Obama team to seek input at local forums

If you’ve ever wanted to give the president of the United States a piece of your mind, now’s the time.

The team leading President-elect Barack Obama’s transition to the White House has asked for local opinions, and meetings will be held on Dec. 14 in both Albany and Saratoga Springs.

The Albany meeting will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Ave., in the first floor back room.

Two meetings will be held in Saratoga Springs at the Masie Center, 95 Washington St., one from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and the other from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

It doesn’t matter whether you voted for Obama.

“President-elect Barack Obama is not just president of individuals who happen to work for him,” said Anton Konev, who is leading the Albany meeting. “He is president of the United States of America. So he is asking the residents of the United States of America to provide input.”

At least 1,000 meetings are expected to be staged across the country in the coming weeks, said Elliott Masie, who will lead the Saratoga Springs meetings.

Titled “Change is Coming,” the meetings will be similar to 3,000 “Listening to America” meetings held nationwide before the Democratic National Convention, Konev said.

“This is a meeting for the public in the Albany area to come up and share opinions on where the transition needs to move nationally as well as what we need to do locally,” Konev said.

The meeting facilitators will show a DVD made by the Obama team and then ask for feedback on the group’s agenda and what should take priority.

Masie expects Republicans and independent voters who didn’t support Obama to attend as well as Obama voters, and they’re welcome to come. “It’s not about being a political action group. It’s really almost like having a town hall meeting, New England style.”

Konev said he expects between 100 and 150 people to attend the Albany meeting.

“We expect some local elected officials, some union leaders and some community activists to be there,” Konev said.

Masie intends to make a video of the meeting to send to the Obama transition team, while Konev expects to relay the information by e-mail.

“The Obama team is very technically advanced,” he said. “I expect this information to be compiled and to be used for background for ideas.”

Konev said that some of Obama’s recent Cabinet appointments, including Republican Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Sen. Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state reflect Obama’s willingness to listen to others who may not share his ideology.