By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Across the nation citizens are confronting their members of Congress at town halls. On Saturday afternoon, Bowling Green area residents had to settle for talking to a cardboard cutout of their congressman, Bob Latta.
An estimated 300 people squeezed into Peace Lutheran Church Saturday, overflowing into multiple rooms.
“We have tried to contact Bob Latta. He did not respond to our invitation,” said Debbie Dalke, one of several local residents who planned the town hall. Some attending wore “Where’s Bob Latta?” T-shirts. When asked how many have called or mailed Latta’s office, a sea of hands shot up.
“He has no reason to fear us,” Dalke said. But he does have a responsibility to provide checks and balances of the executive branch – something he and others were accused of abdicating.
Sandy Wicks, of Bowling Green, asked Latta how he justifies supporting President Trump’s dismantling of the federal government.
“Why aren’t you speaking out?” she asked. “If you sit back and say nothing, we will remember your unwillingness to save our community and our country.”
An older man from Bowling Green spoke with sadness about seeing what America has become. “Many of us in this room will not see our country recover in our lifetime,” he said.
Moderating the town hall was retired newscaster Jerry Anderson, a self-proclaimed “proud political independent.”
“He is not an outside agitator coming here,” Dalke said of Anderson, who lives in Bowling Green.
For nearly two hours, those attending the town hall voiced their concerns about Trump policies and the willingness of the legislative branch to relinquish its power to the president.
The comments were civil, with some eliciting applause and others prompting groans from the crowd.
“Let’s hear your voices,” Anderson said – letting loose constituents to talk about issues ranging from immigration, education and voting, to the environment, veterans and Social Security.
IMMIGRATION
The crowd at the town hall registered their support for deportation of those immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally and committed serious crimes while here. But that is not what is happening under Trump.
“If it’s a traffic violation, I don’t think we need to send them home,” said Catherine Cassara, of Bowling Green.
Sharlyn Katzner, of Bowling Green, said she is a granddaughter of immigrants from Mexico. She voiced her objections to people being “disappeared” in the U.S. for expressing their opinions.
“People deserve due process,” Katzner said. “Just because someone has a different opinion is not a reason to deport them. That’s not what our country was founded on.”
A man who just earned his doctorate at BGSU said several international students are worried about losing their Visas.
“They are living in constant fear,” he said.
A woman from Perrysburg asked Latta to follow the belief of U.S. Catholic bishops that “no person is illegal. Most people come to the southern border, through the ports of entry, asking for asylum. That is not illegal.”
Vassliki Leontis, of Bowling Green, expressed her horror at immigrants being sent to prisons for gangs in El Salvador, with no legal counsel, no recourse.
“They can be scooped up from the streets and find themselves in El Salvador,” she said.
Jean Geist, of Bowling Green, recounted being asked once how she would feel if an immigrant stole her son’s job. She realized that many immigrants are performing jobs that most Americans refuse to do – working 12 hours a day picking vegetables, laboring all day in slaughterhouses.
“They’re not taking jobs from my son,” Geist said.
John Coates, of Bowling Green, noted that many immigrants fill agriculture and construction jobs at a fraction of the cost of American workers. They pay an estimated $75 billion a year in taxes – yet only qualify for public assistance through the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
“They are people who are just trying to make a living,” he said.
VOTING
One woman made an impassioned plea for Latta to stand up against voter suppression being enacted under the false pretense of keeping non-citizens from voting. She spoke of the SAVE Act that requires voters to present certain paperwork proving citizenship when they register to vote.
“This is not OK. We are disenfranchised and scared. Please stand up for us,” she said to Latta.
If the name on a birth certificate doesn’t match the name on a driver’s license – as is the case with many women – other paperwork will be required to vote.
“This is what women are terrified of. I’ve called him and left lots of messages,” she said of Latta.
A father said he just suggested to his soon-to-be married daughter that she not adopt her husband’s last name. He then pointed out that men don’t have to jump through the same hoops.
“Think about that,” he said.
A Bowling Green citizen, who came here as an immigrant, expressed concern that she may not be able to vote in the next election. “My non-English birth certificate has a different name” than any of her other identification records.
EDUCATION
The father of a BGSU student majoring in special education criticized the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.
“Congress needs to let the president know he needs to follow the law and keep those departments,” he said.
Others questioned the requirement for “patriotic education,” that whitewashes the role of slavery in the U.S. Schools need to “teach the truth, voices said.
“Even if it’s uncomfortable,” Anderson added.
“Please stop the book banning,” another woman said.
Ginny Stewart, of Bowling Green, talked about the siphoning of tax dollars from public schools to private and parochial schools. Nearly 95% of the vouchers end up going to wealthy white kids – not lower and middle class kids, she said.
“Mr. Latta, why is this OK?” Stewart asked.
A school therapist talked about her effort to aid special needs students, in schools that already suffer from inadequate funding.
“I literally work in a closet next to a janitor’s work sink,” she said.
A teacher from Tiffin (also in Latta’s district) said she had left several phone messages for Latta about the federal government yanking library grants that had already been issued for summer reading programs.
“Everything is on pause,” she said.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Anderson started this topic by noting that the White House has vowed that Social Security won’t be cut. “Does anybody really believe that?”
In response, the town hall attendees erupted into laughter.
David Neuendorff, of Bowling Green, said if Congress wanted to solve the Social Security crisis, they could do it in one afternoon.
“Take the cap on earnings off,” he said. Instead, “they are standing to the side and letting Elon Musk destroy it.”
Meanwhile, the money will not go to the people who paid into Social Security. “The money is going to go to the rich,” Deuendorff said.
Esther Nagel, who lives outside Custar, said the new requirement that people must visit Social Security offices in person would be crippling to many older residents. Many in the outlying areas of the county don’t have transportation, she said.
John Coates, of Bowling Green, said the reduction in corporate taxes did not help the Social Security crisis. He noted other nations, like Germany, provide more services for residents and tax their corporations at higher rates.
“Their industries aren’t failing,” Coates said. “We could tax our industry, we could tax our wealthy, but we don’t.”
ENVIRONMENT
Town hall attendees expressed anger and sadness about Trump’s policies reversing any progress on climate change initiatives. Notable among them was his executive order to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
When Anderson tried to gauge the number of local residents who had seen their homeowners insurance rates skyrocket, hands again shot into the air.
And when Anderson repeated Trump’s energy policy of “drill baby drill,” groans filled the room.
While other nations are moving forward with efforts to address climate change, Trump is trying to return the U.S. to fossil fuels – even coal, said Joe DeMare, of Bowling Green.
Katie McKibben, of Pemberville, sought Latta’s action to defend climate change initiatives that promote clean water and air. Those are a matter of public health, she said.
“Isn’t Robert Kennedy going to take care of that,” quipped another town hall attendee.
Jan Knape, of Bowling Green, put in another request for her congressman.
“I would like Bob Latta to protect FEMA,” she said, noting the growing frequency and severity of climate catastrophes in the U.S.
Brittney Klockowski, of Weston, talked about her fear over the fate of national parks that under Trump may become victims to corporate greed. She asked Latta to intervene.
“I want him to preserve it for future generations,” Klockowski said.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION
A transgender man said he and his wife have talked about having children. But recently, some states are looking at laws deeming transgender people as unfit to have children. “How is that fair?” he asked.
Someone in the back of the church lamented, “Our country is not our country any more.”
Janet Parks, of Bowling Green, expressed her dismay about Trump’s policies on diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Why are the Republicans so opposed to diversity, equity and inclusion? That’s what our country is all about,” she said.
Parks talked about the chilling effect the policies are having at universities, and questioned the GOP’s focus.
“They seem to not be able to get their minds off sex,” she said.
A recent graduate from BGSU said he and his wife are questioning if their country of origin is where they want to continue living.
“I want to go into education,” he said. “But this country really hates children, teachers and women.”
Another man asked why Latta refuses to listen to local residents.
“Why are you so afraid of us? We’re your constituents,” he said.
If Latta were there, he would tell him about a belief that kids eat in school and senior citizens can get their medicines. “I don’t think that’s really radical.”
“I don’t think treating people respectfully is radical,” he added.
And a local postal worker asked Latta to stand up a house resolution that would privatize the postal service. Losing that service would disproportionately affect rural residents, older people and those with disabilities. It would also mess with voting access and medication deliveries, he said.
The postal worker said he has made calls and written letters to Latta, but has not heard anything back. “Where are you Bob? Where are you?” he said.
WHERE IS BOB LATTA?
In an email to BG Independent News, Latta said he had no intention of attending a town hall – nor does he believe such events are a true reflection of people in his district. “At this time, I will not provide a platform for orchestrated disruptions to create media spectacles,” he wrote.
But local constituents also wonder why GOP congress members are failing to fulfill their role in the third branch of the U.S. government.
One woman spoke of the lessons learned in seventh grade social studies, about the three branches and the checks and balances they are bound by the Constitution to perform. Why have the Republicans rolled over and allowed the executive branch to take the control that is assigned to them, she asked.
“If he doesn’t want to do his job anymore, we can find someone else,” the woman said.
“Where is the oversight?” Anderson said. “Why are they still getting paid?”
But Anderson pointed out the reality of the situation.
“You do realize Bob has this job for life. They draw these districts to ensure that,” he said.
