This weekend I attended the Northern Illinois University football game, and also attended tailgating. During tailgating, I was approached by someone who I was under the impression was another NIU student doing a survey. The individual introduced themselves and I asked if they were doing a survey, and he said they were not. He did ask me if I could sign his petition for Congressman Bill Foster, and explained that it was not a vote for him, but only to get him on the ballot. I said that I would, but only if he could explain to me what the Congressman stood for. The petitioner explained that the Congressman was for the stimulus and the recovery. I told the petitioner that I understood the risk we took on the September/October Stimulus of 2008 and that it didn’t work, and I wanted to know why we did it again in February. He said that they were two different things, and then said the Congressman wasn’t for the September stimulus and that was the Bush Administration’s fault. I caught the petitioner and said that he just said the Congressman was for it and persisted to ask which was the truth. He gave in and said that Congressman Foster was for the stimulus and the recovery. I asked also who the recovery helped, the petitioners response was UAW and the Cash for Clunkers program. I told the petitioner that I was sorry but that does not help me as a poor college student; I do not plan on buying a car and I do not work for UAW or plan on being employed with UAW. The petitioner became increasingly disgruntled and in a discourteous tone said “Are you going to sign my petition or not? I have 14,000 other people here I could have sign.” My response to this was “Sir, no need to get angry, I am one of these 14,000 people here and I am a constituent of the Congressman, the least you can do as a representative of him is devote your time to me, even if you are a campaign worker.” I then asked the petitioner if the Congressman had any internship opportunities available. He said, yes, there were several, both with the campaign and the Congressional Offices; however, I wouldn’t be considered due to my political views. I asked him if I could get an application, and he refused. He said, “We would not consider you.” I responded with, “So you are not going to allow me the opportunity to apply for a position with a representative of the people, especially not consider a constituent?” The petitioner became increasingly rude and gave me the broken record treatment. I told the gentleman that as a constituent and based off of his treatment, I could not sign his petition and that I would not recommend voting for someone who would employ someone who acted in this manner either. I felt that I was being labeled and punished for not agreeing with the status quo, and this is not the type of individual I would recommend representing us in Washington.

Sincerely,
Patrick J. Binning
Student

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