Tag: Erik Paulsen

To the Editor:

I called my congressman’s office today to find out what he’s doing to stop the inhumane separation of children from their parents at our border. I was told by a staffer that Erik Paulsen issued a statement via social media on Friday, June 15, and that he opposes this policy. I had already read the statement and Paulsen used the expected words and phrases like “heartbreaking” and “just not what America is about.” Then he ended with this emphatic plan of inaction: “Tearing families apart should not be our policy and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security should reverse this decision.” (By the way, am I the only one who noticed he left Trump’s name out?)

I asked the staffer again what Paulsen’s actually doing about this problem beyond issuing a statement and the answer was, in so many words, nothing. While Paulsen sits on his hands as a member of the party that controls all of Washington, we see photos of children in cages and listen to audio of children crying for their moms and dads. In the face of this, my congressman is unwilling to do more than issue a measured statement. Continue reading “Erik Paulsen’s inaction on border crisis”

Too much money, particularly “dark money,” has fueled the political divide and created much of the gridlock we see in government. It is depriving “We the People” of genuine competition, free communication and meaningful choice in selection of leadership.

A while ago, I received one of Rep. Erik Paulsen’s “phone town hall” calls. I dialed *3 to indicate I wanted to ask a question and listened to the rest of the call. Several times Mr. Paulsen said, “If we don’t have time to get to your question, stay on the line … one of my staff will respond within 24 hours.”

So far, no response. Continue reading “Make election about issues, records”

To the Editor:

In 2017, Erik Paulsen voted to repeal net neutrality despite overwhelming public support by the American people in favor of keeping it.  About 83 percent of Americans believe in keeping net neutrality including 75 percent of Republicans.

So how much does it cost to buy a vote from Erik Paulsen?  We should ask the telecom companies that had a vested interest in repealing net neutrality.  They donated over $50,000 to his campaign. Continue reading “Why does Paulsen oppose net neutrality?”

To the editor:

How much does it cost to buy a vote from Erik Paulsen?

In 2017, Paulsen voted to repeal net neutrality despite overwhelming public support by the American people in favor of keeping it. About 83 percent of Americans believe in keeping net neutrality, including 75 percent of Republicans.

So how much does it cost to buy a vote from Erik Paulsen? Maybe we should ask the telecom companies that had a vested interest in repealing net neutrality. They donated over $50,000 to his campaign. Continue reading “What’s influencing Paulsen’s vote?”

To the editor:

The three small town halls that Erik Paulsen conducted late last month were insufficient to make up for the many, many years he has not had one. The demand for them has been great. But, until he had the competition of Dean Phillip’s many town halls for the past year, he didn’t feel he needed to do one, telling us his telephone town halls were good enough for us.

I “won the lottery” last week and was able to attend Paulsen’s town hall in Chanhassen, and was even able to ask a question. Wow, I’ve waited 40 years living in Edina to be able to do that. I have called Paulsen’s office many times concerning his votes and have tried to meet with him at his office (in small groups). I’ve emailed him repeatedly. I most definitely have not felt “represented.” Paulsen seemed to have prepared answers for questions and often evaded answering the questions, or he gave what seemed dishonest answers. Continue reading “Paulsen town hall meetings insufficient”

To the Editor:

My definition of representative is one who represents a group of people. My representative, Erik Paulsen, fails to meet the basic definition as stated.

He has failed over and over again to hold town hall meetings. Finally, he [recently] held what he calls town hall meetings in three different places voters had to request a ticket to attend, and I requested a ticket at all three locations and was instantly placed on a “waiting list “… ” told via e-mail that if I did get a ticket I must present a valid ID when I arrive at the meeting. Never did get a ticket.

I learned from others that none of the meetings were filled. This is not how Americans should be treated by their elected officials. These meetings were a total sham. I have been to plenty of valid town halls to know the difference. Continue reading “A representative should engage in honest conversation”

To the Editor:

In 2008, when Erik Paulsen was asked if he believes humans are contributing to climate change, he responded by saying, “I’m not smart enough to know if that’s true or not.” For the past 10 years he has denied the existence of climate change—until recently.

A few weeks ago, we found out that Erik Paulsen believes in climate change when he joined the House Climate Solutions Caucus. So, what changed his opinion to make him suddenly believe in what scientists have been saying for years? Maybe he remembered one of the many global climate summits that have been held during his years in office. Maybe this is a tough election year and he knows that the majority of the Third Congressional District believes that climate change is real. Whatever the reason, he has changed his opinion to support the facts; however, I am not impressed.

We need a leader who will try to solve big problems like climate change when they arise, and not just when it’s politically beneficial. If Paulsen isn’t smart enough to see the facts on climate change until now, maybe he shouldn’t be representing district three in Congress.

Sydney Lewis, Minnetonka
Minnetonka Sun-Sailor, June 19, 2018