Has Anyone Seen Keith Rothfus (R-PA-12)?

[blue neen]

Several PA-12 constituent groups have been attempting to get Rep. Rothfus to hold a Town Hall Meeting. It turns out that Rothfus has not scheduled a Town Hall. His Field Staff also will not meet with some constituents as scheduled and will no longer take their phone calls.

One would sincerely hope that Rep. Rothfus and his Field Staff remember that it is the taxpayers who pay their salaries. It is also the taxpayers who pay for the wonderful Health Insurance that Rothfus, his wife and six children receive....Health Insurance that he would deny to many of us if Obamacare or Medicaid are repealed.

Surely, Keith Rothfus would not dismiss our First Amendment rights to Freedom of Speech. He and his staff work for us, not for corporations. We have the right and the responsibility to let him, and all of our representatives in Congress know how legislation affects us. We the people, ya know?

We're not "Paid Protesters" out here. We are simply citizens of this district trying to communicate to our Rep. We're afraid and angry about proposed bills and laws and repeals that could harm us and our loved ones. It is ironic that some Republicans are labeling any protests from the center and left as "Paid", when, after all, it was the Koch Brothers who financed the Tea Party Movement.

The residents of PA-12 and all of the other gerrymandered districts of Pennsylvania don't want to be paid. We want to be heard.

[guillaumeb]

1. Surround his offices with picketers.

Call the media to alert them to who you are and why you are taking action.

Use social media and write to the local papers as well.

All part of putting them on notice.

[blue neen]

2. Thank you for the suggestions.

Some of the organizers are meeting at the Solidarity March tomorrow at Pitt to make further plans re: Rothfus.

http://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2017/02/17/solidarity-rally-and-march-tomorrow-in-pittsburghs-schenley-plaza

[guillaumeb]

3. These cowards must be forced to account for their actions.

Or shamed in public for failing to do their jobs. Paul Ryan only had the House in session for 115 days in 2016. They have plenty of free time.

[blue neen]

5. Daily Kos named Rothfus Crazy Republican of the Day last summer:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/7/4/1544943/-CSGOPOTD-Keith-Rothfus

[guillaumeb]

7. Nice touch.

In Illinois, GOP shill Peter Roskam is similarly refusing to meet with actual voters from his District. Except in tiny groups and no media allowed.

[PA Democrat]

4. So many Americans are living in fear and our "representatives"

won't take our calls and won't meet with us!

People are not protesting because they are paid, but because it is the only way we are able to have our voices heard.

I have made HUNDREDS of attempts over the past few weeks to call Pat Toomey's offices and have constantly gotten busy signals and messages that his voice mailbox was full. He has no time to meet with his constituents but makes all the time in the world for the greedy Koch brothers who don't even live in our state.

[blue neen]

6. Toomey's another one who seems to be MIA.

Last edited Sat Feb 18, 2017, 12:02 AM - Edit history (2)

Maybe the Koch Bros. built him a Tiny House somewhere in DC where he can hide from everybody.

The weekend that Trump's infamous "Immigrant Ban" hit, Toomey was partying on the West Coast with the Koch Bros. while Senator Casey was at the Philly airport, trying to help innocent people. Sen. Casey was showing everyone what public service is all about, meanwhile....

Toomey's despicable.

[blue neen]

8. HEADS UP!

Beaver Valley Indivisible is planning:

OUR TOWN HALL WITH OR WITHOUT CONGRESSMAN KEITH ROTHFUS on February 21 at the Beaver Borough Building, 469 Third St., Beaver, PA 15009.

[DeminPennswoods]

9. Cool! (Time 6:30-8:30 PM)

I think I will saunter on down.

Apparently GOP leadership is telling reps and sens to do social media, telephone townhalls or only pre-scheduled small group meetings where they have more control of the audience. They don't want to be accused of hiding, but they don't want to be too available either.

[blue neen]

12. I thought I remembered you posting something about being from Beaver County.

Thanks for putting the time up there!

I believe some members of Kiski River Valley Indivisible are planning on attending.

[DeminPennswoods]

13. Yep and no problem

I went to the Indivisible website and there are a ton of groups. Kiski Valley and Butler(!) are too very red areas of the state. Beaver, the town, is a big GOP stronghold.

[blue neen]

14. Northern Westmoreland (Kiski River Valley) is "hella" red.

Butler County will be notorious in my mind for one thing. It was the last county they were waiting for to come in for the PA results. Upon hearing that, I knew that PA was going for Trump, because Butler County always goes Republican.

It was such a devastating feeling.

[DeminPennswoods]

15. Westmoreland seems happy with Trump

I usually only go to the Trib website to read the sports, but today there was a headline about Trump voters in Westmoreland Co being happy with Trump. They interviewed a few people at some bar who were happy with Trump although there was smidgen of skepticism in a couple of them.

[DeminPennswoods]

10. Also Townhall 2/19 (today) @ Sewickley Public Library, 2-4PM

Welcome Home, Keith Rothfus
February 19, 2017• 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Sewickley Public Library
500 Thorn ST
Sewickley, PA 15143

Host Contact Info: Quaker Valley for Common Goodness
Link: https://www.facebook.com/qv4commongoodness/

[blue neen]

11. Thank you so much for the info!

We can no longer afford to be silent....

[DeminPennswoods]

16. Keith was a no show in Sewickley, but apparently

a good time was had by those who showed up to welcome him home.

[DeminPennswoods]

17. Rothus didn't RSVP to Beaver townhall

Link: http://www.timesonline.com/news/governmentandpolitics/town-hall-on-potential-repeal-of-affordable-care-act-planned/article_3210b41c-f799-11e6-b575-4fa4c0090210.html (goes behind paywall after 24 hrs)

Rothfus, R-12, Sewickley, who has long argued for repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was invited by organizers “to share his plan to keep them and their loved ones covered,” according to an email from SEIU Healthcare PA, which represents nurses and other health-care workers in the state.

Karen Gownley, a spokeswoman for SEIU Healthcare PA, said Rothfus did not respond to the invitation by Feb. 15 as requested. As of Monday, Gownley said about 160 people had committed to attend the event.

Rothfus' office did not respond to a message seeking comment on Monday, a federal holiday.

A similar town hall in Allentown is being held Tuesday night to which U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh County, has been invited, said the Pennsylvania Health Access Network in a subsequent email.

[blue neen]

18. Really, this is such unbecoming behavior for an elected official.

Rothfus has been voting to repeal Obamacare for years now. Why can't he show up and tell us what is the replacement plan?

He should be there to tell us how he is working to protect our Social Security, just like he promised during the last campaign.

[DeminPennswoods]

19. Maybe he'll make a surprise appearance

You never know!

[DeminPennswoods]

20. Keith was a no show (surprise!)

There was an overflow crowd although not out the door tonight in the Beaver municipal building community room. If I had to guess, I'd say 150 or so. It was pretty well organized with participants asked to give contact info and/or sign up for text alerts. Mostly it was people telling their healthcare stories and also learning some facts about what the GOP has in store as far as "replacement".

The crowd got up a couple good chants near the end with "ACA must stay" and another that was funny, but that my old brain cannot remember.

We all held up paper with our zip codes on it to show Keith we're all his constituents.

In other news, the emcee who's head of the local progressive dems said there are a lot of people stepping up to run for office. There was a gent running for county court and also another gent, but he didn't say what office he was running for.

We all got cake and a non-alcoholic drink on the way out.

We might have even planted the seeds for a local Indivisible group.

[DeminPennswoods]

21. Local story

Link: http://www.timesonline.com/news/governmentandpolitics/crowd-packs-town-hall-on-affordable-care-act-missing-posters/article_de8223fa-f8a9-11e6-a8b8-4fc5a90602a7.html

U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-12, Sewickley, was invited, but did not attend. Rothfus, though, was a hot topic for the crowd, who chuckled at an early comment about him being unavailable before shifting to hearty boos.

Yellow cards addressed to Rothfus, who has made repealing and replacing the ACA his main goal, were placed in every chair so that attendees could share their personal stories of the ACA with him.

and

Besides using the meeting to galvanize opposition to repealing the ACA, Shannon said she hopes that energy lasts into the 2018 election, when Rothfus is up again.

“I’m building a campaign committee,” she said. “I’m building a constituency to vote against him.”

I forgot to note, I saw someone with a muppet that looked strikingly like Rothfus. I don't know why no one set it on the front table for the crowd to "address".