Here we go again: Another round of "empty chair town halls" that highlight our lack of representation by the person who represents us in Congress. Just like they did last year — and also reminiscent of the complaints of her predecessor Greg Walden — activists from the Indivisible network are calling for Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who represents the 5th Congressional District that includes most of Bend, to host an unscripted and in-person town hall with constituents across the vast district.
The group isn't exaggerating, either; Chavez-DeRemer and her staff have been unapologetic about holding telephone town halls rather than meeting with constituents in person. Contrast this to the efforts by both of Oregon's senators, who have larger districts than she does, and who endeavor to hold town halls in every county in the state, every year.
This is not what democratic representation should look like. First, there's the obvious need for constituents of a district to at least have some sense of who represents them. And then there are some considerations that have to do with Chavez DeRemer's particular district, the 5th Congressional District. It's a new one, only established the year Chavez-Deremer took office, and it is oddly shaped to include not just Clackamas and Deschutes counties, but parts of Linn and Benton counties, too. It leans Democratic but is decidedly mixed in political affiliation. It includes rural residents, urban dwellers and suburbanites It is an incredibly diverse district.
It was going to be a challenge for anyone who won the seat to find ways to connect with these disparate constituents. On this side of the mountains, where so many already decry the pull of Portland in statewide politics, we were destined to feel disenfranchised by a district regardless of who won the seat. Suffice it to say that a lack of public presence by the first person to hold the position has exacerbated that feeling.
If Chavez-DeRemer were out here in Bend, making her presence known, things would be different. Perhaps we wouldn't agree with her on every issue, but we'd at least know more about her, and how her priorities align with those of our region specifically. We would also know if we were being heard.
Chavez-DeRemer has some good ideas. A recent guest column by our representative highlighted the need for a "permanent solution to wildland firefighter pay," and the need for a "stable, professional workforce" for our increasingly challenging fire seasons. Another press release advocated for more federal assistance for extreme heat events. These are not partisan issues — and shouldn't be. They're issues that all of us, as we sit in the midst of an extreme fire season, can get behind. But without even the occasional presence in the area of our representative in Congress, we're left wondering whether those guest columns and press releases are the best this rep can do in trying to represent us. In the end, they just don't ring as well as talking to people face to face, even if it's in a gymnasium, as Greg Walden eventually did, after numerous constituent complaints.
Making a go of a place as divergent as Oregon's 5th Congressional District was never going to be easy. But given that this is the second year of her term, and the second year that activists have pointed out her lack of presence in the area, we'd say the entire district deserves better.
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