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To the editor:
It was very gratifying to see the large and diverse group of citizens that attended Saturday’s town hall meeting with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Questions from the floor were asked by the people who had traveled from outside our area, as well as local farmers and others concerned with energy and agricultural issues. Granted, due to time constraints, not everyone was able to be heard, but the questions were answered thoroughly and honestly by the secretaries on a number of subjects.
I would like to thank the people who made this event possible. First, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement people who ensured the safety of all in attendance.
Also, I appreciate the efforts of Freddie Wydner and Todd Haymore for coordinating this meeting.
But most of all, I want to thank Rep. Tom Perriello for bringing the focus on energy and agriculture to Southside Virginia. Although I have been a longtime Republican, I can still recognize when a Democrat is working hard on our behalf. I encourage everyone to step back and take a good long look at the job our new congressman is doing.
It was an honor and a privilege to host this event on my farm, and to meet and hear three of the leaders of our country in person. It made me proud all over again to be an American.
BUDDY MAYHEW
Blairs
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Reader Reactions
I was there. Perriello’s office worker took pictures of the protesters from the day before and no one who was there was called on to ask a question. Alot of the people were plants and not from the area. I was on the 5th row. I was not called on nor were the others. I would have loved to ask Tom about the “shovel ready “jobs and if they were going to arrive before or after the so-called “green jobs.“ But Tom is a coward and afraid to answer any questions from any of his opposition. Plus as smart as the energy sec was and even after he just came back from China he NEVER mention hydro-electric. Probably because the Govt. wants to mine for uranium and if it kills us they don’t give a crap! We are expendable!
I would say to all those folks who seem quick to judge about this meeting, unless you were actually there to witness the things that did or did not happen, then you are passing judgement without the facts. Kind of reminds one of the present ongoing hoopla that Obama remarked on (situation was “stupidly” handled by the police) regarding the policeman who arrested the Harvard professor for disorderly conduct. HE WASN’T THERE.
Dear Ragsquir,
The local Tea Party members claim they should have been allowed to use the limited time available to ask questions about Health Care to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy. Their questions had nothing to do with the purpose of the forum nor the expertise of the Secretaries. Also, in yesterdays paper, both Mr. Mayhew and and the questioners said that they were not given questions to ask. You are perfectly entitled to believe the allegations of the TeaPartyers, but there has yet to be evidence from it.
Mr. Mayhew,
I would like to know how you feel about a few members of the local Tea Party coalition being refused the right to ask any questions at this event.(They were told the questions were pre- arranged by some of those allowed to ask questions). I’m even more interested to know how you feel about these peaceful citizens being asked by the police to leave (supposedly at your request) and then being intimidated by plain clothes police car following them to their destination and taking license information from their cars. This event was advertised as open to the public and they were there as part of the public to exercise their right to question the government officials present. Is this your idea of the way America is supposed to work?
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