‘Where’s Rodney?’ rally, in defense of ACA, planned for Morristown, Feb. 25

Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
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Activists gather outside Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's Morristown office to make weekly request for a meeting, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Activists gather outside Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen’s Morristown office to make their weekly request for a meeting, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier

By Bill Lescohier and Kevin Coughlin

Activists plan to cap a week of town hall meetings with rallies in Morristown, Branchburg and Jersey City on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

They will speak about “rights and liberties under attack by the Trump administration including repealing the Affordable Care Act, changes to Social Security, wholesale deportations of immigrants, and Trump’s billionaire cabinet,” according to the New Jersey Working Families Alliance.

Morristown’s event, titled Where’s Rodney?, is scheduled for 11 am outside town hall, at 200 South St.

The name refers to unsuccessful attempts by constituents to persuade Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) to host his first town hall meeting since 2013. Town halls were held without him this week–a congressional recess–in Boonton, Sparta, Little Falls and Livingston.

Frelinghuysen instead pledged to hold conference calls with selected constituents.

Slideshow photos by Bill Lescohier

Residents from Cedarcrest seniors complex in Pompton Plains at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Young demonstrator at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Activists gather outside Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's Morristown office to make weekly request for a meeting, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Lone Trump supporter at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Nancy Bloom and Layla at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Jesse Villers of Chatham at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Inside the congressional office: Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Debra Caplan of NJ 11th for Change at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Carl Wilhelm of Pompton Plains at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
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SENIORS JOIN ‘FRIDAYS WITH FRELINGHUYSEN’

A busload of people from the Cedarcrest seniors’ residence in Pompton Plain joined Friday’s weekly throng of demonstrators at Frelinghuysen’s Morristown office. The seniors came to protest Republican promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier

One of them, Carolyn Burr, a retired pediatric nurse, said she worked with low-income people with HIV/ AIDS for 30 years.

“The Affordable Care Act was the best thing that ever happened to a lot of those folks,” she said, adding she also fears cutbacks to AIDS research and Medicaid.

Debra Caplan of NJ 11th for Change estimated 300 people showed up on Friday. One man waved a Trump/Pence sign.

Lone Trump supporter at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Lone Trump supporter at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier

Elsa Sjunneson-Henry told the congressman’s staff that his telephone town halls were not accessible to her, because she has a hearing disability. She brought several disabled people with her to express their concerns about an ACA repeal and other issues.

The congressman’s absence has not discouraged Abby Sarrett-Cooper, a frequent participant in “Fridays with Frelinghuysen” demonstrations.

“I think it’s just going to embolden us and make us stronger,” she said.

Other rallies scheduled for Saturday:

  • Rep. Leonard Lance’s (R-7th Dist.) town hall, at 8:30 am at Raritan Valley Community College, 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg;  and
  • Trump Residence Plaza, 1 pm at 88 Morgan St. in Jersey City.

Kushner Companies is building four towers in Jersey City with nearly 3,000 luxury apartments that activists say are not affordable.

They are calling for prospective tenants to boycott vacant retail space at Trump Bay Street; they want residents to boycott any merchants who move in. And they oppose any tax breaks for Trump-Kushner properties there.

Residents from Cedarcrest seniors complex in Pompton Plains at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier
Residents from Cedarcrest seniors complex in Pompton Plains at Fridays With Frelinghuysen rally in Morristown, Feb. 24, 2017. Photo by Bill Lescohier

 

1 COMMENT

  1. In Morristown tomorrow we will let Rodney know that we expect him to protect our First Amendment rights that Trump is stomping on. Morristown people, please come to Town Hall tomorrow at 11 am and let him know that we are not going to stand by and let this happen. Hope to see you there.

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