Rep. McHugh Says He Holds Public Forums

In todays Plattsburgh Press Republican Rep. John McHugh says:

More than seven years ago, I initiated the first "mobile office" program in the 23rd Congressional District, where my office regularly visits communities throughout our region, setting up shop for a morning or afternoon at a local venue to provide any citizen the opportunity to come and discuss any federal issue of their choosing. While this is a regular program routinely conducted by my staff, I personally hold these meetings when the congressional schedule allows. For example, over the past five months alone, I have personally conducted forums in nine communities, including Tupper Lake, Malone, Massena, Camden, Indian Lake, Mayfield, Gouverneur, Pulaski, and as recently as this past weekend, Waddington.

He goes on:

To the point of the Letters to the Editor in question, I am, frankly, at a loss to explain why, after more than seven years, some are apparently unaware of my efforts. None of the forums are held in secret. We issue press releases alerting the media of any upcoming meeting, we post the relevant information beforehand on my official Web site, and we call local officials to advise them I will be visiting their communities on a specific date and time. All of the events are open to the media and are often covered by newspapers, radio and television stations from the area. If any of the authors of the letters in question had inquired on this subject, perhaps this misunderstanding might have been avoided. Still, I have to assume that the responsibility to better communicate on this matter rests on my shoulders, as well.

You are damn right it rests on your shoulders Mr. McHugh. What good are public forums if people do not realize they are being held.