OIB friend John “Salty” Soltis, a veteran employee of the Bridgeport Public Library, has lined up a couple of hot forums at the Black Rock Library.
Former Congressman Chris Shays, who makes his residence in Maryland but owns a condo in Black Rock, will return to the Park City for a lively discussion about his time in Congress and life after Congress on Jan 13, 6:30 p.m. at the Black Rock Library, 2705 Fairfield Avenue.
Shays had seriously considered a run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010 but financial considerations after moving to Maryland kept him out of one of the toughest-fought governor’s races in state history. Does he miss Congress? Does he want to go back? What’s his take on things since his loss to Jim Himes in 2008?
Shays owns a condo on Grovers Avenue and returns to Bridgeport every few weekends, but this will be his first public forum since leaving Congress.
If you cannot make the Shays event Soltis has organized this forum:
With the approval of both the House and Senate, President Obama has signed into law the:
Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
The total cost of this legislation is an estimated 858 billion dollars.*
*CBO Estimate of Changes in Revenues and Direct Spending
Good idea? Bad idea? Something in between?
Join our distinguished panelists, from across the political spectrum, for a lively and in depth discussion of this historic legislation:
• Max Medina, Managing Partner, Zeldes Needle and Cooper and former Bridgeport Board of Education President
• Rob Russo, former Republican State Senator and aide to Congressman Chris Shays
• Tom Swan, Executive Director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group
• Rick Torres, former Republican candidate for Congress and 2003 Bridgeport Republican nominee for Mayor
• David Walker, founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative and former Comptroller General of the United States
When: Tuesday January 18th 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Where: Black Rock Branch Library
2705 Fairfield Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06605
Good grief, Max, Russo, Swanny, Torres and Walker all in the same room! I’d pay admission for that. For sure, there will be hot exchanges. Is it possible for Rick Torres not to unleash his passion at any forum? They don’t call him Ricky Steamboat for nothing. Max and Swanny can toss barbs with the best of them. (Swanny managed Ned Lamont’s U.S. Senate race in 2006.) And what can we say about David Walker, the nation’s former chief accountant, who purchased Shays’ home in Black Rock? He’s on a mission to bring national politics to the “sensible center.” Russo may end up as the referee in this thing.
John Soltis’ panel selection for the January 18th forum leaves a “Salty” taste in my mouth. The only one who could give an in-depth analysis on such a subject is David Walker.
How John Soltis left Peter Schiff out of such forum is enough to keep me under the water fountain for weeks. I just heard one of the panelists explain that those receiving unemployment benefits will quickly spend the money, thus keeping the economy going. Brilliant observation!
Joel, a substantial part of the unemployment benefits will be spent on goods not “services,” those goods are probably made in China as we are now a “service/information” culture. I feel those monies will end up in China L.O.L.
Thanks for the plug Lennie. I hope we see many of the OIB faithful at both programs.
Also, a special thanks to you for resurrecting a nickname I haven’t heard since high school. I can’t begin to tell you how pleased I am with seeing it here on OIB!