Wisconsin Jobs Now continues to advocate for the citizens of the state who need jobs. This is the fifth day of a sit in at Paul Ryan's office in Kenosha. Both Chris Bowers and Laura Clawson have covered previous confrontations between a handful of constituents who have gone to Kenosha to speak with their Congressman. After all, this is the time when our Senators and Representatives spend a little "sometime" in order to reconnect with the folks who they allegedly represent.
Not so fast. Each day these citizens have been less and less welcomed by Ryan's staffers. Today they arrived only to find a policeman who informed them that they could not enter the building at all. "Here's the deal today," says the policeman on duty. "I've got a complaint, signed, by the owner of the building that you cannot be on the parking lot, the building premises, inside the building at all, and cannot obstruct traffic in any way…"
Paul Ryan is too chickenshit to actually make the policy. The complaint is from the "building owner," and of course, his/her rights of private property trump any rights to assemble that honest citizens, in their quest for audience with their elected politicians, have.
Of course, people who have "business" or "previous appointments" are allowed in the building. A staffer tells them that there is "an open investigation" and that there is "an active complaint that we are pursuing" regarding an unspecified complaint aimed at the constituents.
"What did we do that warrants this?" is a good question. "If you do not have business, you are not allowed in." Of course, "business" is a very flexible term, and the business premise of the building (to connect with constituents) is not valid.
Sigh. This is what democracy looks like.
Find a local opportunity to expose the hypocrisy and mendacity of our representative government and go bear witness.