The vast majority of elected republicans, including our own Pete Stauber, are dutifully following the orders of the National Republican Congressional Committee and avoiding holding town hall meetings. One presumes that keeping one’s head down while allowing a president to rule by edict seems safer than being accountable to the people of the 8th district. In the midst of this kind of MAGA impotence, elected democrats have been holding town hall meetings across the country. In an effort to respectfully allow a worried and angry electorate—made up of both democrats and republicans—the right to petition their government for a redress of grievances, Governor Tim Watz recently held town halls in Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin.
At a town hall in Eau Claire, Wisconsin last week, Governor Walz brought humor, encouragement, and compassion to a packed house at the Pablo Center. “I’m not going to whistle past the graveyard and tell you that things are fine,” Walz said. “You came here because you know the fight is still on and you know that you love your country. You wanted to be here in front of your member of congress because the Constitution gives you the right and responsibility to address your elected representative.”
Attendees at the gathering expressed concerns about a variety of issues including diminished access to medication and healthcare, cuts to Social Security, tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, gerrymandering and other assaults on the right to vote, and elimination of the Department of Education.
While in Eau Claire, Walz did not attack Wisconsin Republican Derrick Van Orden. “Name calling doesn’t work,” he said. “What you want is to be able to ask your representative why he thinks it’s a good idea to gut the VA. Why is it a good idea to demonize federal employees?”
Representative Stauber’s constituents deserve to hear directly from him, but will he come and meet openly here on the North Shore? Mr. Stauber, the people of the 8th district need to know: Do you support the idea of the unitary executive and a president who believes that he is above the law? Why do you support tariffs that will hurt Minnesota’s family farmers? Why are the closing of Social Security offices and the resulting diminished services recipients will experience a good thing? Is cutting the Consumer Protection Agency going to help or hurt Minnesota’s working families? How will the 147,063 (16.9%) Minnesota students with special needs, who receive services from the Department of Education, benefit from that agency’s elimination? Why is it a good idea to cut federal funding for medical research? Do you support the proposed layoffs and possible elimination of the Great Lakes Toxicology and Environmental Division of the EPA? Who started the war in Ukraine, Putin or Zelenskyy? Do you support the deportation of people without due process of law? Do you support the rescinding of federal dollars for projects that are needed to upgrade our streets and public utility infrastructure in Lake County? This is a sampling of some of the questions that your constituents would like to hear you address. Will you come and meet with us?
There are some town hall meetings scheduled in the coming days where people will be able to rally for democracy and voice their concerns. A Duluth Town Hall is scheduled for Saturday, March 29th at 2:00 in the East High School auditorium. A town hall is also scheduled for Saturday, April 5th from 1:00 to 2:00 at Two Harbors High School. Natalie Zeleznikar, Grant Hauschild, and Roger Skraba will all be in attendance in Two Harbors.
