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- Goose
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Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
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After requesting for weeks that U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Howard Township) hold a town hall to hear their concerns, constituents in his 5th Congressional District have decided to schedule one on their own.
With or without him, they said, the town hall will go on at 2 p.m. Saturday in 111 Forum on Penn State's University Park campus.
And it looks like it will be without him.
"Unfortunately, the organizer of the meeting decided to begin advertising this event before they were able to confirm the Congressman's attendance," Thompson's communications director Renée Gamela said in an email. "He has a previous commitment on Saturday and politely declined the invitation."
Dozens of residents of the district have twice rallied at Thompson's Benner Pike office, most recently on Thursday night.
Marc Friedenberg, of Ferguson Township, said residents have been calling, emailing and visiting Thompson's office to discuss their concerns but have been unable to schedule meetings with him. He also claimed that in requesting a town hall with the Congressman, residents have been told by Thompson's staff that "he will not offer a venue for 'paid activists and political opposition' to create a 'spectacle.'"
Friedenberg helped to organize the town hall by selecting the date, time and location, working with university staff to schedule the space, and sharing a Facebook event. But, he said, it has been a grassroots effort, and everyone involved is a resident of PA-05 and not a paid protestor.
"The initial impetus for the event was making sure we had a town hall during this week’s Congressional recess," Friedenberg said in an email, adding that he was inspired by the Missing Members of Congress Action Plan, which aims to hold lawmakers accountable for not being accessible to the public.
The local effort is part of a national wave of citizens asking lawmakers to hold town hall meetings to hear about a range of concerns since the election. Some Republican lawmakers, including President Donald Trump, have claimed, mostly without evidence, that those attending the town hall meetings that have been held included paid protestors from outside the legislative districts and states in question.
The location for the local town hall holds 369 people, and Friedenberg said it was moved to there from another location after it became clear the first room's capacity of 155 would not be large enough. Since Thompson will not attend, constituent comments will be recorded and sent to him for review and response.
Because of the limited space, organizers encouraged attendees to RSVP through the Facebook event for the town hall.
Gamela said Thompson has not ruled out hosting a town hall and that he recognizes that there are constituents who have concerns that should be addressed.
"He has offered personal meetings with constituents until an event is scheduled," Gamela said. "Unfortunately, the individual planning Saturday's event declined."
Friedenberg took issue with that.
"Constituents have been demanding a town hall with Rep. Thompson for months, to no avail, and this is consistent with the 'paid protestor' comment," he said. "I have also requested a personal meeting, both through the Congressman’s Web site and even again via an email sent [Thursday], and haven’t received a response."
He added that he was told over the phone by Thompson's scheduler that the Congressman's schedule is full until April.
"The larger point for me is that holding personal meetings... is very different from holding a town hall," Friedenberg said. "It’s trying to play 'out of sight, out of mind.' Town halls are a basic part of our democratic heritage, and every Congressman should have them."
In November, Thompson won his fifth term representing Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District.
The 5th Congressional District is Pennsylvania's largest geographically and represents Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Venango and Warren counties, and parts of Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Huntingdon and Tioga counties.
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- Common Sense
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
"Unfortunately, the organizer of the meeting decided to begin advertising this event before they were able to confirm the Congressman's attendance," Thompson's communications director Renée Gamela said in an email. "He has a previous commitment on Saturday and politely declined the invitation."
Election resultsGeneral election
U.S. House, Pennsylvania District 1 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote
Republican
Glenn Thompson Incumbent 67.2% 206,761
Democratic Kerith Strano Taylor 32.8 101,082
Total Votes 307,843
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State
Last edited by Common Sense (2/25/2017 8:48 am)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”
- Goose
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
Common Sense wrote:
"Unfortunately, the organizer of the meeting decided to begin advertising this event before they were able to confirm the Congressman's attendance," Thompson's communications director Renée Gamela said in an email. "He has a previous commitment on Saturday and politely declined the invitation."
What a lame excuse.
Don't hide, Congressman!
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
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Thread Starter- tennyson
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
Good to see people actually engaging (or trying to) their representatives.
Too bad most of the reps seem to be ducking their responsibilities to their constituents.
If they thought people were "pissed off" before the Presidential election, just wait !
"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
- Common Sense
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
Considering the track record of the other town halls it seems most just want to create a ruckus!
The town halls I have seen on TV when the Congressman starts to speak people start to boo and scream!
Thompson won by a giant margin. I would think the majority in the district are supportive of him.
You have people who still don't understand why Clinton lost! So this is the result.
The democratic plan: Deny, Dispute, Destroy
Last edited by Common Sense (2/25/2017 8:55 am)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”
- Rongone
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
residents have been told by Thompson's staff that "he will not offer a venue for 'paid activists and political opposition' to create a 'spectacle.'"
This is the guy's job -- meet with, get input from, and exchange ideas with constituents in order to represent them (not himself) to the best of his ability.
His refusal to appear, given the reasons he advanced, show his disregard for his constituents, a shirking of his constitutionally sworn to duty, and exhibits his cowardly nature.
Hopefully, his constituents will remember incidents like this and vote the guy out next election.
- Common Sense
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
Good to see people actually engaging (or trying to) their representatives.
Too bad most of the reps seem to be ducking their responsibilities to their constituents.
If they thought people were "pissed off" before the Presidential election, just wait !
And just what are they going to do? He won by a giant or as Trump would say a Yuge margin! 
If someone truly want to discuss something they can call or write a letter. But that does not seem to be the goal!
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”
- Goose
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
"
Good to see people actually engaging (or trying to) their representatives.
Too bad most of the reps seem to be ducking their responsibilities to their constituents.
If they thought people were "pissed off" before the Presidential election, just wait !
I agree. It is good to see the people out there.
And yea, some of it will be noisy. So what?
Republicans dismissing these protests as "astroturf" would be wise to heed the words of Steve Israel who represented Long Island.
"Republicans should stop whining. Stage-managed protests are nothing new.my advice to those members of Congress who are hiding out or delaying is this: You can run for re-election, but you can’t hide from the American people.
The longer you wait, the louder it will get."
Or, you could tell them to "Write a letter". Because, apparently once you win an election you no longer need to meet with the people!
What a hoot! 
Last edited by Goose (2/25/2017 9:03 am)
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
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Thread Starter- Rongone
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
A message for these cowardly bozos who are ignoring their constituents and ducking public town hall meetings:
‘HAVE SOME COURAGE.’ Former Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head during a constituent meeting in Tucson, Ariz., in 2011, urged members of Congress to have the courage to meet with the people they represent after Texas Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert cited fears of violence as a reason to avoid town halls. “At this time there are groups from the more violent strains of the leftist ideology, some even being paid, who are preying on public town halls to wreak havoc and threaten public safety,” Gohmert said Thursday.
Giffords issued a blistering statement in reply via Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun violence prevention group she co-founded:
“I was shot on a Saturday morning. By Monday morning my offices were open to the public. Ron Barber — at my side that Saturday, who was shot multiple times, then elected to Congress in my stead — held town halls. It’s what the people deserve in a representative.
“In the past year, campaigning for gun safety, I have held over 50 public events.
“Many of the members of Congress who are refusing to hold town halls and listen to their constituents concerns are the very same politicians that have opposed commonsense gun violence prevention policies and have allowed the Washington gun lobby to threaten the safety of law enforcement and everyday citizens in our schools, businesses, places of worship, airports, and movie theaters.
“To the politicians who have abandoned their civic obligations, I say this: Have some courage. Face your constituents. Hold town halls.”
I'm interested in hearing from some of our elected representatives who have decided not to appear before their constituents because of their fear of being attacked, like our very own Pat Toomey, and jerks like Louie Gohmert, who tried to hide behind the Gabby Gifford's incident as an excuse to bypass scheduled town halls, after reading her comments.
Here's the latest on Toomey:
AN EMPTY SUIT? Rubio wasn’t the only senator to get the empty suit treatment. “Sen. Pat Toomey wasn’t at an event Tuesday night set up by protest groups and billed as a town hall, so they stood an empty suit at the front of an Allentown church as a target,” reports the Morning Call, a newspaper based in Allentown, Pa. “For two months, people have picketed Toomey’s offices across the state, demanding he speak to his constituents and explain how he would stand up to some of President Donald Trump’s actions. Toomey, who publicly endorsed Trump after voting for him about 6:30 p.m. Election Day, campaigned as an independent check on whomever won the White House.” Toomey’s staff told the paper that they’ve been meeting with the protesters to hear their concerns.
You can read more about "Flat Marco", Toomey, Gohmert and other slackers in this article:
- Just Fred
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Re: Constituents to Hold Town Hall, Even Without Rep. Thompson
Common, you're not making sense here on this thread. It has NOTHING to do with what political tribe the representative belongs to.
It's about getting hired and accepting the responsibilities of a job that is supposed to listen to the needs, desires, and concerns of the people you represent. It's as if getting elected is the goal and governing is a sidenote and at times, I guess, annoying for some. When will some of these elected officials get it through there thick heads they were hired to represent all the people in their district, not just the ones who voted for them or the tribe they belong to.
Geez, our nation's independence began with a protest for godsake, and it wasn't all that peaceful, either.
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