Absent Tom Barrett, 7th District town hall meeting lets constituents express concerns, frustrations

BY ERICK DÍAZ, MICHIGAN ADVANCE

LANSING—It was no surprise that US Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) did not attend a town hall Tuesday night organized by the AFL-CIO and the NAACP in response to the freshman Congressman’s refusal to hold an in-person meeting to hear the requests of community members and civil organizations.

Regardless, dozens of constituents of Barrett’s 7th Congressional District gathered at the UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 333 in South Lansing to vent their frustrations about the policies and changes initiated by the Trump administration.

Harold Pope, president of the Lansing branch of the NAACP, took the microphone to start the town hall and emphasized Barret’s absence, which was greeted by a chorus of boos.

“What is more important is that you care, you are here tonight, and why are we here tonight is to hear you, your voices, and your concerns, so we take those concerns way back to Rep. Barrett, so he can do the work. It’d be nice if he were here, so he could take our feedback,” said Pope.

While several Democratic and Republican Michigan politicians were invited, the event was attended in person by only five Democratic lawmakers; State Reps. Julie Brixie (D-Meridian Township), Kara Hope (D-Holt), Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor Township), Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing), and state Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing).

State Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), and State Reps. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton Township), Angela Witwer (D-Delta Township), and  Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) did not attend the meeting, but did send representatives.

Barrett’s absence fueled attendees’ frustration and concerns at the event and once they were invited to speak during the open mic, began writing down their remarks as people formed a line to speak.

Barrett’s assigned seat, a few feet in front of the microphone, remained as an empty chair in front of the microphones during the two-hour-long time that the town hall continued.

The community members’ comments covered diverse topics including taxes, deportation of immigrants, the impeachment trial against Trump, Medicaid, and Social Security, among other concerns that were targeted toward Barrett’s empty chair.

“We are being lied to. We have to watch closely what they are doing. They are going around our Social Security, they’re gonna cut stuff, they’re gonna cut funds, and then they’re gonna say Social Security doesn’t work, we have to privatize it”, said Janet Roemer, 76, during her speech, which received enthusiastic applause from the crowd. “And the only way we’re gonna stop this is if we make our congress people more afraid of us than they are of Trump.”

Some members of the public expressed frustration at Barrett’s absence, arguing that he was not doing his job as a representative of the people.

“We’re the ones paying their salaries; they live off our taxes, so they should represent us. But as you can see, he [Barrett] isn’t here. That’s just wrong,” said Lorenzo Lopez, a Lansing activist and resident.

At about 8 p.m., the event came to an end, leaving behind the emotional speeches in which some left the microphone with their voices breaking.

“The fear. Being 76, and being afraid all the time, are they gonna take my Social Security? Are they gonna take my Medicare? And how am I gonna survive?” added Roemer as the town hall wrapped up.

A request for comment was sent to Congressman Barrett’s office, but has yet to be returned.

READ MORE: Republican congressman from Michigan won’t meet with voters—so Dems are doing it for him

This coverage was republished from Michigan Advance pursuant to a Creative Commons license.