REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Representatives Face Flack from Constituents at Town Hall Meetings

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Thursday, August 11, 2011 09:02
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 664
PAGE 1 of 1

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 8:06 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Not that they'll listen, but "oops", Americans are pissed:
Quote:

Congress is out of session and despite cries from both sides that lawmakers should be called back to session to deal with the uncertain stock market, the credit downgrade, or unemployment that doesn't look like it will happen.

Instead, legislators will spend the last weeks of the summer out of the beltway and greeting their constituents.

The town hall season is upon us and members of congress will undoubtedly face questions about the nation's economic problems, the recent debt ceiling battle, and job creation.

That's on the minds of many employed and out of work Americans and it wasn't a town hall, but constituents in Speaker John Boehner's district tried to talk to the Republican House leader on Monday about the lack of jobs in the Speaker's district. Protestors showed up at his district office in West Chester, Ohio as well as outside a fundraiser at a golf club in Dublin, Ohio.

Protestors tried to go into the office to speak to staff, but staffers locked the door. The group then traveled to the country club where, according to protest organizers, police asked them to leave, and told them Boehner "doesn't choose to come out."

The group of protestors made up of unemployed workers, local labor unions and liberal activists chanted, "What do you want? Jobs! When do you want them? Now!" and "Where are the jobs?" outside both locations.

Two of the protestors were Michael McBride from Dayton, a disabled veteran who has been out of work since 2008, and his wife Debbie, who has been out of a job for more than a year.

McBride told ABC News that he wanted to speak with Boehner about how he cannot make ends meet and tell him his health is failing because he is forced to share his insulin with his wife. They are both diabetics, but she does not have health care since losing her job last year.

"I would like to see our government and Congress start concentrating on what the real problem is and that is regaining some of our jobs here," he said. "We need more jobs here or we are going to be rats in a sinking ship. People will be bailing out of these areas if they can't find jobs, can't make ends meet, and it is devastating our American way of life."

Another protestor, Sheri Dever also from Dayton has both a bachelor's and master's degrees in business, but still can't find a job. She's been out of work off and on since 2006 and says she is constantly told she is either overqualified for a job or not hirable because she's out of work.

"I hope to explain to him and explain to him what it's like. [And tell him] stop the bickering, get the jobs back to Ohio not overseas, but bring them back here. We are dying out here. There is no jobs. We really need his help," Dever said.

"Let's get jobs back in to the United States," she said. "I'm so sick and tired of politicians like Boehner putting their personal politics in front of our jobs and our security ... we need him to stand up for Americans not a party on either side, but to stand up for Americans."

Boehner's office replied that job creation is the GOP leader's focus.

"Providing economic certainty and creating an environment in which businesses can invest and jobs can flourish remains Speaker Boehner's number-one focus," Boehner spokeswoman Brittany Bramell. "House Republicans will continue to work with leaders of both parties to reduce spending, boost confidence, and give Ohio small businesses the stability they need to create jobs."
.....
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., held a town hall Monday night in Gilbert, Ariz., and it didn't go nearly as smoothly as McConnell and Paul's. The former GOP presidential nominee faced an angry crowd, who took him to task on the economy and for characterizing "tea party" members as "hobbits" during the debt ceiling debate, according to the Arizona Republic.

During the question and answer portion of the event, McCain said he was reading out of a Wall Street Journal editorial to make a point about fellow GOP congressmen's insistence on a balance budget amendment before voting to raise the debt ceiling.

"What apology is in order?" McCain answered when asked if he would apologize. "What was wrong that I said?

"There was no way that a balanced-budget amendment would have passed the Senate. If anyone said that it could, they were not being truthful. Hobbits are not real, and the point is that it was not real," McCain said. "You should not deceive people and say that something like a balanced-budget amendment could happen. ... It's not my fault that it was misunderstood. I'm sorry that it was misunderstood."
.....
Moveon.org, Rebuild the Dream, the Center for Economic Policy and Research, and Campaign for Community Change joined Rep. Jean Schakowsky, D-Ill., Tuesday to launch "Contract for the American Dream" to urge lawmakers to stop focusing on deficit cutting and turn to job creation.

The 10-point contract includes points ranging from investing in America's infrastructure, securing social security, offering Medicare for all, and investing in public education, amongst others.

The organizers said more than 130,000 Americans contributed to the contract online and they wanted to "give a voice" to the "majority of Americans "in the debt ceiling debate" that were "simply not heard."

Schakowsky said the "real crisis is the job crisis" and the "disappearing middle class." The congresswoman said Obama advisor David Plouffe has asked to see the contract and she had given them a copy, but the White House has yet to comment on it.

Some of the groups on the Tuesday conference call were cautious not to criticize President Obama and Democratic leaders while others were more open to it.

"I think this contract will not be taken seriously by the serious people in Washington at first," MoveOn.org executive director Justin Ruben said. "I think there is a huge leadership vacuum right now."

The group said they will be taking their contract to congressional town hall meetings in August and if some lawmakers choose not to hold events they will take the document to their district offices. More at http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mccain-boehner-face-flack-town-hall-mee
tings/story?id=14267272

Will they use their break to talk to their constituents and LISTEN, or just to play golf, I wonder?

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 9:06 AM

FREMDFIRMA



I reccommend pie.


-F

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 11:47 AM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht


I think its really important for constituants to be able to come to these and hold Congress members accountable for their voting habbits and what they stand for. It is their first duty to vote in ways that their constituants wish, not to vote how they themselves wish. I think I'd be a horrible congress member. Plus I don't like confrontations and am a chicken lizzard about them, so those in Congress need to be strong and able to face it if they screw up.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, August 11, 2011 9:02 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


I fully agree, Riona. I find it abhorrent that politicians go home and spout what they think people want to hear, then go vote however they want...usually along party lines. It's been totally obvious for some time now that Americans want a balance of cuts and revenue, but whatever the flack they get back home for their stance of "all cuts, NO revenue!", they'll just go back to Congress and go right on as they have been. Shows you who pays the bills; we don't count except to get them in power. After that it's "fuck you!", or so it seems most of the time.


Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off



NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

YOUR OPTIONS

NEW POSTS TODAY

USERPOST DATE

OTHER TOPICS

DISCUSSIONS
Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
Sun, April 28, 2024 19:12 - 6319 posts
Dangerous Rhetoric coming from our so-called President
Sun, April 28, 2024 18:10 - 2 posts
You can't take the sky from me, a tribute to Firefly
Sun, April 28, 2024 18:06 - 294 posts
Scientific American Claims It Is "Misinformation" That There Are Just Two Sexes
Sun, April 28, 2024 17:44 - 24 posts
In the garden, and RAIN!!! (2)
Sun, April 28, 2024 15:47 - 3576 posts
Elections; 2024
Sun, April 28, 2024 15:39 - 2314 posts
Russian losses in Ukraine
Sun, April 28, 2024 02:03 - 1016 posts
The Thread of Court Cases Trump Is Winning
Sat, April 27, 2024 21:37 - 20 posts
Case against Sidney Powell, 2020 case lawyer, is dismissed
Sat, April 27, 2024 21:29 - 13 posts
I'm surprised there's not an inflation thread yet
Sat, April 27, 2024 21:28 - 745 posts
Slate: I Changed My Mind About Kids and Phones. I Hope Everyone Else Does, Too.
Sat, April 27, 2024 21:19 - 3 posts
14 Tips To Reduce Tears and Remove Smells When Cutting Onions
Sat, April 27, 2024 21:08 - 9 posts

FFF.NET SOCIAL