To the Editor:

Recently I noticed something exciting: Citizens of District 21 are trying to organize a town hall with Representative Elise Stefanik. The event, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. on April 15 at the Canton High School, aims to give Rep. Stefanik a space to connect with many of her constituents in person.

Stefanik has said she will not be able to attend the meeting.

I am optimistic that this meeting will be both productive and informative for Rep. Stefanik, providing opportunities for both positive and critical feedback.

To date, Rep. Stefanik has hesitated at the idea of doing public town halls, suggesting that they would devolve into “political theater.” Instead, she has favored meetings with small groups of lobbyists that occur behind closed doors, with no formal or public record of these gatherings.

Some of the people I have spoken to have raised concerns about these meetings, suggesting that they are little more than photo opportunities, especially considering that it is unclear if they truly influence her voting patterns.

These small meetings are supplemented with large telephone based town halls. Unfortunately, this format limits opportunity for dialogue because the audience cannot ask follow ups or show their support or disapproval to questions.

The public town hall doesn’t suffer from these issues. A moderator will keep the tone civil and constructive, but the audience will be able to hold up “agree” and “disagree” cards to silently express if a question has been adequately answered.

There will also be a media presence and video recording to make sure that there is accountability for both attendees and Rep. Stefanik. The end result is an opportunity for a constructive back and forth between constituents and representative.

Personally, I am looking forward to praising representative Stefanik for her vote to retain rules that prevent ISPs from gathering and selling our browsing data. I appreciate her breaking party lines on this.

On the other hand, I also plan to voice my concerns regarding Stefanik’s refusal to disclose her position on the American Healthcare Act. Her constituents deserve to know how she would have voted on this crucial bill.

I hope that you will join me in participating in our Democracy on the 15th!

Matt Manierre

Potsdam