‘Disney World or democracy?’ Rep. Mia Love is facing that question from Utah Trump resistance advocates
Love was at the Magic Kingdom during a two-week recess in which she could have spent an hour at a town hall with constituents, the grassroots whistleblowers say
Trump resistance grassroots group leaders in Utah have asked why Rep. Mia Love spent time at Disney World during a congressional recess, when elected officials traditionally often hold town halls with constituents.
Love was fundraising in Orlando, Fla., during the break, taking a multi-night stay at the Polynesian Village area of Disney World Resort, according to documentation from The Townsend Group, an administrative services consultancy business (see below). Rooms at the resort average $450 per night and the median income of Love’s congressional district 4 is $61,000, leaders of Utahns Speak Out, Utah Indivisible and Utah’s CD4 Coalition reported Wednesday.
Love is making the stay after she denied requests from constituents in the past few months to hold a town hall in Utah, citing scheduling conflicts, the advocates said. Donald Trump was elected United States president about three months ago.
“It’s fine to fundraise — and in fact, it’s expected from a candidate,” USO founder Madalena McNeil said. “But it’s another thing to make time for a trip to Disney World but claim to have no time for your constituents.”
Love has held “tele town halls,” online functions, that have seen “inconsistent behavior,” including being scheduled less than 24 hours in advance or including guests like an out-of-state congressman, a statement read.
“These inconsistencies,” the statement read, “are in addition to the willful ignorance of Rep. Love and her office to the desire of her constituents for real, in-person town halls.”
Love’s constituents “have tried every traditional method possible” to persuade her to hold a town hall, including phone calls, emails, letters, in-person visits and scheduling their own town hall and inviting her to attend. Constituents also sponsored a “blip board” asking the Congresswoman to hold a town hall in the Beehive State, the statement read.
“Nobody is begrudging Rep. Love the opportunity to do her job,” McNeil added, “but her constituents shouldn’t have to question their place on her priority list.”
Joining McNeil in the statement were UI’s Kellie Henderson and Donald Aguirre and CDD’s Katie Matheson.
