Tom Reed, in Mayville, NY, I stood for over an hour in freezing cold and snowy conditions, holding a sign that said “DO NOT REPEAL THE ACA” I held the same sign at the North Harmony town hall, called your office, and met with your staffer in Fredonia. All around me were people voicing the same concern.–seen on facebook
Repetition reinforces the message. Repeating a lie often enough makes it seem that there must be some truth in it. We heard so often that Barak Obama wasn’t an American citizen that even his family must have had secret doubts.
If repeating a lie gives it credence, repeating a truth ought to be effective. I didn’t work with Rep. Tom Reed however. No matter how many times he was told that his constituents value ACA, he heard a different message.
I read today in the Elmira Star-Gazette:
New Yorkers want to keep Obamacare, but maybe with just some tweaks.
At first glance this polling result looks like good news, but maybe not. If Tom Reed reads this, he may understand it as:
“New Yorkers want Obamacare “repealed and replaced” because it needs some tweaks.”
Even after the defeat of AHCA, Tom still hasn’t got the message–he wants to try to pass AHCA again. How can constituents make themselves heard? Evidently, repetition isn’t enough. If people demand “single payer,” he will hear “repeal and replace.”
If we can’t convince Tom Reed that people value ACA, can we convince Republican voters that Tom Reed must go? What repeated message might be effective for that?
New NY 23rd 
I was there on that day and according to Tom Reed to change his mind he would have to hear from 700,000 of his constituents to change his mind!
Hard to do when his voice-mail is full, fax machines are turned off and emails aren’t read (I can’t say with certainty that ALL the emails aren’t being read…) and when large contingencies of his constituents show up at Town Halls to voice their concerns. I’ve watched him hold the hand of a dying woman (of course there were cameras taping) and promising to “help” her, all the while slyly smiling knowing full well his mind was set in concrete to vote to “repeal & replace”.
He votes as he is told, period.
It is sincerely in our best interests here in the NY23rd to say: #ByeByeTomTom in 2018.
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I don’t think Tom’s mind will ever change. His conviction that America can’t afford generous retirement or healthcare benefits for all is too deeply seated. When we ask for single payer Medicare for all, he smiles because he finds that request absurd.
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