There have been repeated public requests in the last two months for Sen. Susan Collins to hold a town hall meeting in Maine to listen to the concerns of her constituents. I was greatly disappointed to go to her website and learn that she does not hold town hall meetings.

Then word came that she was planning to have one, and that if I requested a ticket, I could attend. I made the request, and was pleased to get confirmation that I would be admitted. I was informed that the meeting would be Feb. 22, at noon at the Maine Public offices on Marginal Way.

Really? How was everybody going to fit into such a small space?

Then I learned she wasn’t actually going to be there. That rather than face her constituents directly, she was going to do a “tele-town” hall. She would remain ensconced somewhere safe, and constituents would gather to hear her via speakerphone.

This is not a town hall meeting. This is not transparency. This is bait-and-switch, duck-and-cover.

And it is unacceptable. I did not trudge down to Maine Public to her fake town hall meeting Wednesday. It’s disrespectful of her to show her face only when she’s asking for our vote – and forgo standing before us when we ask her to listen to our concerns.

There’s a new website everyone should be aware of: wewillreplaceyou.org. It targets Democrats, but it should include Republicans.

We the people sent Sen. Collins to Washington. And we have the power to send her home. So she should show up. Stand up. And face us.

Frank O. Smith

South Portland