifert said Ryan is also “holding business tours and office hours throughout the recess.”, so folks apparently have access to him.
Quote: Also, the concept that a person interested in confronting their representative would be dissuaded by a $15.00 charge for a chicken dinner seems a bit unbelievable.
Quote: Sorry, but this article is spinning so hard it could power all of Rep. Ryan's district.
Friday, August 19, 2011 5:50 PM
PIRATENEWS
John Lee, conspiracy therapist at Hollywood award-winner History Channel-mocked SNL-spoofed PirateNew.org wooHOO!!!!!!
Saturday, August 20, 2011 6:18 AM
Quote:In what appears to be an effort to avoid the free-for-all town halls that have plagued recent contentious congressional recesses, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and other Republican members of Congress have chosen to charge admission to their home-district appearances. Ryan will speak September 6 to the Whitnall Park Rotary Club in Greenfield, Wisc. Admission to the event is $15 per person and includes lunch. Ryan has no free public town hall appearances scheduled during the recess. The last time he held a free town hall, in Milton, Wisc. in April, Ryan was booed while trying to explain his proposal for the federal budget, which included drastic cuts to entitlement and benefit programs. Other Republicans around the country were on the receiving end of similar heat from their constituents. Ryan even had police remove one heckler from a town hall event in Racine, Wisc. http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Paul-Ryan-Charging-Town-Ha-in-General_News-110817-923.html?show=votes, legislators meet with their constituents at their offices...where they get to CHOOSE who to talk to. It's not the same thing at all. We'll have to wait and see if this becomes a trend, or eventually just how it's done. It won't keep everyone out, but it will sure mean those who can't afford it won't be able to listen to their legislators or question them in public. Unconscionable in my opinion, as town halls have been the ONE place constituents have been able to publicly call their legislators to account. And there is a HUGE difference between a fund raiser...given for specifically the purpose of raising funds...and avoiding dissent by charging for what should be FREE appearances in front of constituents. There is simply no comparison.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 6:33 AM
Quote:Well, in my example, it's actually "They do it much bigger".
Quote:And way to dodge the real issue, BTW.
Quote:However, the real problem is that the article is bogus. Ryan does hold town hall meetings
Quote:and has office hours for constituents to meet him.
Quote:He's having ...phone-in town hall meetings.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 7:52 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: Do you really want to go down that road, Geezer?
Quote:What IS the "real" issue? I thought the real issue was removing the last free (no-cost, unrestricted) access to YOUR representative...who, as was pointed out... supposedly WORKS FOR YOU.
Quote:Free?
Quote:Yes, where you get to make an appointment.. or maybe not get one at all... and don't get to hear what other people are saying and maybe add your voice to a collective opinion?
Quote:Technically, can't handle more than a few people at a time, if they even bother to go that route.
Quote:Weren't you in favor of "free speech" zones, too?
Quote:I thought this whole nation was supposed to be a free speech zone, and your representative was supposed to be listening to you and at least providing SOME unrestricted access while they were "at home".
Quote:Democrats Skip Town Halls to Avoid Voter Rage BEL AIR, Md. — The reception that Representative Frank Kratovil Jr., a Democrat, received here one night last week as he faced a small group of constituents was far more pleasant than his encounters during a Congressional recess last summer. Then, he was hanged in effigy by protesters. This time, a round of applause was followed by a glass of chilled wine, a plate of crackers and crudités as he mingled with an invitation-only audience at the Point Breeze Credit Union, a vastly different scene than last year’s wide-open televised free-for-alls. The sentiment that fueled the rage during those Congressional forums is still alive in the electorate. But the opportunities for voters to openly express their displeasure, or angrily vent as video cameras roll, have been harder to come by in this election year. If the time-honored tradition of the political meeting is not quite dead, it seems to be teetering closer to extinction. Of the 255 Democrats who make up the majority in the House, only a handful held town-hall-style forums as legislators spent last week at home in their districts. It was no scheduling accident.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 8:30 AM
ANTHONYT
Freedom is Important because People are Important
Saturday, August 20, 2011 9:59 AM
Quote:The town hall meetings have been free
Quote:In Rep Ryan's case, it's removed for the Congressional recess period
Quote:... politicians who outsource their meetings to third parties can keep out the bulk of the angry public, sidestep YouTube embarrassments, and ensure smoother, PR-friendly ...And while such paid events are nothing new...in the past they were accompanied by free, public town hall meetings. http://www.newser.com/story/125939/want-to-ask-paul-ryan-a-question-please-pay-15.html].... Norman Ornstein, an expert on Congress at the American Enterprise Institute, says he can't remember a time like now when it appeared as though lawmakers were avoiding meeting with the public. "Many of these Republicans either rode into office or capitalized on a wave of anger expressed at town hall meetings," he said. "They know how potent they can be. They know Americans aren't happy with Congress and, especially, not happy with them." ..... Quayle's spokesman, Richard Cullen, is quoted as saying the Arizona congressman hosted different free events related to jobs, such as a jobs fair, but has no plans for an open town hall meeting. Spokesmen for other members of Congress cited in the Politico stories say lawmakers are trying to hold different types of events to meet with their constituents and have no control over what outside groups do, such as charging a fee to cover the cost of lunch. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/08/town-hall-meetings-republicans-paid-events-/1 House Budget Committee chairman isn't holding any face-to-face open-to-the-public town hall meetings during the recess, but like several of his colleagues he will speak only for residents willing to open their wallets. ..... Where is all this money going? In the case of that Paul Ryan meeting, Politico's Reid Epstein reports that it's going toward a "catered lunch of meat and potatoes" provided by the hosts -- the Whitnall Park Rotary Club. I suppose if you are fighting off a foreclosure or trying to stretch every dollar to ensure your kids get fed tonight, you'd better think very carefully about your household budget before you decide to ask Paul Ryan a question about the economy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/16/town-hall-meetings_n_928701.html they're not fundraisers. They're friendly venues where they can charge an entrance fee, replacements for open-to-the-public town-hall meetings, period.Quote:Two more members of Congress are refusing to hold free, open town hall meetings for constituents during the August recess and instead appearing only at paid events, POLITICO has learned. Neither Reps. Lou Barletta (R-Penn.) nor Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) held or have scheduled town halls, but Barletta appeared last week at a $30-per-plate “CEO to CEO” forum and Ellmers is scheduled to speak at a federal employees’ forum that is charging a $13 admission fee. Barletta and Ellmers join Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), who POLITICO reported Tuesday are all appearing at pay-per-view functions while eschewing town hall meetings open to all. Another tactic for avoiding crowds of angry voters is being employed by members like Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), who held two town hall events — but in far-flung, relatively unpopulated parts of his northeastern Minnesota district, while doing only paid events in Duluth, the district’s population and media hub. Barletta, according to the Times-Tribune of Scranton, Penn., spoke at a $30-per-plate Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry “CEO to CEO” forum last week. Would-be protesters were not allowed to buy tickets and reporters were barred, the paper wrote, “because [they] are not chamber members or CEOs.” Barletta’s move comes after he came under intense fire from constituents at April town hall events in his district. {When Barletta held open town halls in April: "Any lawmaker in a swing district can expect to take criticism from his right flank at a town hall meeting. But at an American Veterans outpost tucked deep in the Pocono Mountains this week, freshman Republican Rep. Lou Barletta took heat from every direction — from Democrats angry with the tax cuts in the GOP budget, to conservatives who thought he caved on the last continuing resolution vote, to a precocious 16-year-old critical of the lawmaker’s environmental record."} Barletta spokesman Shawn Kelly said Barletta is not holding any free town hall events, and did not make the congressman available for an interview to explain his decision. Barletta told the Times-Tribune he was “just a guest” at the chamber function, which was also closed to reporters. Ellmers is due to appear before a National Active and Retired Federal Employees meeting at a local Holiday Inn Aug. 24. The entry fee is $13, the Fayetteville Observer wrote. Ellmers spokesman Tom Doheny said the fee is to cover a meal the group is providing. ..... POLITICO was unable to find any Democrats engaging in a similar practice. ..... Media Matters’s Political Correction blog highlighted Ryan’s 2009 statements in defense of aggressive questions for Democrats at their town hall meetings during the health care debate. “This is the same Paul Ryan who held 17 ‘health care listening sessions’ during the 2009 August recess. Way back then, Ryan latched onto town hall anger in press releases, claiming to ‘welcome the debate,’ and even bragged on TV that ‘I shattered the attendance record at my town halls’ and ‘my town halls ran about 9- or 8-to-1 against the health care bill,’” wrote Alan Pyke. “Now the shoe is on the other foot, so Ryan is avoiding open ‘listening sessions’ with voters who reject his budget ideas.” ..... “Americans have a constitutional right to petition their government for a redress of grievances,” he blogged. “That doesn’t only apply to lobbyists, and it doesn’t come with an cost attached to invoke that right.” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61554_Page2.html Why don't we get real? They learned the lesson in the health care town halls, where they gave people INSTRUCTIONS on how to disrupt the meetings. They experienced it themselves in April, when UNpaid constituents were upset about a number of their actions. They aren't willing to put themselves out there to answer for their actions to the public again. That's the truth of it. They're not fundraisers, they're closed meetings for specific friendly constituents, and in some cases even barring anyone who might disagree with them AND the press. Both parties do it, and it's pretty natural they don't want angry town halls on TV or YouTube. But this is the first time ONLY paid events are taking place. Those are the facts. NOBODY called it a "crisis", it's just political gamesmanship. That doesn't make it right.
Quote:Two more members of Congress are refusing to hold free, open town hall meetings for constituents during the August recess and instead appearing only at paid events, POLITICO has learned. Neither Reps. Lou Barletta (R-Penn.) nor Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) held or have scheduled town halls, but Barletta appeared last week at a $30-per-plate “CEO to CEO” forum and Ellmers is scheduled to speak at a federal employees’ forum that is charging a $13 admission fee. Barletta and Ellmers join Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), who POLITICO reported Tuesday are all appearing at pay-per-view functions while eschewing town hall meetings open to all. Another tactic for avoiding crowds of angry voters is being employed by members like Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), who held two town hall events — but in far-flung, relatively unpopulated parts of his northeastern Minnesota district, while doing only paid events in Duluth, the district’s population and media hub. Barletta, according to the Times-Tribune of Scranton, Penn., spoke at a $30-per-plate Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry “CEO to CEO” forum last week. Would-be protesters were not allowed to buy tickets and reporters were barred, the paper wrote, “because [they] are not chamber members or CEOs.” Barletta’s move comes after he came under intense fire from constituents at April town hall events in his district. {When Barletta held open town halls in April: "Any lawmaker in a swing district can expect to take criticism from his right flank at a town hall meeting. But at an American Veterans outpost tucked deep in the Pocono Mountains this week, freshman Republican Rep. Lou Barletta took heat from every direction — from Democrats angry with the tax cuts in the GOP budget, to conservatives who thought he caved on the last continuing resolution vote, to a precocious 16-year-old critical of the lawmaker’s environmental record."} Barletta spokesman Shawn Kelly said Barletta is not holding any free town hall events, and did not make the congressman available for an interview to explain his decision. Barletta told the Times-Tribune he was “just a guest” at the chamber function, which was also closed to reporters. Ellmers is due to appear before a National Active and Retired Federal Employees meeting at a local Holiday Inn Aug. 24. The entry fee is $13, the Fayetteville Observer wrote. Ellmers spokesman Tom Doheny said the fee is to cover a meal the group is providing. ..... POLITICO was unable to find any Democrats engaging in a similar practice. ..... Media Matters’s Political Correction blog highlighted Ryan’s 2009 statements in defense of aggressive questions for Democrats at their town hall meetings during the health care debate. “This is the same Paul Ryan who held 17 ‘health care listening sessions’ during the 2009 August recess. Way back then, Ryan latched onto town hall anger in press releases, claiming to ‘welcome the debate,’ and even bragged on TV that ‘I shattered the attendance record at my town halls’ and ‘my town halls ran about 9- or 8-to-1 against the health care bill,’” wrote Alan Pyke. “Now the shoe is on the other foot, so Ryan is avoiding open ‘listening sessions’ with voters who reject his budget ideas.” ..... “Americans have a constitutional right to petition their government for a redress of grievances,” he blogged. “That doesn’t only apply to lobbyists, and it doesn’t come with an cost attached to invoke that right.” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61554_Page2.html
Saturday, August 20, 2011 10:08 AM
Quote:In the meantime, he said, Ellmers has been holding “tele-town halls,” conference calls with constituents. “We had one August 2nd, the day after the vote on the debt ceiling. The [invitation] call went out to 16,400 people. We had 5,000 people on the tele-town.” http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/blogpost/10012004/ think that pretty much answers who they will and who they won't speak to. The "tele-town halls" are by INVITATION.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 11:02 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: No. He has not held a free town-hall meeting at all, they have all been charged events. His people has said he will not be holding any more town-hall meetings this recess.
Quote:There is a vast difference between a fund-raiser and a town-hall meeting in which a REPRESENTATIVE is publicly open to questions from his CONSTITUENTS. These pay-per-view meetings are NOT fundraisers, as the legislators themselves have said.
Quote:You have no way of proving that they meet with any and all constituents in their offices, or even take their calls. I have no way of proving they don't, as well, but given this situation, it's a fair bet.
Quote:I thought one of the points of a Congressional recess period was so that the Congressman could return to his district and hear from his constituents.
Quote:Yes, Democrats were burned after the disruptions over health care; there's proof that instructions were sent out to people on exactly HOW to disrupt those town halls.
Quote:And the Democrats mentioned in the link you posted? Not ONE of them held a pay-per-view event.
Quote:... politicians who outsource their meetings to third parties can keep out the bulk of the angry public, sidestep YouTube embarrassments, and ensure smoother, PR-friendly ...And while such paid events are nothing new...in the past they were accompanied by free, public town hall meetings.
Quote:And to reach thousands of constituents at a time, without the worry of being snared in an angry confrontation with voters, more lawmakers are also taking part in a fast-growing trend: the telephone town meeting, where chances are remote that a testy exchange will wind up on YouTube.
Quote:.... Norman Ornstein, an expert on Congress at the American Enterprise Institute, says he can't remember a time like now when it appeared as though lawmakers were avoiding meeting with the public.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 11:06 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: I think that pretty much answers who they will and who they won't speak to. The "tele-town halls" are by INVITATION.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 12:06 PM
FREMDFIRMA
Saturday, August 20, 2011 12:56 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: The "tele-town halls" are by INVITATION.
Sunday, August 21, 2011 4:49 AM
Sunday, August 21, 2011 5:45 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: We should be able to see Members of Congress without restriction during their recess.
Quote:They work for us.
Quote:The best, most efficient way to see your constituents- is during an OPEN PUBLIC MEETING.
Quote:Now, when people come in and prevent others from speaking - THAT is un-American.
Sunday, August 21, 2011 6:20 AM
Quote:Even the article notes they are "...outsourcing the events to third parties that charge an entry fee to raise money...", which seems like the very definition of a fundraiser to me.
Quote: A rep for Ryan says... that Ryan played no part of the Whitnall Park Rotary Club’s choice to charge that $15 entry fee.
Quote: Spokesmen for other members of Congress cited in the Politico stories say ... have no control over what outside groups do, such as charging a fee to cover the cost of lunch.
Quote: “She was invited to speak to the group,” Doheny said. “She’s a guest speaker. The reason they’re charging an entrance fee is because they’re serving lunch. We wish they weren’t charging an entrance fee, but it’s their event.”
Quote:In what appears to be an effort to avoid the free-for-all town halls that have plagued recent contentious congressional recesses, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and other Republican members of Congress have chosen to charge admission to their home-district appearances. The last time he held a free town hall, in Milton, Wisc. in April, Ryan was booed while trying to explain his proposal for the federal budget.... Other Republicans around the country were on the receiving end of similar heat from their constituents. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/16/paul-ryan-charges-admission-to-town-halls-blocks-angry-constituents/
Quote:Ryan's spokesman, Kevin Seifert, stressed that the rotary club had invited Ryan to be a speaker, so the congressman had nothing to do with the admission price. "He has no control over the cost of the event any more than he has control over the menu," Seifert said.
Quote:There's a big difference between public space and private space. If you're standing in a public space - a public school or library, a park, on a streetcorner, for example - your right to be there is protected by the First Amendment's provision protecting the right to assembly, and your right to speak your mind is protected by the First Amendment's right of Free Speech. But if you're in a private space - like the office where you work, or in a theatre where you paid to be let into a corporate-owned for-profit place - you have no rights under the First Amendment. http://www.opednews.com/articles/How-Republicans-avoid-angr-by-Thom-Hartmann-110817-594.html hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Another good point they made:Quote:Republicans are reaching out to groups like the Republicans Lawyers Association - the National Federation of Independent Businesses - maybe the Chamber of Commerce - or even Koch industries - to sponsor and/or run their town halls - and charge people money to ask their Republican congressmen and women questions - and keep a black list to make sure anybody who may ask a tough question - can't get in. {There's no proof of that, so I'm not saying it's so, just that it's possible - Niki} This is taking the idea of running government like a business to extreme lengths. Government is not a business...it's We The People.Oh, and here's a statement FROM one of them that shows it's something they planned:Quote:GOP Freshmen Share How To Handle Town Hall Anger The town hall techniques Republicans have honed are no accident. GOP Rep. Paul Gosar and Rep. Andy Harris both say the 87-member freshman class routinely trades tips on how to manage, or avoid altogether, the town hall spectacles.... “That’s one thing about the freshmen lawmakers, we do talk,” Gosar said. “We spend some time (on) `What happened to you, did you have a town hall, how’d it go, what was the major issue of the day, how did you respond?” http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/05/21/gop-freshmen-share-how-to-handle-town-hall-anger/ rest my case on that point. As to invitations to telephone town halls, if you don't think they have databases on who's Republican and who's Democrat, you're being naive. You're smarter than that, so again, I believe you're being disingenuous. This is a tactic I'm sure both parties have used, and I'm sure both check to see who they want to send an invite to. Can you prove that everyone who sends in a form for an invite receives one? Again, I can't prove they don't, you can't prove they do, so it is MY OPINION that it's logical they check voter rolls and invite who they want to. I've never thought you were stupid, Geezer; these political maneuverings are pretty predictable and, as I said, if the Dems had known what was coming last year, they'd no doubt have done something similar. AND I would have decried the practice by them, too. I don't think many of them thought of holding pay-per-view meetings only; I believe these sorts of meetings are held frequently, but previously ALONG WITH open town halls. I think the Reps who are doing it this recess got together and looked for ways to avoid the media showing the anger that would obviously come their way, given what they faced in April. I wouldn't like it from either party, so we'll just have to wait and see if the Dems try it next time they know they'll face angry town halls. All your snarks sound more like Raptor than how I remember you communicating; maybe my memory is faulty, but it would be nice if you could debate without getting personally nasty. Yes, I said I think you're being disingenuous and that I think you're smarter than to believe the things you're writing in an attempt to defend the tactic, but otherwise I have tried to be civil. Not that I can expect it, given recent exchanges, but it would be nice if you could make some effort to do the same. Or not. By the way, I clicked on all the links I provided previously, and they all worked for me. Must be a glitch somewhere, you might try again. Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani, Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”, signing off
Quote:Republicans are reaching out to groups like the Republicans Lawyers Association - the National Federation of Independent Businesses - maybe the Chamber of Commerce - or even Koch industries - to sponsor and/or run their town halls - and charge people money to ask their Republican congressmen and women questions - and keep a black list to make sure anybody who may ask a tough question - can't get in. {There's no proof of that, so I'm not saying it's so, just that it's possible - Niki} This is taking the idea of running government like a business to extreme lengths. Government is not a business...it's We The People.
Quote:GOP Freshmen Share How To Handle Town Hall Anger The town hall techniques Republicans have honed are no accident. GOP Rep. Paul Gosar and Rep. Andy Harris both say the 87-member freshman class routinely trades tips on how to manage, or avoid altogether, the town hall spectacles.... “That’s one thing about the freshmen lawmakers, we do talk,” Gosar said. “We spend some time (on) `What happened to you, did you have a town hall, how’d it go, what was the major issue of the day, how did you respond?” http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/05/21/gop-freshmen-share-how-to-handle-town-hall-anger/ rest my case on that point. As to invitations to telephone town halls, if you don't think they have databases on who's Republican and who's Democrat, you're being naive. You're smarter than that, so again, I believe you're being disingenuous. This is a tactic I'm sure both parties have used, and I'm sure both check to see who they want to send an invite to. Can you prove that everyone who sends in a form for an invite receives one? Again, I can't prove they don't, you can't prove they do, so it is MY OPINION that it's logical they check voter rolls and invite who they want to. I've never thought you were stupid, Geezer; these political maneuverings are pretty predictable and, as I said, if the Dems had known what was coming last year, they'd no doubt have done something similar. AND I would have decried the practice by them, too. I don't think many of them thought of holding pay-per-view meetings only; I believe these sorts of meetings are held frequently, but previously ALONG WITH open town halls. I think the Reps who are doing it this recess got together and looked for ways to avoid the media showing the anger that would obviously come their way, given what they faced in April. I wouldn't like it from either party, so we'll just have to wait and see if the Dems try it next time they know they'll face angry town halls. All your snarks sound more like Raptor than how I remember you communicating; maybe my memory is faulty, but it would be nice if you could debate without getting personally nasty. Yes, I said I think you're being disingenuous and that I think you're smarter than to believe the things you're writing in an attempt to defend the tactic, but otherwise I have tried to be civil. Not that I can expect it, given recent exchanges, but it would be nice if you could make some effort to do the same. Or not. By the way, I clicked on all the links I provided previously, and they all worked for me. Must be a glitch somewhere, you might try again.
Sunday, August 21, 2011 6:38 AM
Quote:At 3:00 a.m.? When they're meeting with other people about other interests? When they're attending the funeral of a serviceman from their district
Quote:Should you be able to monopolize their time with your issues, to the exclusion of everyone else?
Quote:doing nothing but holding OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS
Quote:that groups of folks with specific interests don't get time to discuss them fully with their representative, because he or she has to hold all meetings as town halls and allow anyone who wants to show up for whatever reason to speak.
Sunday, August 21, 2011 9:04 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: Saying I should know what you're saying is disingenuous Geezer, and you know it. I can only go by what you write.
Quote:Anyone with half a brain isn't kidding themselves. This is coordinated, obviously. They got together with Rotaries and business groups and planned this after what happened to them in April. Nobody said the Republicans aren't smart about how they handle their constituents and avoid discomfort whenever possible.
Quote:As to invitations to telephone town halls, if you don't think they have databases on who's Republican and who's Democrat, you're being naive.
Monday, August 22, 2011 7:22 AM
Quote:If your representative is doing nothing but holding OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS to allow you to "be able to see Members of Congress without restriction...
Quote:But that's pretty much what you're proposing - that groups of folks with specific interests don't get time to discuss them fully with their representative, because he or she has to hold all meetings as town halls and allow anyone who wants to show up for whatever reason to speak. When that turns out to be someone with a 50 page speech about how dogs should be required to wear pants
Monday, August 22, 2011 9:36 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: By "without restriction" I meant "without restriction in a tome (time?) slot meant for public input". ... Yanno, there are Robert's Rules of Order. And if you've ever been to a public meeting, or ANY consultative meeting... and I'm sure you have... you would know that people are often required to submit their topic and be recognized by the chair, and ALWAYS held to a time-limit so as to let other people have time to speak.
Quote:If our so-called representatives spend MORE time listening to their constituents, and LESS time schmoozing and boozing with bigwigs...
Monday, August 22, 2011 12:01 PM
Monday, August 22, 2011 4:18 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: As far as contacting my Congresswomen, I have called their local offices, their DC offices, sent letters, signed petitions, filled in their online forms, and attended townhall meetings. The only thing I haven't done is made an appointment to see them in their office.
Quote:I don't think that Town Hall meetings are the ONLY venue for expressing an opinion, or for a government official to gather opinions. But nothing has an impact like a face-to-face public meeting. You have to express yourself in real life, not only to your rep but also to your fellow citizens. You also get to hear what others have to say. Turning this free-speech tradition into a fundraiser is anathema to what this country is supposed to be about.
Monday, August 22, 2011 4:50 PM
STORYMARK
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: Geezer, you're an ass.
Monday, August 22, 2011 4:54 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: That covers this entire thread pretty well.
Monday, August 22, 2011 7:02 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Geezer: Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: That covers this entire thread pretty well. Back under the bridge, please. "Keep the Shiny side up"
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 11:09 AM
Quote: deciding that since a few representatives of the party you don't like do not hold town hall meetings in a four week recess period means that their entire party is completely cutting themselves off from their constituents is kind of stretching it. Also, you most admit that congressfolk of both parties have to hold fundraisers in the current political world.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 4:24 AM
Quote:I've also emailed my Congressman (D) and state legislator (R) and gotten responses from both.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 5:43 AM
Friday, August 26, 2011 2:57 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SignyM: Quote:I've also emailed my Congressman (D) and state legislator (R) and gotten responses from both. Oh, you got the form letter/ email/ phone response (Thank you for calling...) too? yipee.
Friday, August 26, 2011 3:04 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: Secondly, according to the legislators themselves, and their staff, THEY ARE NOT FUNDRAISERS. The fee supposedly covers lunch, did you somehow miss all the times that was posted?
Friday, August 26, 2011 6:37 AM
Friday, August 26, 2011 7:29 AM
Quote: Spokesman Tom Doheny confirms Congresswoman Renee Ellmers has no town hall meetings scheduled for August. But she will speak to the monthly meeting of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees in Fayetteville on Aug. 24th. Attendees are required to pay for a $13 lunch buffet. “She was invited to speak to the group,” Doheny said. “She’s a guest speaker. The reason they’re charging an entrance fee is because they’re serving lunch. We wish they weren’t charging an entrance fee, but it’s their event.” http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/blogpost/10012004/] Chip Cravaack (R-MN)Quote:outside a meeting sponsored by a business organization that was charging attendees a $10 fee for lunch.He, by the way, was pressured by his constituents into holding one open town hall--at the airport, where people had to pay for parking in order to meet with him. Quote:By the way, as to the point about a fee not keeping people from meeting their representatives: Those who register in advance, providing their names and background information and writing their checks, might even get to ask their congressman a question. That’s fine for the pay-to-play crowd. But the folks on fixed incomes who are most threatened by Ryan’s proposed assaults on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will have to decide whether they can afford to be citizens. Some of them decided Thursday that Ryan’s price was too high. A group of unemployed workers staged a sit-in at his Kenosha office, while others protested outside, chanting “Ryan is a no-show, bring jobs to Kenosha.” The message from one of the largest cities in the district was blunt: “After being denied a meeting with Ryan after multiple requests over the last few weeks, the unemployed men and women have decided to sit down and wait for Congressman Ryan.” http://www.nationalmemo.com/article/jobless-demand-end-pay-view-town-hall-meetings So there are answers to both your dismissing that the fees are "for lunch" and that yes, it IS difficult for those with few resources to pay a fee to listen to and ask questions of their representatives.
Quote:outside a meeting sponsored by a business organization that was charging attendees a $10 fee for lunch.
Quote:By the way, as to the point about a fee not keeping people from meeting their representatives: Those who register in advance, providing their names and background information and writing their checks, might even get to ask their congressman a question. That’s fine for the pay-to-play crowd. But the folks on fixed incomes who are most threatened by Ryan’s proposed assaults on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will have to decide whether they can afford to be citizens. Some of them decided Thursday that Ryan’s price was too high. A group of unemployed workers staged a sit-in at his Kenosha office, while others protested outside, chanting “Ryan is a no-show, bring jobs to Kenosha.” The message from one of the largest cities in the district was blunt: “After being denied a meeting with Ryan after multiple requests over the last few weeks, the unemployed men and women have decided to sit down and wait for Congressman Ryan.” http://www.nationalmemo.com/article/jobless-demand-end-pay-view-town-hall-meetings
Friday, August 26, 2011 7:34 AM
Friday, August 26, 2011 2:21 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Geezer: Also, as I've asked several times, how does charging a nominal amount for a lunch prevent anyone who's interested from going to the meeting and getting rubber chicken with their discussion? "Keep the Shiny side up"
Friday, August 26, 2011 2:26 PM
Saturday, August 27, 2011 4:01 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: When you start answering my questions, rather than repeating the same argument, maybe we can have a discussions.
Quote:As to a plot (where exactly did I say it was unAmerican?)
Quote:If they're not trying to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation, why not have the USUAL open town halls?
Quote:Why have them in out-of-the-way places?
Quote:Who said anything about "Discuss fully"?
Quote:Who said anything even slightly resembling "ALL" meetings?
Quote:Who said anything about approving of 50-page speeches on whatever?
Quote:Where did anyone say an entire party is completely cutting themselves off from their constituents?
Quote:It’s no secret why members of Congress would shy away from holding open town hall meetings — it’s no fun getting yelled at by angry constituents or having an uncomfortable question become an unfortunate YouTube moment. By outsourcing the events to third parties that charge an entry fee to raise money, members of Congress can eliminate most of the riffraff while still — in some cases — allowing reporters and TV cameras for a positive local news story.
Quote:After Republicans voted to gut Medicare and other vital programs while protecting tax breaks for millionaires and corporations, it’s not surprising that they would not want to face their constituents in an open forum,” said MoveOn.org Executive Director Justin Ruben.
Saturday, August 27, 2011 4:04 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Riiiight, Im a troll for agreeing with most of those in this thread.
Saturday, August 27, 2011 7:24 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Geezer: Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Riiiight, Im a troll for agreeing with most of those in this thread. Nope. You're a troll for meeting the criteria. "Keep the Shiny side up"
Saturday, August 27, 2011 7:27 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Geezer: Not 'some Republicans' or even 'most Republicans'. just 'Republicans'. I do like the way being invited to speak at a meeting where the organizer charges a few bucks to provide food becomes "...outsourcing the events to third parties that charge an entry fee to raise money, (so) members of Congress can eliminate most of the riffraff...". Classic spin, that. "Keep the Shiny side up"
YOUR OPTIONS
NEW POSTS TODAY
OTHER TOPICS
FFF.NET SOCIAL