Citizens' Town Hall
On February 22, 2017, neighbors from New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District gathered at a local library to talk . The topic was health care, and the crowd spilled out of the room, into the hallway, and out the doors onto the sidewalk. Partisan politics in Washington threatened the safety, security, and health of residents of Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. Faces showed concern, voices broke as they spoke into the microphone. Unfortunately, the night’s intended guest of honor, the public servant charged with representing his constituents’ concerns to the federal government, Congressman Chris Smith, was conspicuously absent.
Such an absence is nothing new; Smith has avoided town halls for over two decades. That he ignored more than a thousand names on a petition asking for a public forum should surprise no one familiar with the congressman’s hands-off approach to representation. Lately, his rhetoric has taken a new and especially hypocritical turn, as he disparaged organizers in media appearances while purporting to respect civil dialogue, and exaggerated the risks associated with public appearances while making plenty of time to schmooze with deep-pocketed campaign donors or headline at national rallies celebrating his extremist stances .
Enough is enough. The members of Indivisible NJ 4th District, a grassroots group of neighbors and friends filled with a DIY spirit and a strong sense of civic responsibility, will continue to hold Smith accountable to his responsibilities. We plan to hold a Citizens’ Town Hall at every Congressional recess, and the next date is April 19, 2017, 6 - 8 PM at Brookdale Community College. The general membership chose the theme of this town hall: Protecting Democracy, Protecting Each Other. We hope that Congressman Smith will attend this time, but if he does not, we, the members of Indivisible, vow to make our voices heard.
We know we can hold a successful town hall without our Congressman, but we cannot hold it without your support. The overwhelming response to the first town hall made us go bigger this time. We’re asking supporters of Indivisible NJ 4th District to contribute to offset the venue’s rental fee and other costs.
Contributions to this endeavor are not tax-deductible in any way. The Steering Committee has committed to complete transparency about the handling of event funds, and we created a new bank account (at a community bank in the district) expressly for this purpose. Contributing to this campaign will allow Indivisible NJ 4th District to hold this town hall and prevent the Congressman and his allies in Washington from silencing the voices that need to be heard.
Will you join us in this effort to keep civil discourse alive?
