I called Congressman Phil Roe’s office in Kingsport on Aug. 24 and asked his staff member if she would have him call me at his convenience.

She replied that he was in the 1st District, but I would need to call later and make an appointment for a 15-minute spot.

She said it would take two months or longer. That is ludicrous.

I told her maybe I could see him at an event. She said he only discusses certain topics at events. How safe.

We need a true representative like Jimmy Quillen.

My husband never made an appointment to see him. If he was not in Washington, he was usually at his office.

We would call him and he would talk to us. Sometimes we went to his office to see him.

He has even called our home to discuss issues about which he thought we needed to know.

He did not distinguish between any class or political affiliation. He treated everyone equally.

Once he had a package traced that I had mailed to our daughter who lives in England. It was found quickly and the employee at the post office told her that my congressman had it traced. He was not happy. The package had probably been there for weeks.

We last saw Quillen at Indian Path Hospital shortly before he died. When he passed, I am sure many of us knew we had lost a good friend.

He never forgot where he came from or who he represented in Washington.

BETTY WATSON

Johnson City