The following letter was submitted to the Lakeshore Weekly News June 27, 2017:
To the Editor:
The Lakeshore Weekly News is an important resource for local information that falls under the radar of state and national news feeds. Thank you to reporter Patty Dexter for the exception to this in the June 22 edition by providing Congressman Erik Paulsen’s reaction to the attempted murder of congressmen in Washington DC on June 14th . This terrible assault on our democracy is a local issue because it was an attack on all Americans. The article also demonstrated access community news organizations have to our elected representatives and the opportunity they have to report on them. This is especially important because Congressman Paulsen has chosen to ignore his constituents and refuse on‐the‐record open public discussions.
Lakeshore Weekly is uniquely positioned to promote healthy political discourse because of its access to Paulsen which is not afforded, or is affordable, to his constituents. Lakeshore Weekly has the opportunity to raise the bar in reporting on Paulsen by asking him rigorous questions on his positions affecting our district and demanding complete and truthful answers. For example, Paulsen voted for legislation (H.J. Res. 40) to make it easier for those suffering from severe mental illness to purchase firearms. This regressive legislation was rejected by over 70% of voters and his friend, Gabby Gifford. The reporter could have asked Paulsen why he voted to remove checks and balances on the purchase of firearms by those diagnosed as a risk to themselves and/or others.
For future articles, Lakeshore Weekly could ask Paulsen to explain his eight years of votes supporting atrocious health care legislation that will harm tens of millions of Americans: the self‐insured, veterans, those over 50, and low income families. Lakeshore Weekly could ask him to explain why he has voted to eliminate funding of health care access for millions of low income women or report on his justification for his many votes to remove protections on the environment and consumers. Lakeshore Weekly could ask why his voting record in 2017 is aligned 100% with the Trump agenda and how his votes represent our district, or not. Most importantly, Lakeshore Weekly could ask Paulsen why he continually states on television, radio, and in news print that he has, and will continue to hold, regular town hall meetings. His unrelenting assertions of a history of holding town halls are patently false and he needs to be called out publicly for this blatant deception.
The Third Congressional District needs Lakeshore Weekly to consider in‐depth reporting that helps our elected representatives stand in the honest light of public scrutiny. We don’t need photo ops of Paulsen at parades and brew pubs. The real Erik Paulsen has been in the shadows for way to long and its time for him to be brought into the light. Lakeshore Weekly News can help.
John Albers, Minnetonka