To the Editor,

Last week, I sent Congressman Lawler a petition signed at the time by about 750 constituents (signatures keep rolling in) demanding that he conduct his taxpayer-funded District town halls, held in public spaces, in a more open way, so that he actually must listen to the concerns of his constituents.

During his first term, his town halls were so heavily regulated that the ability of constituents to have a conversation with him was basically nonexistent – even though he would solemnly swear in his introductory words that “conversation” was what he wanted.

No follow up questions were allowed (enforced by calling up deputy sheriffs to threaten the questioner with removal if they dared try), no photography, and no recording of sound or video. Most egregiously, he initially excluded ANY press coverage – folding only when the public pressure of his constituents got too great.

While it was in place, this no-press rule meant that a professional journalist (a constituent) had her phone and camera confiscated by Lawler staff prior to being allowed to enter the town hall in her capacity as a constituent.

On Sunday, April 27, Congressman Lawler will finally hold the 1 st of 4 promised town halls, this one in Rockland County (in addition to Rockland, the 17th Congressional District also includes Putnam, northern Westchester and a small section of Dutchess).

But as we all learned in his first term, it isn’t really a “town hall” when it consists almost entirely of longwinded, and typically non-responsive, filibustering by the Congressman, when the choice of questioners (controlled by the Congressman) is restricted almost entirely to supporters including Republican elected officials who, unlike ordinary constituents like us, have access to the Congressman outside of the town hall , when Lawler dismisses the value of any question that challenges his beliefs as coming from “left wing media,” and when there is no opportunity to ask follow up questions.

Will he listen to us? Experience from his 1st term has not made us optimistic but we believe we must continue to demand better of him. And we will.

Margaret Yonco-Haines
Garrison, NY