This is actually last Thursday’s news. My plan was to post a diary right away. But life intervened, and I ended up saving it for today’s CUA report.
I am one of those frustrated red-state residents with two GOP senators and a GOP congressman. Rarely do any of them vote in a manner that serves the majority of their constituents (who apparently don’t mind being ignored, and who continue to reliably vote Republican).
All three have been avoiding public forums, where they might have to face tough questions from crowds that were not hand-picked. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), does hold occasional town hall meetings. They are hosted by his staff; he does not personally attend.
I learned about the forum through the Town Hall Project which was publicized here at DKos. The nearest meeting was in the town of McDonough, which is about 30 miles out of Atlanta, and about 50 miles from my home. I showed up about ten minutes before the scheduled starting time. Parking was already hard to come by, but I found a spot near the back of a bumpy grass-covered lot.
The event was at the Farm Bureau office, which (conveniently for the senate staff) is private property. Entry to the building was strictly controlled. Cops patrolled the parking lot. A sign-up table was set up outside. Occasionally a breeze would blow things off the table, and they’d be collected and put back in place.
By my rough count, 80 people were waiting at 10:00. A few more arrived later. It was encouraging to note that nearly all of them appeared to be progressives. There were no Trump signs (not even on Russian flags). No garish “Make America Great Again” caps. But there was a decent collection of protest signs.
The stated purpose of the town hall was to give priority to constituents with pressing matters involving government agencies. Veterans issues, IRS, things of that nature. The staffers would only see people singly, or in small groups. People quickly got restless, wondering whether they’d have a chance to get in. As it turned out, though, we were able to have our say regardless of the issue.
A door leading to a meeting room was kept closed, except when an “authorized person” went in and out. I could see that the room was too small to accommodate the group. Instead, we waited in the parking lot until our names were called; then we were ushered into a back door to a small room with a long table. Staffers sat on one side, visitors on the other.
Getting in took some time. But there were 4 staffers, with an average group size of 3, average meeting time of 10 minutes. Theoretically there was time for everyone to have their say. Those with long wait times held up their signs and chanted. Everyone was polite and orderly.
I was lucky enough to have my name called around 10:30. I was grouped with a couple from the Atlanta area. As we waited to go inside, we discussed what we’d do with our ten minutes. Let’s stick with two or maybe three issues, I suggested, and let’s decide who will say what. We chose to make health care our primary issue. Next would be public lands, a topic I selected because I figured that nobody else in the crowd would think to bring it up, given all of the other crazy things that were going on politically.
For some reason, we got two staffers instead of one. Both listened very politely. I went first, and told my saga of being an older self-employed person prior to, and during, the implementation of Obamacare. Full Alice's Restaurant massacree version here. I began by saying that, as an independent consultant who has run his own business for years, I should be exactly the type of person that the GOP would love, and would want to help – but instead, both of my senators were gloating at the prospect of taking health insurance away from constituents like me. I also pointed out that, after watching my premiums nearly quadruple before the ACA took effect, my monthly payments had gone all the way back to 2002 levels, thanks to the ACA subsidies.
At that point my partners spoke up in favor of single payer. They mentioned that Senator Perdue has very good insurance of his own, and why would he vote to take it away from others? One of the staffers said that Perdue has promised not to vote for a repeal without a replacement. The nature of the replacement could not be answered.
Next, I turned to the subject of our nation’s federal lands. This issue is barely on anyone’s radar screen in the eastern half of the country. But it would take the cooperation of eastern members of Congress for federal lands to be sold on a large scale. Give that I spend so much time in the Deep Dark Woods of the Pacific Northwest, I had knowledge that none of the other town hall participants would have. I described how I had just witnessed a 177,000-acre block of private land in Idaho – which had been open to the public for decades – being bought by billionaire brothers who promptly closed it to public entry. The same thing will happen to our federal lands, if the GOP gets its way.
Whether any of my comments actually get back to Senator Perdue, I might never know. What I do know is that last Thursday, his staff got an earful of progressive values from Georgia residents, many of whom drove a long way to be there.
At long last, I have written a CUA diary about activism. The floor is open, open thread as always.
Cincinnati Kos
Rachel Colyer, Daily Kos Senior Campaign Director, and David Akadjian, Daily Kos Contributing Editor, are planning a meet-up Saturday, March 4 from 3:30-5:00 PM at MOTR PUB, 1345 Main Street in Cincinnati. A short program by Rachel and David and including Josh Nelson from CREDO.
Make the Political Social
Objective: Bring folks together to get to know each other and make friends to support each other during the fight.
Ideally, we will have folks identify their area of interest for activism--writing, in-person events, social media--and break into small groups for those folks to get to know each other by talking about their interests and possibly making friends within those groups. For example, make a friend to go to events with, make friends on FB and twitter to share political items, support each others writing.
Then, we could have some more social time to cross-pollinate those groups.
Rachel would love to see some lists develop out of this where event activists can connect with social media folks and writers, so that everyone can help support local efforts.
This could create a powerful Cincinnati information force, and get folks together online and off, to pressure politicians locally.
Their next meeting date is lining up now. RSVP at this event page.
RSVPS
1. Rachel Colyer
2. David Akadjian
3. Josh Nelson
4. Andy
5. Angela
6. bunnygirl60
7. ElProvidente
8. Fdidio
9. Gulliver
10. Linda
11. marty
12. MicheleG
13. mmcguire
14. Scornett
15. themis
16. tinchomoyano
17. CarolD
18. Cheryl
19. Howdy
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. ColoTim
2. Leftcandid
3.
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. susans
2.
3.
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. navajo
2. sidnora
3. kathny
4. belinda ridgewood
5. joanbrooker
6.
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. Thinking Fella
2. Ojibwa
3. state of confusion
4. jakedog42
5. MotherMags
6. MTmofo
7. Done4nau
8. Boise Blue
9. Mrs. Boise Blue
10.
MAYBEES :
pucklady
Simple
woolibaar
Back Porch
philosopher
COMTNGRL
bleedingblue
angry marmot
Kitsap River
Charles Curtis Stanley
paradise50
smileycreek
dsb
NormAl1792
Winifred
Maudlin
Mr. Maudlin
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RSVPS
1. Bill in Portland Maine
2. Common Sense Mainer
3. navajo
4. markm667
5. vicki
6. vicki’s guest
7. vicki’s guest?
8. smileycreek
9. paradise50
10. Ed Tracey
11. side pocket
12. Mrs. side pocket
13.
MAYBEES :
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Meet-ups: