What is a "Telephone Town Hall Meeting?" Email I received from John Linder (GA)

Dear Mrs. -:

The critical issues that our nation faces directly touch the lives of individual Americans each and every day, and many of these issues will determine the future of our great country. Last month, I held the largest telephone town hall meeting of my career, and I attribute the extraordinary turnout to an escalating level of both distress and passion about these national issues in neighborhoods all across the Seventh District.

I receive letters and emails from hundreds of you every day, and I know that you feel the challenges that we face. We are a nation at war. Our military men and women are serving this nation around the globe, and with their increased sacrifice comes our increased obligation to look after our military families while their loved ones serve and to take care of our veterans when the fighting is over.

We are a nation in economic crisis. Today, as we experience our highest unemployment levels in decades, many American families face an increasing sense of alarm and disquiet in their households. Tomorrow, as our printing presses continue to run around the clock printing new money and selling new debt to the Chinese and to Middle Eastern oil exporters, the burden that our children will shoulder grows larger. I recognize that there is a role for the Federal government to play in minimizing this economic crisis, but I believe orchestrating a Federal takeover of American manufacturing and American banking is not the answer. I thought it was a bad idea when President Bush and his team began it, and I believe it is a bad idea now when President Obama and his team are expanding it. Government giveaways and interference in the free market brought us this crisis, and continuing that same behavior will exacerbate it, not solve it.

From what I see as a Federal takeover of health care to changes that I am calling a massive new Federal tax on energy--and thus our entire economy--that the President and Congressional Majority have proposed, I feel that the Federal government is poised to insinuate itself into our lives as never before.

A few callers in last month's town hall commented on the frightening nature of my report from Washington. Well, it is frightening. Actions in Washington have consequences. But there is much that can be done and much that we are doing, and I am looking forward to having the opportunity to hear from you and share with you about all of these issues. As we have seen time and time again, every voice matters. I truly believe that when Americans make their voices heard in Washington, Washington responds.

Below are the times and dates of my next two telephone town hall meetings. Simply call the number listed, give the password, and you will be connected to the call. As you can see below, the telephone number and password will be the same for both meetings.

Thursday, August 13, 2009
7PM-7:30PM
Call-In Number: 800-857-6263
Password: TOWN HALL

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
7PM-7:30PM
Call-In Number: 800-857-6263
Password: TOWN HALL

Hopefully, you will be able to join me for at least one of these meetings. With all of the information filters that exist today in the media, I truly value these personal gatherings. However, if you cannot be with me for either of these evenings, please check back on my web page in September as I will take the highlights of the August meetings and post them there.

May God bless you and our nation.

Sincerely,

John Linder
Member of Congress


PLEASE DIRECT ALL POSTAL CORRESPONDENCE TO:
1026 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20515-1007

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To contact me directly, please visit my Congressional website at
http://linder.house.gov/contactjohn/.
If you have received this message in error, please disregard. Thank you.
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and while it might seem to be a clever idea to shut down healthcare disruptors, it can be used against us some day.

What if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are still sending home a dozen body bags a week in four years? Wouldn't you like to be able to use the teabagger tactics to let your congresscritter know how you feel about that?

If you have to have a password.

In my state, you have to 'sign up', assuming you can - one of my Congresscritters puts a sign-up sheet on his website . . . after receiving a number of complaints about having nothing; another had her office call people and ask if they wanted to participate - that one is really 'invite only'.

Town Hall disruption is annoying, I agree - but I do not like these attempts to control who has access to our representatives. It just doesn't seem very democratic to me.