The following was sent as a letter to Delegate Mark Fisher of District 27C.
In late January, Sierra Club staff contacted you in an effort to arrange a meeting with you for our annual “Lobby Night”. As you know, each year the Sierra Club tries to schedule meetings between the elected officials of the General Assembly and their constituents to talk about important environmental issues and legislation. We are very proud of the opportunity that we can provide to hundreds of members and other volunteers to talk with their representatives and share their concerns in an open discussion. I would like to express my extreme disappointment at your response to our request for you to talk with your constituents.
When we asked to set up a talk between yourself and a group of your constituents via Zoom or phone, you refused. You said in no uncertain terms that you would only meet in person because “the pandemic is over”. While I’m sure that statement provides great comfort to the families of the over 3700 Americans that died from COVID the week you sent that message, I’m not writing to argue about that. I’m writing to tell you that Sierra Club using Zoom and phone meetings isn’t about the pandemic. It’s about accessibility and inclusion. Pandemic or no, you have constituents that have health issues that prevent them from traveling. Some don’t have cars and cannot get to Annapolis. Some are elderly and cannot make the trip, or have small children and cannot leave them to travel up to sit in your office. Many work jobs with hours that make a trip up non-feasible. These are the people we are trying to include via Zoom meetings. These are the people, your constituents, who you exclude with your “in person only” policy. In effect, you limit accessibility to those with the free time and available funds and resources to come to an area convenient to you, and leave behind those without. You know the Calvert to Annapolis trip is burdensome. That’s why you rent a second residence in Annapolis during the session instead of staying in your district. Why then, do you insist on your constituents making the trip to talk with you?
I do wonder though, if you would equally refuse a phone meeting from Delegate Buckel, the Republican Minority leader? What if the Governor called, would he be told “no Zoom, no phone”? Or if the call came in from Mar-a-Lago?
I do want to address one more thing, Delegate. Toward the end of your note, you instructed us to “be prepared to discuss nuclear energy as a clean energy source”. Again, Delegate, why are you placing restrictions on your constituents ability to voice their concerns? What if the people who live, vote,and pay taxes in your district want to talk about something else, like land preservation, air pollution, or the health of the bay? You were elected to represent the people of your district. How do you do that if you put up roadblocks to how they can talk to you, or what they can talk about?
But I don’t want to limit your ability to share your concerns. I’m ready to have the discussion on nuclear energy you are so excited to have. Or any other environmental topics, if you wish. Please feel free to reach out and we can schedule a discussion. Let’s set a time, date, and place for our talk. In district and in-person, of course, unless that’s too inconvenient for you?
Ben Hance
Group Chair
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