True to being a politician, Scott Tipton is speaking from both sides of his mouth in an effort to avoid public accountability.

On Tipton’s very own website he states, “In addition to holding regular townhall meetings and other events in person in the 3rd District...,” while simultaneously his website events page declares, “There are no upcoming events.”

So, if Tipton holds regular townhall meetings (which he doesn’t), then why wouldn’t he have one scheduled during a time when the House is not in session, thus allowing for such interactions? It appears he doesn’t want to engage the concerns of constituents of the 3rd Congressional District.

Take for instance the public lands issue. Since we don’t have an opportunity in a townhall setting (and not in lieu of this ruse of a telephone townhall) to ask questions of our representative, I would like to know why Tipton is to be trusted to act on behalf of the best interests of the people of the district when he has accepted tens of thousands of dollars from at least one organization pushing for the transfer of our public lands without providing any game plan for how that land would be managed.

This, at the very least, jeopardizes the lifestyles of hunters, mountain bikers, horseback riders, hikers, ATV riders and other outdoor enthusiasts. Mr. Tipton, please reconsider and hold a townhall meeting.

Joe Kelly

Dolores