Rep. Bean Town Hall Meetings?
Bill Scheurer
Are any Chicagoland media going to write anything about Rep. Bean’s “town hall” meetings – or more accurately, lack thereof?
Doesn’t “representation” at least include engaging the public in an honest and open way, especially when the problems are hard?
Bill Scheurer
2010 Candidate
U.S. House – IL 8TH District
Cone of Shame Award: Democrat Rep. Melissa Bean
By Michelle Malkin • August 20, 2009 09:02 AM
She billed her $25/person Chamber of Commerce pow-wow as a “town hall,” then had it changed after getting smoked out.
Then she hastily convened a telephone town hall, but didn’t notify constituents until the last minute.
Reader Mary in Johnsburg, Illinois e-mailed last night:
Hi Michelle,
I am a constituent of Melissa Bean here in Illinois. This evening I guess she held her so-called town meeting. I received a phone call at approx. 8:50pm this evening and it was a phone (town hall) meeting that was already in session…almost near completion as well.
There was no way for me, or most other people for that matter, to even speak our concerns to her because of the nature of the meeting itself being a “phone” meeting!
…Wasted tax dollars on this phone meeting where we only get to hear those who get through the screener and Melissa feed us some more of her twisted tales of health care…
Just thought you should know. I am
also going to be outside of her office here in Illinois on Sat. August 22nd.
Maybe I should bring a camera along so others can see just what unruly
astroturf we are 
Reader Jim in Mundelein, IL:
I was signed up for IL Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s tele-town hall meeting tonight, but I never received a call as promised. I was told that I would receive a call between 8:20 and 8:30 CST. Instead I received a call just before 9:00 CST tonight with Melissa Bean’s recorded voice saying that she was sorry that I was unavailable when she called earlier in the evening. She then went on to list a number of topics that they had discussed during the “town hall meeting.”
I know they never called because I’ve been sitting by the phone waiting for her call all evening. They obviously had my phone number and name on their list or I wouldn’t have receive the apology call at 9:00. Perhaps they recognized my name from letters that I’ve sent in opposition to Obamacare.
But the biggest problem I have is believing that they actually managed to hold a town hall meeting, take questions from all of her passionate constituents, cover all of the topics she mentioned in the phone call and manage to have the meeting last less than 30 minutes.
Give me a break!
Reader Barbara in IL:
I just talked to her staffer and only people who have signed up previously will be on a telephone townhall tonight (approx 8:30 cst ).
I have called her office for 3
weeks to find out where and when she would be meeting with 8th district
residents. I was told repeatly that the scheduler was working on it. I asked
numerous times if it was a face to face vs a telephone town hall. I was lied
to. She is a coward-an arrogant incompetent coward.
I guess I’ll have to get my signs ready and get to the Concorde banquet
facility for the Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Bacon Eggs and BS.
And from John Ruberry at Marathon Pundit:
While driving around Marathon Pundit-land, I switched on Mancow Muller’s WLS-AM show, and found out that alleged-Blue Dog Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) will be holding a conference call “town hall” meeting.
Can anyone participate?
No.
I just called Bean’s office, and a nervous man answered the phone that the list of names of people who have contacted Bean’s office in the past can participate in tonight’s call.
I asked her staffer if I could be added right now, he said that “It was too late, the list for tonight’s call has already been submitted to a private company.
Bean is a coward, plain and simple.
But if you are on Bean’s contact list, you will receive a call between 8:20pm and 8:30pm CDT this evening. Answer that call.
Bean voted for both the $787 billion stimulus bill and the national energy tax, better known as cap and trade. She’s considering a second stimulus.