Frustrated by silence, Pinellas residents host their own town hall without U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

Anna Paulina Luna speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. // Photo by Gage Skidmore

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Many members of Congress across the country have refused to host town halls to hear the concerns of their constituents. 

 Now, some Pinellas residents are taking things into their own hands and hosting a town hall without their member of Congress, Anna Paulina Luna. 

Since March, organizers say they’ve called, emailed, and even rallied outside of Congress member Anna Paulina Luna’s office asking for a town hall, but said they were told no. 

Cynthia Lippert is an organizer with the group Indivisible Florida 13.

“We depend on that, that the voters and constituents have a chance to speak to their representative and have a voice that’s taken to Washington D.C., and that’s not happening. That’s gone,” Lipppert said.

So they’re planning a People’s Town Hall. On Thursday evening from 6 to 7:30, attendees will make statements and air out concerns for Luna. 

“We have a serious situation, being a peninsula surrounded by water, the environment, our demographic has a lot of seniors. And we need social security and Medicaid,” Lippert said.

Lippert says they will be recorded and sent to her. 

“Priorities like putting President Trump on Mount Rushmore? Those are not our priorities,” Lippert said.

She expects citizens to talk about their concerns, such as cuts to Social Security and Medicare due to Pinellas’ older population. 

The event will be held at Pinellas Park First United Methodist Church.

Anna Paulina Luna did not respond to WMNF’s request for comment.