Is the bar so low for Donald Trump’s presidency that it’s caused a perverted form of Stockholm Syndrome for a majority of Americans? Will just a mundane act be perceived as an astonishing accomplishment? Wednesday night Congressman Jim Himes greeted a passionately friendly crowd in a packed City Council Chambers to address their fears about Trump’s presidency.
Himes pointed out his Republican colleagues are facing angry crowds in town hall meetings. Video of event below courtesy of Steve Krauchick, Doing It Local.
CT Post coverage:
A standing ovation set the tone for a town hall meeting held Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.
Hundreds of people packed the event, held at Bridgeport City Hall starting at 6:30 p.m.
Himes faced few critical questions, and used them as segues for short speeches on immigration reform, health care, and how the Democrats might succeed in a Republican-controlled Congress with President Donald Trump at the helm.
Full story here.
Jim Himes is a do-nothing Congressman. What has he done to help Bridgeport except show up here in an election year? the audience was good-sized but now they are all back home and will sit on their hands again.
I almost forgot. Himes, what have you done to keep jobs in the USA and force other companies to come back to the USA? What have you done to protect citizens from criminal illegals? The list goes on and on.
I was looking at the photo that was posted as part of this article. Did anyone notice the lack of minorities in the crowd? Must be suburbanites in the audience thus the softball questions.
Andy Fardy, on this one point only, you’re right. There was a decided low percentage of minorities in the crowd. The audience did not look like it represented Bridgeport. The question is: WHY?
Because the people who deal with the problems the people of Bridgeport do, they have a lot of free time. If you’ll note, even the CT Post called the questions softball questions. Do you think there were plants in the audience who were given questions to ask? He talks about Stockholm syndrome, he is right. We have been held hostage by Obama and his henchmen and women.
First of all, I would disagree with the use of “Stockholm Syndrome” as written in the original posting. I think the point of some people of Bridgeport of not having time/being overloaded with daily responsibilities is valid but may very well reflect negatively upon the daily lives of Bridgeporters. In other words, do a significant proportion of Bridgeporters face a daily fight for “survival?” I completely disagree with the statement concerning Obama.
BTW, Mayor Joe Ganim was there but he left early. I think it was at the third question from the audience when Ganim left with his detective bodyguard. The weird thing is as Ganim was leaving, his eyes were down avoiding eye contact. He directly passed in front of me, eyes down, no eye contact, saying nothing. His bodyguard did have to say “Excuse me” because, let’s just say the bodyguard is a big guy.
I would like to think part of the reason Ganim2 left the meeting “before the third question from the audience,” was because of the comments I made at the Town Hall meeting posing the “second” community issue to Rep. Jim Himes.
“Through Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the Federal government exercises significant authority, responsibility and funding in Bridgeport. Recently it was noted that at least $50 Million comes into the community annually to support subsidies in units of public housing like P T Barnum, Greene Homes, Beardsley Gardens, etc. that are part of Park City Communities (formerly Bridgeport Housing Authority) responsibility as well as a program of Section 8 vouchers to provide rent subsidies for open-market housing.
“Whether public housing or Section 8 vouchers are the mechanism of public funding, when local managers of those properties (either public or private administrators) operate in such a way to make residents fearful of speaking up about living conditions beyond their control, where can they go for relief? When copies of annual determinations for Section 8 awards have not been distributed for several years, as previously, how can a tenant know whether he/she is living up to full responsibility? When living conditions are at such a level that Public Health authorities have been called, should residents fear eviction for telling their story?”
Rep. Himes, pointing to the array of City officials standing behind me, indicated I should turn the matter over to those folks. I respectfully demurred. He also mentioned the Resident representative, a wonderful local lady, but one person does have difficulty moving multiple institutions who are set in their ways like HUD and the City. I think the taxpayer question or inquiry is more in order to make the housing story OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT and HONEST and that is something Rep. Himes’ office can do. Let’s do a thorough review of the funds spent, both operating and capital, the way citizens requiring help are informed of their rights and responsibilities, and a public process that more than occasionally tells us things are in balance, rather than protected from criticism by dire threats of compensated management.
Anybody want to talk about this issue in preparation for the next visit by Representatives and Senators? Is President Trump the only person elected by the people to be “for the people, meaning all the people?” Who needs a refresher course in Civics, “checks and balance” and “best practices?” Who cares about the more than 5,000 units in the City where both types of subsidy work their way into people’s lives? Time will tell.
I am hearing rumors some of these “free: housing units, theoretically for poverty level people,” are being given to some residents who also work for the City. The “so-called” real estate agents are city officials and assistance from a Bridgeport Democratic Party official.
Frank, I wish you had come over to say hi, I didn’t see you. I admit I was surprise very few from our minority population were present, it was so apparent it was like a blow to the gut. I privately mentioned this to my friends Jeff and John, and Jeff pointed out all our residents are so discouraged and almost feeling hopeless, there’s a good chance they probably have given up. I believe he has something there, and I appreciated his insight, it made sense. As always, there was representation from Black Rock, Steve Stafstrom and a group of others did show to lend support.
Lisa Parziale, I saw you from a distance and I recognized a few other faces, BUT it was so packed, it was hard to move around. I’m sure we will meet again soon!!!
Lisa, I’m not surprised at all by the low turnout of blacks and Hispanics because they have no connection to Himes because he has done nothing for them or for Bridgeport. Mayor Ganim is on shaky grounds with blacks and Hispanics now because he has been playing around trying to get Donald Trump’s attention and that’s a no-no. Just look at how the black community has turned on other blacks who had photo-ops with Trump like Steve Harvey.
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes is a real lightweight and he is a do-nothing Congressman just like Senator Dick Blumenthal, every chance they get they keep popping up on MSNBC, they both need to go.
Ron Mackey, respectfully, do you want to get into a full discussion about the roles Jim Himes and Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy have to do with anything about Bridgeport, because I am really ready to take on all the BS that has been posted on OIB about the roles of Senators Blumenthal and Murphy and Representatives to the House of Representatives, and GODDAMNIT, get your U.S. Constitution and House of Representatives and Senate Rules close by to you.
Frank, what are you talking about?
That’s okay. If I could I would delete that last comment. I think I was making too many comments tonight and that one drifted way off into political theory. Sometimes I talk too much.
Frank, thanks for being honest. I have that same disease.
No one has quite put it like that. This is the USA, and yet we are, in fact, victims of a Presidency. History is being made and not in a good way.
Zena, how are you the victim of a presidency that’s been in office less than 60 days?
We are ALL victims of Donald Trump because he has lowered the discourse of discussion within our country. Bipartisanship was sinking fast as Republicans reflexively opposed anything and everything from President Obama, and Republicans said openly they wanted to make Obama a failure and a one-term President. We now have Donald Trump, the “grab ’em by the pussy” president. Yes, we are all victims of a stupid, vain, narcissistic spoiled brat who was taught by his father to be a racist and was taught by family lawyer Roy Cohn to attack unmercifully and never admit any wrongdoing. So Donald Trump is a Frankenstein, a combination of his father, Fred Trump and Roy Cohn. Please go do some research.
It may have been said openly but it is all bullshit, more liberal BS. Of course the Republicans wanted to make Obama a one-term president. Why do you act like it was Obama’s right to a second term? You call what you posted research? What are your reference sources? Which left-leaning periodical did you use?
Andrew Fardy, please go do some research and find out what Rush Limbaugh said after the FIRST election of Barack Obama. I do not believe Rush Limbaugh counts as a “left-leaning periodical,” to quote you.
I don’t believe Rush L is an expert at anything.
Roomful of low-information voters looking for free stuff!
Free stuff? As though they are entitled to free stuff?