Rep. Erik Paulsen’s telephone town halls are a cop-out.

So U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen thinks his phone town halls are more civil? (“Telephone town halls mute critics,” front page, March 27.) Of course they are — because Paulsen gets to choose the questions. Of course they are — because they almost always occur at a normal family dinnertime, and many people simply hang up since it is not a good time. Hit *3 and ask a question? Yes, you get a polite staffer who takes your question and puts you back on mute.

I’ve participated twice. Neither time did my question get asked — too tough a question, Rep. Paulsen? A question about which you might have needed to disagree with your party in order to agree with your constituents?

Phone town halls are a sham! We need a representative who actually listens!

Lonni Skrentner, Edina
Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 28, 2018