Case Regularly Connects with People Through 172 Talk Story Town Meetings

Case regularly connects with people through 172 Talk Story town meetings

One of the hallmarks of Congressman Ed Case's tenure in the U.S. House has been his accessibility to the people he represents, no matter where they may be in the state-and world.

In August, Case completed a series of 172 Talk Story town meetings which allowed constituents to meet and talk with him face to face during unscripted, unmoderated community meetings that he hosted in every corner of every island in his district. Over the past three and a half years, Case has traveled from Kekaha (Kauai) to Pahala (Hawaii Island) and has visited and revisited some of our state's most isolated communities such as Hana, Maui and Kalaupapa, Molokai to host Talk Story meetings.

His talk stories have reached beyond Hawaii. He has held them on Capitol Hill for Hawaii residents living in Washington, D.C. and Iraq-bound Hawaii troops of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve during their training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and deployment in Balad, Iraq. Case even hosted one meeting with educators and crew members of the NOAA Ship Hiialakai during an educational and scientific expedition through the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which are a part of his far-flung district.

My 172 Talk Story meetings are invaluable to me as I carry out my duties both in Hawaii and Washington DC. These meetings have allowed me to interact one-on-one, in an unscripted fashion, with my constituents," Case said. People attending the meetings have asked questions and commented on a wide range of concerns, including the federal budget, foreign policy, homeland security, Social Security, Medicare, education, energy and the environment, as well as local issues such as traffic, harbor improvements, the war on ice, and the Jones Act.

"One of the recurring topics at my talk stories has been the long-term role of world leadership that our country must take in the context of the war on terrorism, renewed violence in the Middle East and increasing tension over nuclear proliferation from North Korea to Iran.

The talk stories have been an important part of Case's numerous efforts to keep in touch with the people and pulse of his district. He has answered 70,000 communications from constituents, met with thousands individuals in his offices in Honolulu and Washington, D.C. and at community events, communicated regularly through newsletters and surveys, maintained a regular schedule of weekly radio call-in shows across the district, and produced a monthly public access television program.

"All of these efforts have been extremely well-received by those I represent since they have brought our federal government to the doorstep of Hawaii's communities."

http://www.edcase.com/senate/campaign_central.php