PORT TOWNSEND — Rep. Norm Dicks, who has received an earful from North Olympic Peninsula residents on whether he should hold a town hall on the government health care plan, has agreed to sponsor one at Fort Worden State Park Commons on Aug. 31.
The veteran Democratic congressman said he will hold the town hall meeting from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Fort Worden, followed by a second one at the Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Dicks said the meeting will focus on health care reform and other issues.
Just last week at a “listening session” in Port Angeles and Monday in Port Townsend, Dicks — who is on summer recess back in his 6th Congressional District — said he probably would not have a town hall during the recess. Dicks is an infrequent user of the format, and some such meetings around the country have turned into shouting matches.
“It doesn’t seem advisable at the moment given the atmosphere, and regrettably a few nationwide groups have taken over these meetings and have been able to scuttle some of them,” Dicks spokesman George Behan said in early August.
