Local progressives weren’t expecting U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., to radically change his views on issues like health care, abortion and President Donald Trump at his town hall sessions throughout the Southern Tier on Saturday, and the Republican congressman didn’t surprise.
Although some felt Reed sidestepped their questions, they appreciated Reed holding the public meetings at all — especially amid turmoil at other similar GOP sessions held across the country recently — and were moderately optimistic about pushing their agendas in the future.
“While he certainly said a lot of things that were troubling and problematic — his regular talking points on a lot of issues — he did say some things that led me to believe we might have some room for dialogue and lobbying and maybe coming to some places of agreement,” said Chris Stanley, a St. Bonaventure University professor whose organized recent meetings for local progressives.
Reed’s four town halls Saturday, which were attended by several hundred people, often turned into wide-ranging discussions with several moments of shouting and even confrontations between attendees with opposing views. Reed told the Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald after his Great Valley town hall that he felt the session, while chaotic at times, included “real conversation.”
While Reed’s mostly fit Stanley’s expectations, the professor said he was glad to hear Reed say prescription drug costs are a problem, that Social Security tax receipts should not be used for anything other than paying Social Security benefits, and that he supports refinancing student loans at lower rates.
“Sometimes he simply stated his viewpoint and that was that, but there were a couple points where he tried to engage in more dialogue, particularly over Social Security and student loan issues, and I respected him for that,” Stanley said.
Holly Scordo, an Olean resident who attended Reed’s Great Valley town hall, said while she doesn’t agree with the congressman, she was impressed he tried to discuss agreeable issues.
“He certainly has some ideas he’s not going to shift on and compromise on, his core beliefs, and that’s OK, but I did feel he was trying to find the things most people could agree on,” she said.
However, some felt Reed was unwilling to have discussions on other issues, like abortion. Jennifer Greenidge, a town of Olean resident who attended Reed’s Great Valley session because she feels women’s reproductive rights are being eroded, said Reed dodged a question about what he’d do to ensure women can make personal reproductive health care decisions.
“He turned it into why he’s pro-life, which did not answer the question,” Greenidge said.
Still, with some Republican congressmen refusing to hold town halls amid the testy political climate since Trump’s inauguration, Greenidge said she gives Reed “credit for showing up.”
Jil St. Ledger-Roty, of Franklinville, left disappointed there wasn’t enough time at the Great Valley town hall for other topics she’s concerned about, like race relations, nuclear tensions, and potential threats to public education and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“You can’t do that kind of thing in an hour. There are just too many questions people had,” she said.
Stanley wished for a more orderly discussion, rather than some resorting to yelling. The nature of the crowd led Reed to forgo answering written questions attendees filled out beforehand so he could speak with those who raised their hands or, in some cases, shouted out.
“Perhaps some of the people, who are not as vocal and whose thoughts and questions might have had good points, didn’t get to be heard or answered,” Stanley said.
However progressives were encouraged by the participation this weekend. Many said they and others had never before attended a town hall because, in a heavily conservative county like Cattaraugus, they feared they would be in the minority. They said something has changed locally since Trump’s election, with a number of residents speaking out politically for the first time.
“I can’t tell you how many people I have met and spoke to in the last three months who have never done anything politically (but now) because they’re just horrified they can’t keep quiet anymore,” said St. Ledger-Roty, who resolved after Election Day to do something political, like attending rallies, making phone calls and writing letters, once a day.
Stanley joked Trump was “the best thing that ever happened to progressives in our area.” Stanley, who organized anti-war meetings during the Iraq War, said the response to Trump tops anything he’s seen in his 17 years in the Olean area.
“I think it does give a sense of hope and empowerment to those of us who clearly seem to be of a numerical minority in this county and a sense that we can work together for good and not simply have to sit back and feel weak and powerless,” he said.
Stanley said he hopes to work with local conservatives by appealing to their needs, admitting he feels the Democratic Party has for years neglected the working class and the poor.
Both progressives and conservatives, he said, need to stop making assumptions about each other and look past their ideological blinders. At Saturday’s town hall in Great Valley, Stanley was approached by a Trump supporter who accused him of being a “baby killer” because he’s a progressive.
“I said, ‘No, not at all. I’m anti-abortion. I really support Catholic social teachings. I’m not a Catholic, but I really agree down the board with Catholic social teachings.’ He said, ‘You do?’” Stanley recalled. “I think one of the problems with our current system is people on both sides speak this kind of way about each other of being mindless people following their leaders. I said, ‘I’m a thoughtful person and you’re a thoughtful person. We don’t need to talk about each other that way.’”
