2008.08.28: August 28, 2008: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: Bridgeport News: Chris Shays shows up at Opponent's Press Conference

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Fiji: Special Report: Former Congressman Chris Shays: RPCV Congressman Chris Shays: Newest Stories: 2008.08.28: August 28, 2008: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: Bridgeport News: Chris Shays shows up at Opponent's Press Conference

By Admin1 (admin) (70.233.229.30) on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 2:35 pm: Edit Post

Chris Shays shows up at Opponent's Press Conference

Chris Shays shows up at Opponent's Press Conference

As the press conference was about to begin, Shays unexpectedly showed up with one of his staff members. He and Himes shook hands in an awkward moment, and then they took turns speaking to the press. Himes went first and was joined by a small group of local Democratic elected officials. The event took place on the East Side of the bridge, which has been broken for more than a decade. The bridge has been left in the open position to allow boat traffic to move on the Pequonnock River. Shays later said the federal money he gets for special projects is based on the requests of city officials, especially mayors, and they have made the downtown intermodal transportation center and Seaview Avenue corridor their priorities. “This has never been requested by the city,” Shays said of funds for the bridge. “It’s never been on their list. I don’t make my own list, but I go by their list.” When asked what he thought of Shays’ appearance at his press conference, Himes called it “a little irregular.” Himes later said, “I welcome him to the agenda.” Shays said he might show up at future Himes’ press events as well. “If they are as outrageous as this press conference, I will be there,” he said. Congressman Chris Shays of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in the 1960's.

Chris Shays shows up at Opponent's Press Conference

Two candidates, one press conference; Shays shows up during Himes event at the Congress Street Bridge

Written by Brad Durrell

Thursday, August 28, 2008

A candidate’s press conference to draw attention to the broken Congress Street Bridge took a unique twist Monday when the opposing candidate showed up.

Democrat Jim Himes, who is running for Congress, organized the event to claim Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays had failed to secure federal funds to fix the bridge that connects downtown and the East Side.

Himes said Shays had just come back from his 21st trip to Iraq, symbolizing his priorities. “Seventy-two hours ago Chris Shays was 6,000 miles away,” Himes said.

He said the United States is spending tens of billions of dollars to rebuild Iraq while neglecting infrastructure problems at home. He called for investing more money in United States bridges, highways, schools and train stations.

“Our prosperity depends on us getting our infrastructure right,” Himes said.

As the press conference was about to begin, Shays unexpectedly showed up with one of his staff members. He and Himes shook hands in an awkward moment, and then they took turns speaking to the press.

Himes went first and was joined by a small group of local Democratic elected officials. The event took place on the East Side of the bridge, which has been broken for more than a decade. The bridge has been left in the open position to allow boat traffic to move on the Pequonnock River.

Shays later said the federal money he gets for special projects is based on the requests of city officials, especially mayors, and they have made the downtown intermodal transportation center and Seaview Avenue corridor their priorities.

“This has never been requested by the city,” Shays said of funds for the bridge. “It’s never been on their list. I don’t make my own list, but I go by their list.”

When asked what he thought of Shays’ appearance at his press conference, Himes called it “a little irregular.”

Himes later said, “I welcome him to the agenda.”

Shays, for his part, said he had never showed up at an opponent’s press event before. “This was a press conference I wasn’t going to miss,” he said, calling Himes’ accusation “politics at its worst.”

Shays said he might show up at future Himes’ press events as well. “If they are as outrageous as this press conference, I will be there,” he said.

Himes’ campaign press aide Michael Sachse said Himes should be credited with getting Shays to focus more on local issues. ”It took a camera and a gaggle of reporters to get Chris Shays to pay attention to problems in Connecticut,” Sachse said.


Councilmen raise concerns

Democratic council members Maria I. Valle, who represents the East Side, and Leticia Colon were among those who appeared with Himes.

Valle said the broken bridge hurts businesses on both sides, restricts pedestrian access and also raises public safety concerns, with the Congress Street fire station abutting the river on the downtown side.

“It’s been over 10 years, and the bridge is still sitting here,” Valle said.

Colon said too many promises to repair the bridge have been made and not kept. “He’s made too many trips to Iraq,” she said of Shays. “I know Iraq is important, but the city also is important.”

Valle and Colon also claimed Shays had made what they considered an inappropriate comment concerning the bridge during a meeting in Washington earlier this year.

They said Shays had told them keeping the bridge closed would keep negative elements out of downtown, which would be good for redevelopment efforts.

“I was saddened by his comments,” Valle said.

“We were disturbed and very disappointed in our congressman’s comments,” Colon said.

Shays denied the charge, which doesn’t appear to have been raised before. “That’s just totally made up,” Shays said.

Himes said Washington has done little to address problems such as broken bridges in urban areas in recent years. “Our federal government has consistently neglected our cities,” he said.

He said he “will work with the mayor, council and state government” to replace or fix the bridge. The city, he said, doesn’t have the money to fix the bridge on its own due to its “dire financial condition.”

Himes said Shays voted to fight “the wrong war in the wrong place. In the end it will cost us trillions — with a T — of dollars.” At the same time the war is costing up to $12 billion a month, he said, Republicans pushed through tax cuts.

“We just need to get our priorities right,” Himes said.



Shays responds to critics

Shays said city officials have focused on using state funds to fix the Congress Street Bridge.

Some state funding has been secured for design work by an engineering firm. State legislators have tried to get funds to build a new bridge, but have never been successful.

He said he tries to work closely with the city’s mayors — all Democrats since 1991 — and the Democratic-controlled City Council. “I could overrule what the mayor wants, but I don’t do that,” he said.

He said the bridge originally could have been fixed for as little as $1 million, but the city decided not to pursue the project. There are other bridges over the Pequonnock River about a quarter mile away on both sides.

Shays pointed out that by Himes’ logic, Democratic U.S. Sens. Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman also have failed to make fixing the Congress Street Bridge a priority.

He agreed the bridge should be repaired or replaced. “This is a terrible symbol,” he said. “It needs to be fixed.”

As for Iraq, Shays said he wants Iraq to pay all of its reconstruction costs due to higher oil revenues. “I agree with him,” he said of Himes.

He said he goes to Iraq regularly because he wants to visit with U.S. troops and due to his role as the top Republican on the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee. All U.S. troops should be out of Iraq by the end of 2009, Shays said.




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Headlines: August, 2008; RPCV Chris Shays (Fiji); Figures; Peace Corps Fiji; Directory of Fiji RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Fiji RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Connecticut





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Story Source: Bridgeport News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Fiji; Politics; Congress

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