The periodic Congressional recesses should afford us the opportunity to get some valuable “face time” with our respective congress critters. Some of these folks will be holding Town Hall Meetings around their states/districts. A call to one of their local offices or a visit to their web sites ought to give you the schedule.
Actually, the LOCAL TOWN HALL MEETING is the best – and least costly — way to get to these folks. Many well-intentioned advocacy groups who urge their members to GO TO WASHINGTON are more interested in putting on a show than actually impacting legislation. The simple fact is that unless they can put a few million folks on the Mall, the political ruling elites simply IGNORE these sorts of events.
The OTHER problem with seeking an “audience” with these critters – ostensibly OUR EMPLOYEES (or, FORMER EMPLOYEES) — in their offices in D.C or even in the district is that you are at the psychological and emotional disadvantage of BEING ON THEIR TURF in the undesirable role of an “inferior” pleading with a “superior.”
These TOWN HALL MEETING take place on the closest thing to NEUTRAL TERRITORY as can be found. And, unlike those office meetings, they will be filled with OTHER citizens whom your public questions/comments can sensitize to issues other than the one that brought them there. (NOTE: IF YOUR CRITTER FORCES YOU TO SEND THOSE QUESTION CARDS UP TO HIS THRONE – WHERE HIS DISTRICT FLUNKIE WILL CULL ALL BUT THOSE HIS LIEGE WISHES TO ANSWER – GET A NEW CRITTER AT THE NEXT ELECTION BECAUSE THIS ONE IS TOO FAR GONE TO BE SALVAGED.)
The recent immigration dust-up brought a lot of new folks into the fray over who runs the country. Because the forces of darkness never rest, IT IS VITAL THAT THESE NEW FOLKS NOT GO BACK TO SLEEP. Sadly, most of them will.
I predicted that illegal immigration would be a hot-button issue over 10 years ago when more than 70% of those at Newt’s meetings – where I regularly went to gin up support for the Fair Tax (then called the National Retail Sales Tax) — were mad as hell and beating him up on the illegal situation. While he never has come out directly for the Fair Tax, more than once, Newt coupled the two issues by suggesting that the over 100,000 IRS agents be given a weapon and training and sent to guard the border with Mexico. Newt KNOWS how to couple.
If YOUR critters ARE having meetings – and if not during THIS recess, unless their names are Reid, Pelosi, Graham or Schumer, they will almost certainly have them in the run-up to the election – please think about attending, taking the mike and telling them what YOU think. Even if THEY fail to heed your words, you just may educate the audience to some new problem. Heck, you may even get a heart-warming round of applause.
If nothing else, it’s excellent THEATER to watch some of these folks artfully dodge questions, shuck and jive around a tough issue about which they have absolutely NO knowledge, have their overflowing drool-cups changed by one of their flunkies, etc. so TAKE A CARLOAD with you.
See you there???
.....If YOUR critters ARE having meetings – and if not during THIS recess, unless their names are Reid, Pelosi, Graham or Schumer, they will almost certainly have them in the run-up to the election – please think about attending, taking the mike and telling them what YOU think.
Excellent post and suggestions! (Unfortunately, I have two idyot senators: Clinton and Schumer.)