Houston area Town Hall meetings

[Kythas]

This was sent out from the Harris County Democrat Party, for all of you in the Houston area who might be interested. Swasticas, of course, are optional.

Congressmember Gene Green supports Healthcare Reform. He needs our support and input on this very important issue at these Townhall meetings. Please plan on attending one or more of these meetings and let him know that you support Healthcare Reform. Thank you for your help.

August 5th – 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
George Sanchez School
6001 Gulf Freeway, 77023

August 18th – 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hartman Community Center
9311 East Avenue P, 77012

August 19th – 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sterling Municipal Library
1 Mary Elizabeth Wilbanks, Baytown 77520

August 20th – 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Meadowcreek Village Community Center
5333 Berry Creek Dr., 77017

September 1st – 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
1201 Jeff Ginn Memorial Dr. Pasadena, 77506

[EHS]

Be careful. What you put up might border something "fishy" about Obamacare. The man will come knocking on your door.

[Kythas]

Be careful. What you put up might border something "fishy" about Obamacare. The man will come knocking on your door.

I'm pretty sure I'm already on The Man's radar.

Just to be sure, though, I should report myself.

[EHS]

Now you are falling in line just right!

[Chip]

August 19th – 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sterling Municipal Library
1 Mary Elizabeth Wilbanks, Baytown 77520

That one isn't all that far from my place of employment. Maybe I'll bring some of my right wing extremist friends.

IIRC, several years ago I heard an interview with Gene Green where he was talking about how important it was to reinstate the fairness doctrine.

[Kythas]

August 19th – 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sterling Municipal Library
1 Mary Elizabeth Wilbanks, Baytown 77520

That one isn't all that far from my place of employment. Maybe I'll bring some of my right wing extremist friends.

IIRC, several years ago I heard an interview with Gene Green where he was talking about how important it was to reinstate the fairness doctrine.

Be careful. You'll be busing in an angry mob.

[stevie_d_64]

I went to the one on the 5th...A room with a capacity for 50, was filled with 100 with about 30-40 outside in the hallway listening in...

They shut off the A/C to make it as uncomfortable as possible because they knew who was coming to this deal...

It was not much of a townhall as Rep. Green kept talking about the usual bullbutter for 45 minutes of the hour that he had the room booked for, and only 15 minutes for questions...

Typical liberal operating procedures...

What has developed over the last day or so is that he (Green) is going to screen people coming to his future townhalls to make sure to keep those of uus with differing opinions out of the process...

What I am going to try and find out is if this is a meeting open to the public (constituency or not), and they keep us from attending (inside, and have access to the meeting) is that cause for some lawsuit to be filed because they are violating my Constitutional right to petition my government to address my grievances??? Or something like that???

I don't care much to say anything...But if my presense alone causes the elected official and his few supporters that are there to be "uncomfortable", that is all I intend to do...

If all I do (and a few others with me) is shake my head in dissagreement (almost causing a neck injury ) and smile while doing so, not saying a word...If there is an argument that I am inciting "something"...Their reaction (whatever that might be) to that is not my problem...

If they initially and publically release the info on the meeting and it is to be open to the public, and then change the conditions, just because they are getting some heat from the public...That to me is just a plain case of tough noogies...Deal with it...

I'm still planning on attending the Pasadena event on the 1st, at the "public" library...And I hope I am able to get in and send the congressman back to D.C. with something serious to consider on these infringements on our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness...

Interesting times we live in people!

Make the most of it while we can...These elected officials are NOT above reproach!!!

[Chip]

Hey, stevie_d, let me know what you find out... I've been hearing that Rep. Green has been having folks check and record driver license information and not letting you in if you're not in his district.

You know, if he is limiting attendance because he really wants to hear from his constituents and wants to make sure that they get time with him, that would be one thing... but that's not the case, of course.

Recording driver license information? That sounds like an intimidation tactic, just like the snitch@whitehouse.gov thing. That approach bothers me more than anything else that's going on right now - openly encouraging citizens to report on other citizens. That's vulgar, obscene, and I cannot understand how even our left-leaning media can allow it to happen unchallenged.

[stevie_d_64]

Hey, stevie_d, let me know what you find out... I've been hearing that Rep. Green has been having folks check and record driver license information and not letting you in if you're not in his district.

You know, if he is limiting attendance because he really wants to hear from his constituents and wants to make sure that they get time with him, that would be one thing... but that's not the case, of course.

Recording driver license information? That sounds like an intimidation tactic, just like the snitch@whitehouse.gov thing. That approach bothers me more than anything else that's going on right now - openly encouraging citizens to report on other citizens. That's vulgar, obscene, and I cannot understand how even our left-leaning media can allow it to happen unchallenged.

Part of my answer would violate the decorum of this forum, which I will not do...

If they limit attendence, my refusal to divulge personal information to screen me from that meeting is a Constitutional violation of my right to free speech, and open meetings act...They called these meetings, and laying conditions (for accessing) to those meetings already in the public record is not a good thing (I'll leave it at that)...

I don't know of any elected official I know who would put conditions like that regardless of the fear that the public might be a little unruly...

Get with me offline...I plan on going to the townhall in Pasadena (Sept. 1st), just because...And to keep me from attending because I do not live in the district is not correct...I will be attending because I have been given instructions by a constituent (mother-in-law) who will be unable to attend because of medical reasons, so I am representing her in that meeting...

You need to go...Plain and simple...These people are NOT above reproach, they are NOT above the law, and they are certainly NOT in a position to be picky about who they want to surround themselves with...If you cannot take the heat of the constituency and of anyone who is a citizen of this country, then don't you dare run for, and be elected to office...

Some of the best people I know are people who do not agree with me on issues and policies...And I hold their opinions with the highest regard and respect...It is not a weak position to take,because we all know you can compramise politically, I just don't compramise my principles and core values...And believe it or not that is a pretty thick line in the sand as far as I can see...

Some politicians do not have much of a line...Gene Green sometimes doesn't even draw one sometimes...And he needs to be reminded that his existence is tenuous at best...His political opposition is gaining and is a real threat to his power he has on that committee of his...

Check your PM's...

[LaUser]

if they limit attendence, my refusal to divulge personal information to screen me from that meeting is a Constitutional violation of my right to free speech, and open meetings act...They called these meetings, and laying conditions (for accessing) to those meetings already in the public record is not a good thing (I'll leave it at that)...

Actually it is not a violation of your First Amendment rights. The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Since no there is no law that limits your right to free speech in this case, your rights have not been violated. You cannot be arrested for only speaking or your expressing your views, because there is no violation of the First Amendment. And limiting who may attend is nothing new. The Council for National Policy has been doing that for years. It is attended by many of our nation's top federal officials, elected and appointed, and the public and press are excluded. Republican George W. Bush limited who attended his speeches throughout his tenure as President. Dissidents were not welcomed and if they tried to push the issue they were arrested.

Also, not all speech is protected by the First Amendment. If a person were to act as to disrupt the meeting, shout down others, make threats, then that person could be asked to be quiet or leave or possibly get arrested. The town hall meetings are for expressing your opinion. The First Amendment does not give license to get carried away doing so, nor does is protect attendance.

[Chip]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 63705.html

“There seems to be an organized Republican effort to have people come to a Democrat's town meeting and dominate the discussions,” [Rep. Gene] Green said. “Some have admitted they don't live in my area. This has never happened to me before.”

He plans to hold more meetings and only admit those who live in his district. Green said many citizens seem to have misconceptions about the plan. He said it will be a boost for his lower-income district, which has many more uninsured residents than The Woodlands.

I call bull on the highlighted statement. It's not a Democrat's town meeting - it's a town meeting hosted by an elected representative of the people. Admitting only those who live in his district is different from complaining about "Republicans coming to a Democrat's town hall meeting". Of course, I guess it's OK that ACORN is busing their paid protesters all over the place to hold up signs that some of them have admitted to not being able to read.

In 1995, the Democrats were screaming at Republican town hall meetings, working to derail the Contract with America. Apparently, that was OK. Then we have the Hilary scream from a few years ago about how important dissent is in America. I guess that doesn't apply now.

[bdickens]

No, of course not. Don't you understand? Only leftists like our dear friend LaUser are allowed to protest against government shenannigans. One thing our dear friend convieniently forgets is that The Council for National Policy is not a public meeting for the ostensible purpose of a Congressman to hear from his employers what they want him to do. It is a private organization.

[pdubyoo]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 63705.html

“There seems to be an organized Republican effort to have people come to a Democrat's town meeting and dominate the discussions,” [Rep. Gene] Green said. “Some have admitted they don't live in my area. This has never happened to me before.”

He plans to hold more meetings and only admit those who live in his district. Green said many citizens seem to have misconceptions about the plan. He said it will be a boost for his lower-income district, which has many more uninsured residents than The Woodlands.

I call bull on the highlighted statement. It's not a Democrat's town meeting - it's a town meeting hosted by an elected representative of the people. Admitting only those who live in his district is different from complaining about "Republicans coming to a Democrat's town hall meeting". Of course, I guess it's OK that ACORN is busing their paid protesters all over the place to hold up signs that some of them have admitted to not being able to read.

In 1995, the Democrats were screaming at Republican town hall meetings, working to derail the Contract with America. Apparently, that was OK. Then we have the Hilary scream from a few years ago about how important dissent is in America. I guess that doesn't apply now.

Let us not forget that we are paying our taxpayer $ to ACORN for them to do what they do. That is WRONG! I am so tired of hearing the Dems scream foul when someone speaks-out against their ideology or actions, even from other Dems that don't agree with them. It will be my absolute pleasure to do everything possible to vote these non-representing representatives out of office.

I'm OK with limiting a town hall meeting to constituents only. After all, that is what they are for...for a representative to get feedback from his/her constituency for the purpose of properly representing them. But when a constituent is denied the right to address the representative in that meeting, due to a differing viewpoint, I start screaming foul.

[myron243]

Does anyone else find it amusing that while Green voted against photo ID at the voting booth he is requiring photo ID to attend "his" meetings?

[74novaman]

Does anyone else find it amusing that while Green voted against photo ID at the voting booth he is requiring photo ID to attend "his" meetings?

Good call. but at the same time and