Access by fundraiser - Dems are out of touch with the poor/working class.

[paineinthearse]

My letter to Massachusetts state party chair Johnson.

Dems are out of touch with the poor/working class.

My US representative has not held a town hall meeting in my area in months. However, I have been invited to several fundraisers. The most recent will feature Senator Kerry.

Damned if I am going to pay $100 for breakfast and access. My rep has not responded to several offers to coordinate a town hall meeting in my area. He has not even responded to send a staffer to speak at a town committee meeting.

Damned if I can afford even more to attend the annual Roosevelt dinner where every elected Dem in the state will be attending. See the list of prices, it is outrageous. www.massdems.org/docs/replycard.pdf -

Minimum is $200 - maximum $5000!. Note at the $2000 & $5000 levls, one gets to attend a "special reception" -WOOHOO! What planet to they think we live on? Maybe rubbing elbows with Joe Kennedy will entice some, but that does not fit my lifestyle, thus these politicians are out of touch with my reality.

I have heard that the median income of dem presidential nomination convention delegates was higher than GOP delegates?

Get real, dems. Hold your high priced fundraisers if you must, but for every one you do, offset with monthly (or more frequent) open-access town meetings.

Your money-grabbing is driving the poor and disenfranchised away. Remember, those are the ones you will be begging for votes. It is much better to reach out through town halls throughout the year than through mass-media in November. Build personal realtionships and perhaps you would not need to be chasing so much money. Implement publicly financed campaigns and again you would not need to chase money.

p.s. I don't know about you, but as I cannot attend the even the minimum ($200), I will be joining others at the Iraq teach-in at Faneuil Hall that same night - www.democraticunderground...s=158x3774

[paineinthearse]

1. If you agree

Please send a copy to Philip Johnston, Chair
[email protected]

thank you