Congress Has an Answer for Public Wrath: Eliminate Town Halls

[deminks]

Or: What to do when the grass roots isn't astroturf anymore.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/08/paul-ryan-congress-town-hall?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Motherjones%2Fmojoblog+%28MotherJones.com

Congress' approval rating—currently 13 percent, according to Gallup—is at a historic low, and its disapproval rating, at 84 percent, is at a historic high. Many Americans eagerly awaited Congress' August recess so they could use town hall meetings and other public appearances to give their elected officials a piece of their mind. There's just one problem: most of Congress isn't scheduling any town halls. None. Zilch.

The think tank No Labels called the offices of all 430 active members of Congress and found that 60 percent of them weren't scheduling town hall meetings. According to No Labels' analysis, more Democrats than Republicans are shutting themselves off from their constituents: 68 percent of Dems and 51 percent of Republicans hadn't planned a town hall during Congress' weeks-long summer break. (Click here to see if your representative or senator is planning a town hall or not.)

Not to be ignored, angry citizens, at least in one high profile district, have taken action to get some attention. Last week, a handful of unemployed constituents organized a sit-in in GOP Rep. Paul Ryan's office in Kenosha, Wisconsin, while 100 protesters picketed outside. Ryan in particular has drawn heaps of criticism for his plan to eliminate Medicare as we know it and refashion Medicaid into a state-based block grant program. In the end, Ryan's staff had police remove the protesters from the office, which was done peacefully.

Paul Ryan has made himself available during the recess—but for a price. That's right: Ryan and other lawmakers are now charging constituents to attend public events and ask them questions. Ryan wanted $15 a head. Rep. Dan Quayle (R-Ariz.), Politico reported, is charging $35 from attendees who want to ask him questions over a catered lunch at a Phoenix law firm. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) also wants money—$10 a person—to attend an his event, which is hosted by the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

[ixion]

1. Look for the Beltway Marauders to build a great wall around DC

just like they did along the southern border of the US.

This trend of denying the public access to their elected officials is not new. The government has become more and more inaccessible over the decades.

[Lasher]

2. These reps are getting a salary from the people and charging admission at the same time.

That doesn't seem kosher.

[Obamanaut]

3. This seems like a good enought reason for the President to reconvene

congress, give them a good verbal thrashing, and have them go back to work.

Oh, wait, he's on a bus or at the Vineyard.

Nevermind.

[Inuca]

6. Silly n/t

[Obamanaut]

11. You're right. Why ruin a perfectly good week at the beach. nt

[Inuca]

13. Equally silly

Do you REALLY think that a presidential vacation is much like we others call a vaction? Or do you just enjoy silly sanrkiness?

[JoePhilly]

4. This is the outcome of the Citizen's United decision.

Why would a sitting congress person spend even 5 minutes listening screaming people at a town hall, when in the same amount of time, they can learn which legislation to support, thus ensuring that a PR front company runs adds for them in their home state.

Its a no brainer.

[surrealAmerican]

5. How many of them usually schedule these events?

How do these numbers compare to last year? ... five years ago? Without some historical data, these numbers are meaningless.

I expect better reporting from MoJo than I'm seeing in this article.

[Bragi]

7. Are real "town halls" even possible any more?

The concept of a "town hall" meeting is where citizens come together to discuss and debate matters with some degree of an open mind, presumably to achieve some kind of community consensus on future directions.

In the current setting, where all politics is hyper-partisan, and where communities are divided and polarized, people come to "town halls" not just with their own opinions, but with entirely different sets of "facts" to justify their opinions.

The modern "town hall" is where people come to read their manifestos and to make a public display of their ideology. As such, they are no longer particularly useful, so I can understand why Congressional reps are less than keen on holding them.

[valerief]

8. So Ryan, Quayle, and Cravaack are, of course, not accepting the taxpayer salary.

Because that salary is what pays them to take questions from his constituents. What? You say they're double-dipping? Well, isn't that just like a POS UCA (United Corps of America) pol.

[woo me with science]

9. To the wayside goes any charade of "representing" us.

They increasingly consider themselves owners of irritating serfs who get too loud, rather than our representatives.

Kicked and recommended.

[Selatius]

10. I find it funny more Democrats than Republicans are shutting the doors and locking the gates.

What, have too many of them veered a little too far into center-right territory, and they know it's been pissing off core constituencies?

[woo me with science]

12. Like all corporate entities, the Third Way manages its advertising very carefully.

And I think you are right that part of the problem is that too much of the Democratic constituency still expects a representative to represent.

When you claim to stand for one thing but actually pursue the opposite course of action, you are unlikely to select advertising venues that allow the public to respond to you directly.

And yes, one of the consequences of having a corporate party is that they will focus group, manipulate, and *advertise* to you, rather than trying to represent you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1717174