As a taxpayer who just paid my taxes, I sat and asked myself what I am getting for them. My first question was, “What is my congressman doing for those taxes?”
After all, my taxes pay his salary. My congressman is Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside). In all the years he has presumably represented my fellow taxpayers in our district, we have never received an update from him. And while other congressional representatives have town hall meetings, he has never had one.
Yet, he gets re-elected year after year. I can only wonder why: Is it name recognition? Is it in the name, or do the Republicans just not have the right person to buck up against his connections?
There is a new budget in our midst. This budget affects the middle class and poor. It takes monies away from seniors — those who primarily vote for Ackerman — community health facilities, the uninsured and many other important agencies that help the poor and needy.
Many people in Ackerman’s district are struggling. What is he doing ? He is making money on certain initiatives and has lost the perspective of what is needed in his community. I am reaching out to the newspapers to ask Ackerman why he has not had a town hall meeting so he can get a handle on the concerns of his constituents.
I am asking the newspapers to inquire as to why Ackerman has not sent an update or even a questionnaire announcing what he has done in Congress and/or what his constituents’ concerns are. We need an investigative reporter to look into what Ackerman is doing for us.
Joyce Shepard
Bayside
