Valentines for Zeldin

By: 
Tara Smith
Publication: 
The Long Island Advance
Feb
15
2017

By noon on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at least two-dozen people had already gathered at Congressman Lee Zeldin’s (R-NY-1) main district office at 30 Oak Street in Patchogue. The demonstration is the latest in a string of similar events that have taken place across the first congressional district in recent weeks. The demonstrators carried “Missing Congressman” signs and said that they still desired a town hall meeting with Zeldin. The demonstrations became larger when a town hall meeting originally scheduled for April was canceled. Flyers that read, “Have a Heart” were also distributed, urging the public to tell their leaders in congress that they demand a real plan for affordable healthcare. Across the street, three demonstrators were spotted carrying signs that simply read, “Repeal Obamacare.” Demonstrators carrying signs to save the Affordable Care Act did acknowledge that it needed work, but hoped to see a plan in place before repealing it, so thousands of people wouldn’t lose coverage. East Quogue resident Mary Vienneau stood on the sidewalk distributing paper cutouts of pink, purple and red hearts. Vienneau asked the rest of the demonstrators to write a message to Congressman Zeldin, and she collected a few in a bag. “My heart is broken,” one of them read. “Meet with your constituents!”