Congressman Ed Perlmutter was at the Safeway at 3900 Wadsworth Blvd. in Wheat Ridge Tuesday for one of his “Government in the Grocery” store meetings.
People were at the Safeway as early as 4:30 p.m. for the 5-7 p.m. session, which stretched to 7:30 as Perlmutter, who serves congressional District 7, met and spoke one-on-one with each of the nearly 20 visitors for around five minutes each.
“I’m here to talk to him about health insurance,” said Bea Cruz, an Arvada resident. “There is no health insurance flexibility, and people like me who have been quiet for years are starting to speak up.”
People came not only from Wheat Ridge and the surrounding areas, but from as far away as Aurora.
The subjects ranged from open space on Table Mountain to concerns about education and jobs. Several people discussed the idea of trade tariffs, how to protect American jobs from outsourcing and immigration issues.
“Sometimes people come and need help with specific issues and sometimes they just want to have broad subject discussions,” Perlmutter said.
“He did explain a different angle to the Social Security changes that I don’t like,” said Virginia Ellis, a Wheat Ridge resident. “I just wanted a chance to express my opinion because I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Communications and policy director Leslie Oliver said that the congressman would rather be doing things like this, finding out about people’s problems, than spending all his time in Washington D.C.
“What you learn is what’s on people’s minds, and it’s not just what you hear on the radio,” said Perlmutter.
Cruz may not have gotten any specific answers to her health insurance concerns, but she had a chance to participate in the system.
“I’m going to be keeping an eye out for some of the changes he said were coming,” she said. “But I do feel better now that I’m part of the system.”