NEVADA CITY, Calif. – Office hours held by Representative Kevin Kiley’s staffer James Shook at the Nevada County Government Center on Monday ran for three hours. Only approximately a quarter of the 350-400 Nevada County residents lined up to voice their concerns, questions and opinions got a chance to enter the North Star Room to talk to the field representative. People started lining up at 8:00 am and patiently waited. Many had prepared letters for their member of Congress and are now hoping for a response.
We spoke to District 3 Supervisor Lisa Swarthout around 10:30 am and she praised the residents, saying “I’m here at the Rood Center watching democracy in action. Today, there are approximately 200 people waiting in a very long line to go in and speak with Congressman Kiley’s field reps that are in the community from 10 to 1. People have written comments that they’re going to be leaving and like I said, true democracy in action going on right now. People are being very respectful, which I really appreciate. They just hope that they can get in to share their concerns and their questions and their problems and hope that it gets back to the Congressman and that he eventually will come to Nevada County and do a town hall.”
With the waiting line stretching from the lobby to the North Star conference room, people started talking to each other, exchanging views and stories. We spoke to several of them, including a federal worker. She said, “Why am I here? Because I’m a federal employee and I’m fearful of losing my job. I’m fearful of watching the federal government being dismantled from inside out. I spoke quite a bit about that, but then I went off topic and gave him a lot of my background and experience working for the Office of Inspector General because he’s trying to tell us that the reason for all these cuts is fraud, waste and abuse. But he fired all the IGs, dismantled that whole piece. I gave him a lesson on what is the definition of audit. I told him that there’s government auditing, generally accepted auditing standards, government auditing standards that we follow. Predominantly they state that you have to be independent of mind, unbiased, conflict of interest free. So, Elon Musk? No, no, and no. So he said he’s going to take it back. I said eventually they’re going to lose all their credibility. The Republican Party will have egg on the face when all facts come out. So if you want to, if you’re worried about fraud, waste and abuse , you can just hire more auditors. You don’t need Elon Musk.”
Barbara Larsen, a long-time activist for elder care, was eager to share her thoughts. “I’m Barbara Larsen from the Elder Care Providers Coalition. And I’ve lived in Nevada county for 47 years. Forty of those years, I worked in the field of elder care, primarily people with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders in a variety of settings. We just found out that the Trump administration has cut grant funding for the Roy Blunt [Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias], which is sort of ironic because Roy Blunt was a Republican senator, and the Trump administration has cut the funding for Alzheimer’s research.
So as many as neurologists and people in the field know that this is going to set us back 20 years. What that really means is that caregivers are going to die before their loved one from taking care of their loved one, not having the resources. And secondly, people with Alzheimer’s or related disorders are going to be placed in skilled nursing facilities prematurely because of not having the family support.”
Others in the line were veterans, concerned about cuts to the VA and their healthcare system. Parents were eager to ask about the proposed cuts to the Department of Education, “Is it true they will eliminate it? My kids deserve at least the same opportunities I had and now we don’t know if any financial aid is even available for college.”
Keith had similar concerns, “I have two requests of you. First, in the big picture, it is of utmost urgency that our leadership undertake more thoughtful and skillful methods for improving government efficiency. At this moment, the only actors in a position to make that happen are you and your fellow Republican members of Congress. Please take courageous action to insist on and oversee a shift to more strategic planning and implementation.
My second request is very personal to our family. Our great-granddaughter Sydney lives in El Dorado County and is nonverbal autistic. She requires very specific special education activities which are partially supported by federal funds from the Department of Education. I ask you to do whatever you can to assure that the Department of Education remains viable and is able to continue financial support for Sydney, and the many other children and families that need help to manage special life circumstances.”
Office hours for state or federal elected officials are rarely as well-attended. The Indivisible Nevada County group says they’ve extended an invitation to Congressman Kiley to attend a town hall on March 20 from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Miners Foundry.
March 12, 2025 at 8:40 PM Rep. Kiley’s newsletter announces a tele town hall:
On Monday, March 17, I will be hosting a town hall where I will be there to listen and answer any questions that you may have. Congress is working on major issues including taxes, social security, Medicare and other important programs. That’s why it’s so important for you to make your voice heard. This town hall is a way for you to share your concerns and help me represent your views effectively. The town hall will begin on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 6:30 PM PDT. To join the event at that time, call (877) 229-8493 and enter PIN #122293.