Ethics

Poll Taxes By Another Name

If you want to talk about things which are un-American, this should certainly appear near the top of your list.

In what appears to be an effort to avoid the free-for-all town halls that have plagued recent contentious congressional recesses, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and other Republican members of Congress have chosen to charge admission to their home-district appearances.

Ryan will speak September 6 to the Whitnall Park Rotary Club in Greenfield, Wisc. Admission to the event is $15 per person and includes lunch.

Ryan has no free public town hall appearances scheduled during the recess.

The Republicans, and more specifically tax-cut magician Paul Ryan, aren't interested in hearing from you unless you pay them. And while $15 may not sound like a lot, someone who is poor can probably squeeze three or four meals out of it.

Not coincidentally, it is highly likely that those who will suffer the most from the Republicans' and Paul Ryan's policies will also be unable to afford to pay $15 for the chance to tell Mister Ryan what they think of his policies. And if they have to choose between eating and yelling at a politician who is probably going to ignore them anyway, they will probably eat.

And that's the whole point of charging admission isn't it?