The air was chilly in Quincy on Saturday as the Charlie Brown for Congress team held its 2nd to the last BBQ Town Hall meeting at Pioneer Park. People from around the greater Plumas County area; from Quincy to Greenville, Portola, Graeagle and all the way out from Chico came to hear Charlie speak and ask him the questions at the forefront of the 4th District’s minds.

Quincy, a small town of about 2,000, is known as a “mountain community.” Nestled in between the Plumas, Lassen and Tahoe National Forests, Quincy is a picture-perfect vision of yesteryear.

From the beautiful late 19th Century homes to the 40’s-style Main Street, everything about Quincy reminds you of a time and place that brings a smile to even the hardest of hearts.

The crowd braved the surprisingly early fall chill to meet Charlie and ask the questions they’ve been waiting for. As the burgers were being flipped, people poured in to sit under the Rotary pavilion and chat about the news in town.

When Charlie arrived, the crowd gathered around to hear an introduction by Plumas County Supervisor-elect Lori Simpson, just fresh off her electoral victory against a well-entrenched incumbent. Lori spoke about the need for change and how Charlie represents a new breed of leadership to move this district forward.

After Lori’s gracious introduction, Charlie told the group assembled about the importance of getting out the vote and making those phone calls, knocking on those doors, and talking to every neighbor about this campaign and the importance of voting.

The concerns of people in the Northern counties are a little different than they are in Roseville or Orangevale. Logging is a major issue, and one of the first questions revolved around the balance between the timber industry and the environmental concerns associated with it.

For Charlie, it was a familiar issue. A long-time proponent of healthy forests, Charlie explained the thinning techniques that are actually helping to keep fire levels down and encouraging new growth in the forests.

Another question revolved around hunting. A long-time skeet-shooter, Charlie believes in access to public lands for hunters, sports shooters, fishermen, hikers and off-road vehicles. Charlie owns guns and uses them frequently, and is a member of the Beale Gun & Rod Club where he shoots targets.

One woman asked a question revolved around housing markets. In Plumas County, the housing market has fluctuated wildly, putting home values in real jeopardy. Charlie has been an ardent supporter of standing up to predatory lenders so real people can stay in their homes. He is also calling for consistent, bi-partisan oversight by both the Executive branch and Congress to ensure the lenders don’t take advantage of another American family.

Finally, Charlie was asked about broadband internet access. Back in 2000, America was number one in the world in broadband access.  Today, America has fallen to 15th.  Charlie believes we can do better than that.  He believes we should not be satisfied until every community in America is wired so that everyone can compete in the global economy.  

Next weekend will be the final Charlie Brown Town Hall BBQ at Condon Park in Grass Valley. If you can make it, please join us, get some free burgers (we have veggie burgers too), and ask the questions that you want Charlie to answer. See you then!