To the Editor:

As a resident of Plattsburgh and a constituent of NY-21, I am compelled to ask: why has Representative Elise Stefanik avoided holding an in-person town hall in our area for nearly eight years?

Our region faces real issues — rural broadband gaps, veterans’ healthcare access and the long-term effects of infrastructure neglect. Yet Rep. Stefanik voted against legislation designed to address each of these: she opposed the Inflation Reduction Act, the For the People Act, and a bipartisan bill to streamline veterans’ enrollment in VA care. She also backed the AHCA, which the Congressional Budget Office projected would have stripped insurance from millions — directly impacting low-income and elderly residents here in Clinton County.

While she finds time for closed-door meetings and high-profile endorsements, she’s refused to face constituents in open public forums. This is not transparency. It is evasion.

NY-21 deserves a representative who engages with voters directly, not just via teleconferences or controlled media appearances. Rep. Stefanik’s actions affect our daily lives, and we have a right to question them — in person.

I call on Rep. Stefanik to schedule a live town hall in Plattsburgh before the summer recess. If she believes her record serves us, she should have no issue defending it publicly.

Sincerely,

Chad Goss

Plattsburgh