Mercury News: "Where constituents go, lawmaker follows to listen"

Congressman Jerry McNerney took his "Congress At Your Corner" tour of grocery stores, cafes and malls to Morgan Hill on Wednesday. And the San Jose Mercury News (which serves Morgan Hill residents) was there to cover it:

The freshman congressman who last fall unseated Republican giant Richard Pombo stood inside a Morgan Hill Safeway on Wednesday, offering an ear to his constituents.

Lobbyists pay to have this kind of face time with members of Congress. But inside the darkened supermarket -- the power was out -- Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, was ready -- eager, even -- to hear what District 11 residents had to say, no cover charge needed.

Among the Safeway shoppers who took the opportunity to talk with the Congressman were David Dower and Christine LeQuang:

David Dower, a Morgan Hill resident since 2004, talked about how great the town was. Next was Christine LeQuang, a 35-year-old mother of two who complained about the city's public schools. She spends $26,000 a year to send her two boys, 4 and 6, to private school, she told McNerney. Showing a natural skill for active listening, McNerney confided that he had felt "disappointment'' in California's public education system when he and his family moved here from Massachusetts more than 10 years ago.

According to the Mercury News, McNerney said "his job at these encounters is simply to listen," a perspective that Jerry's Blog readers and commenters already know and appreciate:

"I get some of my best ideas from people in the district,'' he said. "There's not many federal dollars because of the war,'' but Congress can pass legislation that can "make people's lives better.''

Want to catch the Congressman at your local community gathering place? Watch Jerry's Blog for news on future "Congress At Your Corner" events.

Comments

[Charlene Woodcock]

Jerry, I'm disturbed by your requests for money to fight Republican attack ads. We elected you against significant odds—an incumbent with lots of money and influence—because we believe you can do the job of representing us. We will re-elect you if you do that job: work to end the war, achieve single-payer healthcare, reduce the gulf between rich and poor, protect the environment. If you waste your time and energy fund-raising, you'll disappoint progressive Democrats, some of your strongest supporters.