To the editor:
Please, Sean Boylan, tell me how I and other “progressives” have engaged in misleading or dishonest tactics as we work to support the candidacy of Dean Phillips to replace Erik Paulsen who, among other actions, voted to undermine efforts to provide health care to everyone, who voted for tax breaks for companies that are now buying back their own stocks to further enrich the 1 percent, who voted to allow gun owners from states with less strict laws to roam free in those states with more stringent ownership standards, voted to weaken tools used to conduct background checks, voted to eliminate protection of surface waters in mining districts, and who voted to scrap many consumer protections that were implemented following the 2008 financial crisis.
What is misleading or dishonest about our demanding that Erik Paulsen stand before an open meeting of his constituents and try to justify his votes on these and other matters that are of great concern to of most of us in the 3rd Congressional District?
The misleading and dishonest tactic is the telephone “town hall” that Paulsen holds where questions are screened and then not actually answered and the caller is cut off before a follow-up can be asked.
Rest assured, I along with many others have experienced this make-believe listening to constituents.
So, please provide evidence of the tactics you claim we have exhibited. And while you are at it, please tell us what we can expect from you should you end up “out of power politically.” Can we expect you to “engage in a variety of misleading or dishonest tactics to regain … power?”
That might characterize you, but it certainly does not represent my values or those with whom I now work to support Dean Phillips.
Michael Waring, Edina
Edina Sun-Current