The first in a monthly series of online chats with local leaders happens Thursday night, March 22, when Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy fields questions from concerned citizens from 8 to 9 o'clock.
Called "Neighborhood Chat" and sponsored by Herald Community Newspapers and Hofstra University, the "conversations" will be on the World Wide Web the last Thursday each month and feature government officials and other community leaders from a variety of organizations.
"No subject is unapproachable," Suzanne Shareef, Hofstra's associate director for university relations, has said. "It's a really great opportunity to speak with people who might not normally be accessible."
The McCarthy chat, which will be moderated by Conrad Herold, an assistant professor in economics at Hofstra, is completely flexible: a tete-a-tete, rap session or whatever shape emerges from an open, live forum. So it's not politics as usual, but politics as unusual.
McCarthy (D-Mineola), who is in her third term representing Long Island's Fourth Congressional District, is eager to discuss not only her specialty areas of gun control, education, healthcare and tax relief, but also topics she has yet to tackle.
"Excited is the one word I have for taking part in the Herald/Hofstra chat room," McCarthy said. "It gives me one more way to hear from Long Islanders, and one more way for them to ask me questions, or make comments."
To join the chat room on March 22, log on to: www.liherald.com or http://www.hofstra.edu/ or www.house.gov/carolynmccarthy and click on the political chat room link.
