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Community Corner

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A NJ CONGRESSMAN TO REP NJ BUT LIVE OUT OF STATE FOR OVER 30 YEARS?

This week while Congress is on recess, most Congressman meet with their constituents from various  issue advocacy groups in their home state. Very often in the form of a Town Hall Meeting or Town Hall calls and also Congressman physically meet with constituents at arranged meetings.  It appears that Congressman Smith will not be coming to NJ as he rarely does.  If you call his office, his staff is trained to say "He stays in DC to work during recess" but the truth is that Smith does not come home to NJ as he does not live in NJ and has not for a very, very long time.  Hoping to meet with our Congressman during recess,  constituents and advocates that support voting rights are trying to get an audience and with Congressman Smith to get his opinion and his support for  the Voting Rights Amendment Act that many in Congress have already co sponsored.  Women's groups would like to see or speak with the Congressman about why he voted against the Violence Against Women's Act in 2013, women's rights groups would like to meet with Smith and speak with him about his authoring and co-sponsorship of the extreme anti choice bill he wrote, HR7, that just voted through Congress,  Gun Reform groups would like to meet and speak with the Congressman about why he has not co-sponsored gun reform when an overwhelming majority of his constituents support gun reform, constituents that are still suffering the impact of Hurricane Sandy would like to discuss with Smith why he pledged to block research for climate change unless there are tax breaks included for the worst polluters in the country and constituents that support Immigration reform would like an opportunity to meet the Congressman as they have been ignored by him. District 4 constituents will not have an opportunity to meet with our Congressman, Chris Smith.Congressman Smith does not come home to NJ because he lives in Virginia and has for over 30 years.  Congressman Smith has lived in Virginia since his second term as District 4 Congressman.  He raised and educated his children in Virginia and his children were the recipients of Virginia "In state" tuition.  In order to fill the requirement of maintaining a habitat in the state he represents, he has kept a small townhome in Monmouth County that for many years was rented from his wife's family.    Why do we put up with this?  Residents of NJ-4 should no longer accept a congressman who fails to interact with those he is sworn to represent.  We deserve better.  We deserve our voice be heard and accurately represented on the federal level.  

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