Paul Ryan charges admission to town halls, blocks angry constituents

[Playinghardball]

Source: Raw Story
By Kase Wickman

In what appears to be an effort to avoid the free-for-all town halls that have plagued recent contentious congressional recesses, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and other Republican members of Congress have chosen to charge admission to their home-district appearances.

Ryan will speak September 6 to the Whitnall Park Rotary Club in Greenfield, Wisc. Admission to the event is $15 per person and includes lunch.

Ryan has no free public town hall appearances scheduled during the recess.

The last time he held a free town hall, in Milton, Wisc. in April, Ryan was booed while trying to explain his proposal for the federal budget, which included drastic cuts to entitlement and benefit programs. Other Republicans around the country were on the receiving end of similar heat from their constituents. Ryan even had police remove one heckler from a town hall event in Racine, Wisc.

More at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/16/paul-ryan-charges-admission-to-town-halls-blocks-angry-constituents/

[Harmony Blue]

1. Double down Ryan?

Ayn Randian asking for money to watch him speak? Shocked.

[Snotcicles]

10. Ryan Roulette. nt

[pepito]

2. the money

is just for the POOR boys wine account...at 350 dollars a bottle the POOR BOY MUST charge admission:sarcasm:

[catbyte]

3. Jackass. Typical, charging constituents.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Then it's not a town hall meeting, it's a campaign fund raiser.

[Bluerthanblue]

5. isn't a Congressman a "public" servant? Shouldn't his constituents

have free access to him as their elected representative???

This seems like it should be against the law.

???

[gratuitous]

6. He's not charging admission

He simply outsourced the gate-keeper role to the Rotary Club. He's creating jobs! Besides, Paul Ryan's a superstar now, and if you wants to talk to the Big Man, you gots to pay.

[undeterred]

8. Maybe he's trying to raise funds for his possible presidential campaign.

[spedtr90]

7. MN's Cravaack - $10; AZ's Quayle $35

Not even pretending to be public servants any more. Paid access only.

"By outsourcing the events to third parties that charge an entry fee to raise money, members of Congress can eliminate most of the riffraff while still — in some cases — allowing reporters and TV cameras for a positive local news story."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61454.html

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. And only accepting scripted questions

The Town Hall idea has morphed into Republican focus groups. Home on the Range, where never is heard a discouraging word.

[Jkid]

11. The real question we should be asking is where will that money they pay will go?