Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds light and variable.. Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50. Updated: July 11, 2024  10:46 am. . To the Editor:. The first job of our state representative is listening. That is why I have open forums virtually every Saturday morning where people can tell me about their expectations and needs from the Legislature facetoface. Mostly I listen or ask questions to get a better handle on their views. Maybe only one or two people show up. Maybe nobody shows up. That s fine. It is my job to be there to listen if someone wants to be heard. The Indiana Legislature needs to listen but refuses to do so because it doesn t see the need to hear you. As former Governor Mitch Daniels points out in a recent Washington Post oped, our elections are decided by the 5 who vote in the primary. Thanks to gerrymandering local Republicans know winning the primary is the ballgame. Lawmakers don t see a need to listen to most of us, and a lot of them don t. They only hear from the power sector: big companies, lobbyists and special interest groups the people whose money fuels their careers. On top of that, lawmakers steadfastly refuse to let the voters speak directly on issues. They have defeated efforts to let you vote directly on controversial issues like marijuana or reproductive freedom. Our representatives think know what s best for you even if their decisions run contrary to public opinion polls. As state representative I will be readily accessible to everyone in the district with regularly scheduled open forums, online forums. My phone number is 2605730426; my email isWaltSorg4Freedom.com. Famed interviewer Larry King said I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening. . That s the way it should be for someone who works for the public: listen first. Walt Sorg. Auburn. . . . . Log In. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
The state representative stresses the importance of listening to constituents and holding open forums to understand their needs and expectations. He criticizes the Indiana Legislature for failing to listen to the majority of the population, relying instead on the influence of big companies and special interest groups. The representative pledges to be accessible and prioritize listening to the public in decision-making processes.