Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
An appearance in Lake Wales by US Congressman Scott Franklin at the Lake Wales Arts Center Thursday brought out an audience of attentive Chamber of Commerce members and guests, as well as more than two dozen others who waved signs and flags outside in protest.
Congressman Scott Franklin (R) shared conversation with Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce executive Skip Alford prior to Franklin's presentation to guests at a "power lunch" held at the Lake Wales Arts Center.
Franklin, a former Lakeland city commissioner, is a Republican representing Florida’s 18th district, which includes most of Polk County and several counties to the south. He serves on several Congressional committees, including the important Committee on Appropriations, along with those overseeing science, space and technology, and veteran’s affairs.
Franklin’s presentation was arranged by the Lake Wales Area Chamber as one of a series of “power lunches” featuring elected officials. Member guests paid $35 to attend and enjoyed a buffet luncheon before Franklin shared his perspectives on the situation in Washington D.C. and answered questions from the audience.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Arts Center as Franklin addressed guests inside. Many held signs calling upon Franklin to protect government programs and defend personal freedoms.
Franklin has twice introduced his "Personnel Integrity in Veterans Affairs" bill, which he says “would close a long-standing loophole that allows Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees under investigation to resign or retire without any permanent record of misconduct.”
Those who remained outside in the mid-day heat waved flags and signs encouraging Franklin to preserve funding for the arts, defend the Constitution, and protect American freedoms. They drew numerous honks of support from passing motorists and truckers, but those were not audible inside the Arts Center.
The rare local demonstration was organized by Indivisible on the Ridge, which is described as a “non-partisan local grassroots chapter” of a national movement. Polk has seen a number of public demonstrations in recent months in Winter Haven, Bartow, and Lakeland, some of which drew an estimated 1,000 attendees.
The Lake Wales Arts Center was cool oasis for guests who gathered to hear US Representative Scott Franklin address the situation in Washington and respond to audience questions.
The Indivisible press release said it “wholeheartedly supports both the Lake Wales Area Chamber and the Lake Wales Arts Center” but sought to create a dialog with Franklin to share their concerns, adding that attempts made during virtual meetings held online elicited only “his feelings” about issues.
A spokesman for the group called upon Franklin to oppose the “Big Bad Bill,” a reference to what has been referred to as the “Big, Beautiful Bill” by President Trump. That bill, now in reconciliation, “contains many policies harmful to democracy, eroding the foundations on which this country’s republic was built,” the press release said. “Congressman Scott Franklin continues to decline requests to participate in an in-person town hall, despite civil and respectful requests from the community for an open dialogue.”
That statement criticized Franklin’s vote for the reconciliation bill, an attempt to resolve differences between House and Senate budget bills that reduce “funding for essential public services that District 18 relies upon, such as Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and Veteran’s benefits.”
The spokesman said that members are also upset about Franklin’s apparent “support of violating the Posse Comitatus Act by deploying troops” on American streets.
The mid-day heat didn't discourage the large group of protesters who gathered to call upon Rep. Franklin to protect programs and oppose certain measures moving through Congress
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