WATCH: Frelinghuysen Criticized At Essex County Town Hall

LIVINGSTON, NJ — According to members of citizen activist group NJ 11th For Change, when they reached out to U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen to ask that he hold a “town hall” style meeting for his constituents, he told them that finding a venue was “difficult.”

So they decided to find some for him.

This week, NJ 11th For Change members held a series of public, town hall meetings at four locations in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district, represented by Frelinghuysen, a Republican and chairman of the House Committee On Appropriations.

The 11th district includes several Essex County towns: Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Montclair, North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange.

On Thursday, 11th For Change held its fourth and final town hall at Temple B'nai Abraham in Livingston. The Facebook event page listed speakers including:

• Shawn Klein, Livingston mayor
• Joel Cantor, professor of public policy, Rutgers University
• Les Leopold, author and executive director of The Labor Institute
• Karol Ruiz, co-president, Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center
• Lloyd Naideck, chief of staff for Assemblyman John McKeon

During the event, which drew upwards of 500 people according to organizers, activists raised concerns about the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, possible cuts in federal funding for groups such as Planned Parenthood, and Frelinghuysen’s voting record, which they said consistently falls along GOP lines against the will of many of his constituents.

Frelinghuysen was not present at the event to address their concerns.

He sent Patch the following statement about his absence:

I am aware that certain groups have scheduled what they are calling ‘town hall meetings’ and I applaud the effort. I am happy that they are exercising their First Amendment rights to engage on the big issues of the day and endorse their right to free expression. But my goal is not argument. My goal is to continue the same civil discourse I have had with my constituents over the years. I will be continuing to visit all 54 communities in my district to meet with the people and listen to their concerns. And we’ll be having more telephone town hall meetings so I can engage with as many people as possible. I invite all constituents attending this week’s demonstrations to participate in our teletown hall meetings by passing along to our office a contact number.

Watch a video of the town hall below.

TELEPHONE TOWN HALL

On Tuesday, Frelinghuysen held a sparsely attended “telephone town hall” conference call which drew only a single reporter.

Frelinghuysen touted the telephone town hall as a success on a Twitter post the next morning, claiming that thousands of constituents were on the line.

• See related article: Frelinghuysen Holds Controversial, 'Invitation-Only' Telephone Town Hall

Photo: NJ 11th For Change, Facebook

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