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Residents vent their ire over economy at Pelosi, Lee in Oakland town hall
By Josh Richman
Oakland Tribune
© Copyright 2011, Bay Area News Group
Posted: 08/17/2011 12:44:26 PM PDT
Updated: 08/18/2011 04:20:51 AM PDT
OAKLAND -- They lined up dozens deep to tell of their economic struggles and to plead for help from the four Democrats lawmakers on the stage.
A single mother laid off in 2009; an electrician who has worked only six of the past 24 months; a janitor locked out of her job over a medical-benefits dispute; and many more -- the frustration was palpable at the "Speak Out for Good Jobs Now!" town hall meeting that Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, hosted Tuesday night at Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ.
Some of it was aimed squarely at House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, who came to hear her constituents' stories. Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, and Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., also attended. The meeting's purpose was to record stories for entry into the Congressional Record, but some clearly had come to vent their anger at Pelosi for what they see as Democratic inertia in the face of Republican aggression.
"Sellout!" someone shouted as Pelosi began addressing the crowd of about 900; shouts of "Tax the rich!" and "End the war!" punctuated her speech on job creation. Although her castigation of House Republicans -- for trying to gut the National Labor Relations Board, for delaying the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, and more -- drew some cheers, her critics remained focused. When she cited the recent deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling and cut the budget without raising any new revenues, a man angrily shouted, "Why did you vote for it?"
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