Ciresi, Mensch conduct telephone town halls
As “telephone town halls” become increasingly popular among politicians, two local legislators are becoming part of the trend.
State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D146th Dist., will conduct one on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m., according to a press release from his office.
At 7 p.m., residents in the district will receive a telephone call on their landlines inviting them to join the hour-long discussion. Those who wish to participate can simply remain on the line. Residents can ask questions, vote in polls or simply listen.
“This is a time to bring any questions or concerns about state government directly to your state representative, receive an answer and never leave the comfort of your home,” Ciresi said in a press release.
Individuals interested in participating in the call can register online for their cellphone or a new landline number to receive a call to participate in the telephone town hall. A link to registering for the telephone town hall can be found at http://bit.ly/CiresiTelephoneTH.
An audio file will be made available following the town hall and posted to Ciresi’s legislative page at https://pahouse.com/ciresi.
State Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th Dist., held a telephone town hall on Feb. 18, but did not issue a press release announcing it ahead of time.
Rather, he issued one after it was completed.
According to that release, there were a total of 5,677 people on the call. The tele-town hall lasted almost an hour with 11 people going live and asking questions.
During the tele-town hall, those who called in were asked three survey questions. Below are the results:
Survey Question 1: What policies should the legislature focus on during 2020?
• Healthcare: 40 percent
• Economy: 24 percent
• Environment: 22 percent
• Education: 14 percent Survey Question 2: Do you believe that Pennsylvania is headed in the right direction?
• No: 48 percent
• Unsure: 38 percent
• Yes: 14 percent Survey Question 3: What do you use as your news source?
• News stations on television: 63 percent
• Online websites and articles: 17 percent
• Newspapers: 12 percent
• Social media: 6 percent
• Other: 3 percent