A crowd of roughly 250 people gathered Saturday at The Barn Resort for a “People’s Town Hall,” calling on elected officials to engage more directly with their constituents. The event featured appearances by U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA 4th), who spoke via Zoom, and Pennsylvania State Rep. and Democratic National Committee co-chair Malcolm Kenyatta.
Notably absent were invited officials Rep. John Joyce and Sen. David McCormick. Their empty chairs became a symbolic focal point throughout the evening.
Organizer Bettye Baker opened the event by emphasizing its nonpartisan intent. “It matters not if you are a Democrat, a Republican, Independent, or of no political persuasion; you are welcome here,” she told the crowd. Despite this, audience reactions made clear that most attendees leaned Progressive Democrat.
Baker also reminded attendees that the gathering exercised their First Amendment rights to peaceful assembly and to petition the government.
Dean addressed what she described as growing threats to democratic institutions. “What we have seen the past 105 days is not normal,” she said, invoking Benjamin Franklin’s famous warning: “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Rep. Kenyatta built on that theme. “If you came today believing nothing can stop this, you came to the wrong place,” he said. Citing moments of historic civic courage—the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the 1965 Selma march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge—he stressed that ordinary people had long driven transformative change, often at great personal risk.
The program continued with community members, including Judy and David Young, Yeimi Gagliardi, and a representative of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) local union, sharing personal accounts of how recent federal budget cuts and policies had affected their families and livelihoods.
Though scheduled to conclude with an audience Q&A, the program ran long, leaving many in line unable to ask their questions. Rep. Kenyatta stayed after the formal event to engage with remaining audience members, a gesture that drew praise from attendees.
Carolyn George, a volunteer, lauded Kenyatta’s message about grassroots leadership. “I resonated deeply with his emphasis on finding and cultivating leadership within our own ranks, not waiting for a heroic national figure to save us,” she said.
Volunteer Tony McNevin criticized the absence of Republican lawmakers. “The most striking aspect of the meeting was the absence of officials whose support for Trump-era policies is contributing to our country’s economic decline,” he said. McNevin accused lawmakers like McCormick, Joyce, and Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10) of avoiding unscripted interactions with voters.
Judy and David Young called the event a success. “It helped all of us to hear that we can make a difference by acting together,” they said. They also commended Kenyatta’s remarks about his personal connection to Democratic policies that helped his family during his upbringing.
Baker reflected on the evening with both pride and urgency. “The People’s Town Hall was a success because it tapped into a nationwide demand to be heard by our legislative representatives during a time of stunningly vast damage to the American people,” she said. “Though our Republican legislators ignored our request to listen, the people expressed their grievances and shared the personal impact of policies that go unchallenged.”
She added that momentum for the movement is building. “Others from District 13 have already reached out to join us. Our remarkable committee organized this Town Hall in just five weeks. The response has been heartwarming, but not surprising. The people want change — change that benefits families, farms, small businesses, and essential services, not billionaires.”
Baker warned that officials who continue to avoid engagement do so at their own political risk. “When tariffs hit wallets, when budget cuts affect farm sales, small businesses, education, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, people will act. That includes voting for legislators who will represent their interests,” she said.
Leon Reed, freelance reporter, is a former US Senate staff member, defense consultant, and history teacher. He is a 10 year resident of Gettysburg, where he writes military history and explores the park and the Adams County countryside. He is the publisher at Little Falls Books, chaired the Adams County 2020 Census Complete Count Committee and is on the board of SCCAP. He and his wife, Lois, have 3 children, 3 cats, and 5 grandchildren.
Another one-sided article from a one-sided source. Please tell me if this meeting was held for the following reason.
“Organizer Bettye Baker opened the event by emphasizing its nonpartisan intent. “It matters not if you are a Democrat, a Republican, Independent, or of no political persuasion; you are welcome here,”
Then tell me why the only focus was on the following.
“What we have seen the past 105 days is not normal,”
I think the wording speaks for itself.
Are you implying that the past 105 days has been “normal?” I can’t think of a time in U.S. history where an administration has allowed direct payments of crypto currency from foreign sources, dissolved the Education Department, or slashed our cancer research funding.
It was mentioned at the Town Hall that recent reports that Senator Fetterman’s staff is concerned about his health led the Town Hall not to post his name in an empty chair in an effort to be sensitive to his situation. There was no lapse on the part of the Connection.
The article should have mentioned that Fetterman’s absence was due to health issues and that his office did contact the Town Hall with that information. Anyone not at the Town Hall would not know that.
My understanding was that John Fetterman was to be there too. Why wasn’t his absence noted? I’m a Democrat &, quite frankly, I’m very unhappy with Senator Fetterman. I view not mentioning his absence as (disappointingly) slanted on the part of the “Connection”.
David and I want to thank Leon Reed for his excellent review of the May 3rd Peoples’ Town Hall. We want to clarify that we are both retired. We were given first-hand accounts of the damage done by DOGE to USDA and USAID, which we reported at the Town Hall. Thanks again.