CARBONDALE, Ill. - Over the last few months, Congressman Mike Bost has refused to hold any in-person town hall meetings in the 12th Congressional District, but has instead hosted a number of conference calls which the congressman dubs as “tele-town hall meetings.” The congressman has stated that he prefers this type of interaction because he can reach more constituents.
However, this was not the view of then-candidate Mike Bost back in 2014.
Mike Bost
In a June 3rd, 2014 press release, Mike Bost slammed Congressman Bill Enyart for holding a telephone town hall, stating that “Congressman Enyart and I have a different view of representation. I provide open forums to take questions while he hides behind a telephone in a scripted setting while billing the taxpayers for it. With Congress not in recess this week, the only thing stopping Congressman Enyart from holding a public town hall forum is his willingness to do so. Constituents deserve better from their representative.”
Bill Enyart
Indivisible I-57 agrees with candidate Mike Bost, and feels that an in-person town hall meeting should be held because “constituents deserve better from their representative.” However, Congressman Mike Bost refuses to have town hall meetings, claiming that town halls resemble the “cleansing that the Orientals used” in Maoist China (March 1st in the Southern Illinoisan), as well as making conspiratorial claims that constituents are paid by Priorities USA Super PAC (March 8th in the Southern Illinoisan), a claim he has yet to back up with any facts.
This is the link to then-candidate Bost’s press release: