Thanks to the help of over 800 people in Maine and around the country, late last year I was able to place three full-page ads in the Maine Sunday Telegram asking Sen. Susan Collins to spend a little more time listening to average Mainers. One of our ads included the names of over 400 people from Maine who invited her to hold an open, public town hall where she could hear from her constituents.

Sadly, she has yet to take us up on that invitation.

Now a number of groups have organized to put on a town hall next week in Portland – with or without Sen. Collins. They’ve invited her. But I doubt she will take them up on the offer.

It’s been over 20 years since Susan Collins has held a town hall – and left to her own devices, I don’t believe she will ever hold another one. That’s why we have to take things into our own hands.

I hope you can join your fellow Mainers at the Portland Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19. It will send another message – loud and clear – to Sen. Collins that she needs to spend more time listening to average Mainers and less time in Washington and with the corporate donors who fund her campaigns.

Erik Mercer

Portland