Tag: town hall

U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips hosts community conversation after H.R. 1 passes House

U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips’ voting rights and campaign finance reform bill, H.R. 1, passed the House March 8 with three amendments.

Phillips co-sponsored the bill, and authored the amendments which, according to a news release, were to heighten the “independence, bipartisanship and diversity” of the Federal Election Commission, and to close a loophole that allowed Executive Branch officials to lobby when they leave government office.

The For The People Act is targeted at election and government reform, including increasing transparency and accountability in online political ads.

View the complete March 12 article by Lara Bockenstedt on The Lakeshore Weekly News website here.

It’s a Mystery

It’s a mystery to me why Paulsen could not simply answer “yes” or “no” to a question asked by three different people at different times during the town-hall session I attended in Brooklyn Park. The first person could not have been more clear when she asked him to respond “yes” or “no” to whether he would accept funds from the National Rifle Association. Paulsen insulted her and the rest of us by responding that he did not expect any contribution from the NRA.

Did he think we were stupid and would not notice his issue avoidance? That is when our frustrations with yet another non-answer to a question from someone in attendance boiled over and we became, in his words, “more boisterous” than those in attendance at the two town-hall sessions held earlier in the day. Yes, some of us briefly gave voice to our contempt. Continue reading “It’s a Mystery”

Tevlin: Health care debate is ‘legacy’ of the times

NOTE:  Minnesota Third CD DFL was not involved in the organization of this meeting.

The following article by Jon Tevlin was posted on the StarTribune website June 6, 2017:

Across the country, angry crowds have gathered at public forums on health care changes, booing and heckling members of the U.S. House of Representatives who voted for President Donald Trump’s American Health Care Act (AHCA). On Monday, more than 200 people in Eden Prairie, in Minnesota’s Third District, flipped the script, giving standing ovations to a congressman.

That congressman, however, doesn’t represent that district, and most of the people in the crowd can’t vote for him. Continue reading “Tevlin: Health care debate is ‘legacy’ of the times”

The thirst for town-hall interaction is not partisan

As a voter in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District, I take some issue with the Star Tribune’s description of Rep. Keith Ellison’s town hall in Rep. Erik Paulsen’s district. Jon Tevlin, in his June 7 column “Health care debate is ‘legacy’ of the times,” describes the audience as a “clearly partisan crowd.” I disagree. There were Republicans, Democrats and independents present. It was a publicly posted and advertised meeting, and all were welcome to attend. The “partisanship” we felt was frustration at Paulsen, who refuses to engage in public discussions, and our combined desire to finally hear from someone in Washington about what is happening — someone willing to take unscripted questions and give us sincere answers of what he believes, whether we agree with him or not.

Paulsen was specifically invited but chose not to attend. He did, however, send one of his lesser-known and recognizable district staff members to sit near the back and listen in. I can only hope that he heard what happened and decides that perhaps hosting a real town hall meeting with Minnesota Nice voters is not as scary as he thinks it is. Rep. Tom Emmer did it. From all accounts, there were disagreements, but the Emmer town hall remained civil and orderly. Why is Paulsen so afraid of his own constituents? Could it be that he knows his votes and position statements are indefensible?

Gretchen Haynes, Eden Prairie
Star Tribune, June 8, 2017

NOTE:  This event was organized by Indivisible MN03, a group not part of the Minnesota DFL. We report on their efforts along with other organizations’ on our Activist Alerts page. 

It’s time for a real town hall meeting

Thanks to John Mallo for posing questions to Rep. Erik Paulsen; my hope is that we have the opportunity to hear or see thorough answers to these questions, and not by way of “phone” town meetings. Constituents like me would like to meet with him, perhaps in a real town hall meeting. It’s an important part of what it means to be a democracy.

I would like to add questions about an additional area of concern:  health care legislation. Prior to the withdrawal of the Republican proposal (which I assume Paulsen would have voted for*) his position was:  “After many years and countless stories of patients facing skyrocketing premiums, losing their health care plan and not being able to see their doctor, we are replacement Obamacare with a plan that will lower costs and give patients immediate relief.” Continue reading “It’s time for a real town hall meeting”