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Schenectady
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko blocked off two hours Monday evening for a town hall meeting with constituents.
Then overtime began.
For more than two hours at Schenectady County Community College, the Amsterdam Democrat took questions on environmental policies pushed by President Donald Trump's administration, the manufacturing workforce, efforts to repeal of the Affordable Care Act, hate crimes that have gained considerable attention since the election and other topics.
He then prepared to take on one-on-one meetings with more than a dozen constituents.
Though interest in the Tonko town hall was as high as interest in similar forums held by his Republican colleagues, it was comparatively tranquil.
It also was more congenial than Tonko's last major town hall — a Bethlehem event in 2009 that included vocal vitriol against and support of the yet-to-be-passed Affordable Care Act.
On Monday, he was greeted by raucous cheering. As he took the stage, one woman exclaimed, "Hero!"
Tonko told hundreds of constituents he is looking forward to a conversation with the president that looks ahead at policy, not back at the Electoral College, popular vote and crowd sizes.
"When I have a chance to meet with President Trump, I will share some very strong feelings about climate change, about our stewardship of the environment, about public lands and the importance of preserving those lands, about our stewardship not only with the water and air and soil that we require, but with wildlife, too, showing a deep respect for our ecosystem," he said.
One person sought information on how constituents can assist Tonko in pushing back against the repeal of Obamacare. The Democrat repeated his stance that a replacement plan must be ready before lawmakers vote to repeal.
"I say, replace in place before you repeal," he said. "There's three standards of acceptance for the repeal package: affordability, accessibility, quality of care. If any of those is denied or reduced, no plan. No approval."
On the Capital Region economy — for decades supported by, as Tonko put it, a necklace of mill towns — the congressman pointed to the need for hands-on training and retraining for an advanced manufacturing workforce.
Asked about recent instances of anti-Semitic rhetoric and bomb threats called into Jewish community centers nationwide, including in Albany, Tonko took a serious tone.
"We're not in this business to set that kind of tone," he said of elected officials. "True leaders bring people together. True leaders respect the diversity that is us, that is America."
Tonko received sustained applause.
That kind of fluid, supportive question-and-answer session isn't what some Republicans have experienced at their events as anger persists at the Trump administration's early actions and some planned GOP majority actions in Congress, such as repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
MoveOn.org, a website that progressives can use to organize, was billing Tonko's town hall as an opportunity to "have your voice heard about concerns you have in your community."
"Democrats need to stand up and protect all Americans," the event listing stated.
Compare that to what was listed for a protest being organized for Saturday at U.S. Rep. John Faso's Kinderhook office.
"Protest Congressman Faso's refusal to speak to constituents," the listing stated. "Support ACA, PPH. NY CD 19 is a swing district. We need your support!"
Faso told the Times Union last week that a small constituent meeting setting will be "much more productive than some mass meeting where people stand up and scream."
On Monday Tonko told reporters prior to the town hall: "The way to respond to that intensity I think is respect for the people you represent and to approach them with the civility that gives them their space to speak and take it from there."
That isn't to say majority Republicans in the House and Senate do not have support back home that minority Democrats may be finding more easily. On Monday, a GoFundMe page set up by western New York political operative Michael Caputo had nearly reached its $1,600 goal to pay for a billboard in support of Rep. Chris Collins, R-Erie County, after two billboards went up calling Collins out for saying he wouldn't hold meetings.
Monday's event in Schenectady was not the first time this year that Tonko has sat down with constituents to discuss the issues. He held a smaller roundtable on the Affordable Care Act in January to solicit anecdotes that he says are important to include in policymaking and debate.
"Otherwise it's just an accounting ledger, it's a shell game," Tonko told reporters. "What we need is to talk about the fabric here, about the individuals who are impacted favorably, negatively, and to make certain that we do the best thing."
Christine Witkowski, a lifelong Democrat, said that while the town hall did not offer many new revelations, it was an important forum.
"This is democracy in action," the Scotia woman said. "It gives me hope for our future."
mhamilton@timesunion.com • 518-454-5449
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