At a town hall meeting yesterday, Adam's former boss Senator Specter (switched to D-Pennsylvania) said this to his already very angry constituents:
"I’m encouraging constitutional rights. I’m encouraging constitutional rights by coming to Lebanon to talk to my constituents. I could be somewhere else. I don’t get any extra pay — I don’t have any requirement to be here."
The crowd immediately responded with calls of, "You work for us!" and "You report to us!"
I first saw this on the Washington Post, but when I went back to find it again, it seems to have disappeared. But here's the video clip from a conservative blog. And I have my second entry into the "stupid quotes" category in the index, because wow! That was a stupid thing to say!
Whatever issue is on the table, elected officials are in the government as representatives of their constituents. You better believe that they have a requirement to be in town hall forums and to be available for meetings with the voters who put them in those positions in the first place! We hired them by voting them into office. We pay their salaries and benefits and staff their offices with our tax money. And we can FIRE them by voting for someone else in the next election.
What are you doing to be the boss?
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2 opinions:
Strictly speaking, Spector is right, which is not to say it was a wise comment to have made.
Elected (and even non-elected) officials do at times need to meet with their constituencies and stakeholders. It's sometimes required by law, oft-times not. Lawmakers don't hold "town halls" on 99% of the policies they discuss and vote on. Doing this for health care is wise, but exceptional nonetheless.
Having been to a number of community meetings on various issues in the past however, I have little sympathy for indignant mobs. Trotting out the "I voted for you/pay your salary" line (as always happens) is just as unwise (though true) as Spector's response. You should be able to put in your two cents and have it heard, but also realize that's about as much of his salary/electorate for which you account. Two cents. There are plenty of people with an equally valid voice who shouldn't be diminished by your false sense of entitlement.
Acting condescending or like a spoiled brat is reprehensible on both sides. Public officials have a public trust that entails great responsibility. But the job comes with a good deal of abuse, and I sympathize with anyone who might recoil somewhat at being asked to run the gauntlet.
I should amend my previous comment: Actually, your two cents is worth more than two cents.
Rank & file members of the Congress and Senate will earn $174,000 this year. With a US population of 305 million, that averages approximately 702,366 people per representative and 3.05 million per senator.
So, on average, you pay 24.7 cents a year for your representative and 5.7 cents for your senator.
That being said, with a progressive tax structure and taxes other than individual income feeding into the system, your average town hall attendee is still probably much closer to two cents.
But then again, maybe I'm just jealous. My senators and representatives have never held a town hall because, wait... I don't have any. At least Pennsylvanians are getting something for the nickel or quarter they've thrown into the bucket. Myself and 600,000 other Washingtonians sure aren't.
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