Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) has scheduled eighteen town halls and “meet and greet” events across the 4th Congressional District over the first week and a half of April. The event I attended in Clinton, Missouri today was advertised as a “meet and greet” as opposed to the town halls in some of the other locations. This event was effectively a scaled down town hall meeting, but since the attendance was so sparse, if you had a question you were going to have an opportunity to ask it.

Representative Hartzler worked the room (that didn’t take very long), then spoke for approximately twelve minutes, then took questions for another eighteen or so minutes.

Before Representative Hartzler arrived a few individuals spoke with staff, including everyone within earshot, about some of their concerns.

Among the first to arrive was an older couple. The gentleman stated, “One thing I’m concerned about is military absentee ballots. The Democrats did all they could to keep these folks from voting.”

I kid you not.

Later, a woman accompanied by her teenage son, said, “Gas prices. The price is too high. The government is hoarding gas. Is that true? Schools are cutting back sports. They can’t afford to get teams to places.”

Apparently, insufficient tax revenue for the school district (either due to the economic downturn, or an inability to get people to vote for tax increases, or both) has nothing to do with those cuts.

We’re doomed.

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) speaking with a constituent before the start of her town hall in Clinton, Missouri on April 5, 2012.

Some of the twenty or so individuals attending Representative Vicky Hartzler’s (r) Clinton, Missouri town hall.