Where's Carl?

Where's Carl? by Agenda staff

ANN ARBOR - U.S. Congressman Cari Pursell has been something less than a public official as of late. For months now, constituents concerned with his voting record on Central American issues have been trying to get an audience with the congressman. They staged "sit-ins" at his office in March (118 were arrested), and even tried to buy lunch with him for $200 at a public auction in May (they were outbid).

Most recently on June 6, the congressman was nowhere to be found when a town meeting on Central America was held. In spite of Pursell's promise to attend such an event, Ann Arbor constituents in the 2nd Congressional District had to settle for Congressman Conyers from Detroit (see article above.) On top of that no-show, Pursell was scheduled to appear the next day with a slate of local politicians at the centennial commemoration of the Ann Arbor train depot (now the Gandy Dancer restaurant). State Representative Perry Bullard, State Senator Lana Pollack and Mayor Ed Pierce, among other notables, made their appearances as scheduled. Cari Pursell had family obligations, according to his regional office manager, Cynthia Hudgins, and couldn't make the event.

About one-third of the attendees at the celebration that morning were protesters hoping to get an audience with Pursell. The Ann Arbor News ran three photos in a large front page spread on the event but not one protest sign found its way into the published photos and no mention of the protesters was made.