Mitch Perry
Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster concluded a meet and greet event at the Inverness Government Center this afternoon.
You can watch the video below, where many of those in attendance appeared upset that they didn’t get to ask questions of the Congressman, now representing Florida’s 11th Congressional District, which encompasses all of Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties, as well as part of Marion County and Lake County.
The event was not a town hall, as FloridaPolitics originally reported.
GOP House lawmakers were warned last week to maintain “enhanced security awareness” as they return to their home districts following several raucous town hall meetings in which angry Democrats dominated the proceedings, upset over plans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
Later Tuesday, CD 15 Congressman Dennis Ross is scheduled to hold a town hall event at the Clermont City Center in Clermont. On Wednesday, Pasco/Pinellas GOP Representative Gus Bilirakis is scheduled to host his third town-hall meeting in the past month, this one scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Wesley Chapel High School Performing Arts Center, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.
Watch Webster addressing the crowd at the end of today’s event in Inverness, courtesy of American Bridge 21st Century, a progressive organization.
11 comments
Bonnie
February 21, 2017 at 3:44 pm
I was there today…he made it very clear that this was not a question and answer period.
He made a statement that you did not hear? He said he will have a question and answer period IN THE FUTURE and everyone in the room will get a chance to ask a question and he will answer it.
He made it clear this was to do a ribbon cutting for his office that he opened and introduced the employee representing him. He also mention how much money he saved so far in office and all clapped. Why did you miss the other important information and report things this way?
This was advertised as a “meet and greet” and “open house” not a public question and answer forum. You twist things sir as all the left wing media does.
Resist and persist
February 21, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Well, if his mic worked , maybe we would of heard him.
Others are holding meet and greets, and yet still acknowledged thier constituents by taking questions when they still have 1 1/2 left . He was 10minutes late talk for 20 mins. Part of what was a ribbon cutting with what looked like cardboard, shaped like scissors, yeah, dont think thats going to work ,and bolstered about how much money he saved the district? Okay, thats good. Where did the savings go. Back to the people? Streets? That are so messed up in Old Beverly Hills . Or,when they do finally pave ,ONE street, it’s half that street per year. And, then see yeah, 3 more years or more for maybe another half street. But it’s Old Beverly Hills and the poorest area. So who cares.
So in getting off subject . As he did today. Of what we thought we were there for.
A Meet in Greet is more than coming out with a mic that doesnt work , and going around MEETING AND GREETING. Answering questions of concern. A few hand shakes . Was he afraid. There were enough police and others jeering over us . I for one got trolled about the T shirt I was wearing by a Trump surpporter that seem to have a problem with it before Webster finally came out. As if he was going to bully me about it. Oh wait it was bulling me about it. Glad he stepped down.
And what was up with No signs allowed in the Chamber. Okay let’s make this look like what it’s not.?
So is he going to come back to Inverness any time soon. And how long are we going to wait . Voting day? Lets hope IF he shows up again . He’ll realize,. Enough with the cardboard ribbon cutting and photo op to make it look like in some of the pictures on his sight, all is well,. Yeah it wasn’t.
And if this reply is too left wing for you. So be it.
Bonnie
February 22, 2017 at 8:02 am
Your points are valid, I had no problem hearing him. But the card board scissors are standard practice in all business openings. If you look at the local paper you will see them all the time. Or look up ribbon cutting ceremony or business opening. The business lines up the staff and a ribbon is stretched out and cut. This has gone on in all communities for years. It is like the ceremony of launching a boat with a bottle broken across the bow of the boat. As for the street and sidewalks those are federal and state issues. If you have pot holes call the city they will come out and patch them, they do in our area. But…remember this is Citrus County and while we all like living here because of our wonderful neighbors and community and the cost of living , it is a very slow moving pace/place.
Resist and persist.
February 22, 2017 at 11:06 am
He should have broken a bottle on the podium. Maybe the mic would of worked after that.
As far as the streets in Old Beverly Hills. That’s just it. PATCHING the holes at this point isn’t enough. And maybe you should go on Websters sight , look at his biography page.
From his first day in leadership, Webster worked to reform the way Legislature did business, requiring all proposed laws to meet specific criteria that would determine its effectiveness in benefiting the people of the great state of Florida.
With his engineering background, Webster is working on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure where he applies nearly thirty-five years of transportation experience in Florida to create jobs, improve Florida’s roads and highways, and find ways
I said nothing about the side walks. And the streets there have never gotten attention. Excuse to say , But.. this is Citrus County. Wow. ! No it is one of the Lower income areas and gets ignored for years. Along with other lower income areas around Citrus. I go through there for work, and it’s been that way for years. And I mean years. They might pave the main streets once in a while , but, leave the house blocks go to hell.
As far as the Meet and Greet. Never saw anything that said there was a ribbon cutting. And I have been to ribbon cuttings . Most that I have been to use very real large scissors. They actually have them. Budget for them. The whole fiasco may have been a greet, but, “meet the people” was left out. Notice all across the country they are calling it Meet and Greets and still taking constituents questions. , no matter how angry they are.
Kathy Dobronyi
February 21, 2017 at 5:55 pm
Bonnie, I have to wonder why the event was scheduled for two hours (noon to 2:00) when all Webster was going to do was cut a ribbon. I have to wonder why he would not expect angry constituents to be present to ask what he is doing in Washington. After all, he is representing ALL of us in District 11.
Kathy Dobronyi
February 21, 2017 at 5:55 pm
Went to Daniel Webster’s “open house” today held in the Inverness City Hall. What an example of GOP rudeness. Webster would not take questions and literally ran from his constituents after talking 20 minutes although the room was reserved from noon to 2:00.
City Manager Frank DiGiovani was also a sad example of GOP rudeness. Although Webster’s event was advertised in advance, there was no mention of a ban for signs. First, we couldn’t bring them into the room so Webster could see them. Second, DiGiovani told us we could not hold them up in the hallway.
I could not believe it because we were not blocking anyone’s access to the room nor did we accost people who passed by us. When he informed me about the signs, I just stared at him. He repeated his dictate, then asked me in a very condescending way if I understood. The cheek of this elected official. When I told him he was rude, he denied it, then shouldered me aside to talk to a man behind me. I lost my balance, but caught myself in time before I landed on the floor.
He never said, “Excuse me,” as he pushed past me. He also denied his rude behavior.
I thought Frank DiGiovani was a decent person, but today he showed his true colors. I am ashamed he represents Inverness. I’m ashamed he represents you and me. Unfortunately, Frank DiGiovani is not ashamed of his actions and refuses to take responsibility for them.
Anon
February 21, 2017 at 7:35 pm
I find it hilarious that he can’t answer questions, but every other Representative is. Every other district is holding Town halls. We DEMAND recourse obligated to us by GOD in our own Constitution. This man has no single leg to stand on when all across this nation Representatives are holding town halls. Not Tele-town halls. Not Political theater. This coward needs to speak his opinion, and listen to our opinions. He is not a King, He is not a Dictator, He is an elected official. He is not going to hold a single Town Hall. He will use some silly reason like “They were mean to me” or “I felt like I was in Danger.” That guy has a yellow streak running right down his back.
Eileen Fleming
February 23, 2017 at 11:05 am
I arrived at Representative Dennis Ross’s SRO town hall meeting just as the pledge of allegiance began.
I wormed my way up to the front propelled by the ENERGY of the passionate articulate crowd who made me happy to be an American again!
This American was passed over during the Q&A but i made contact with Chief of Staff Anthony Foti regarding this request for a simple YES or NO:
Will U.S. Representative Dennis A. Ross support establishing every June 8 to be known as USS LIBERTY REMEMBRANCE DAY?
Mr. Foti emailed this morning he will get back to me on this issue.
Learn what happens next here:
http://thearabdailynews.com/author/eileen-fleming/
Elissa Malcohn
February 23, 2017 at 8:46 pm
I attended Rep. Webster’s “Congressional Meet-n-Greet” in Inverness on Feb. 21. You can view the invitation from his office at https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2552/32902042892_2293c5b69d.jpg.
Here are my observations:
1. The invitation stated “Meet-n-Greet,” but neither occurred. Instead, Rep. Webster remained behind his podium, talked about himself to those of us assembled, and refused to take any questions. That is not a “meet-n-greet.” That is a one-sided lecture. Neither did we have any formal opportunity to speak with any of his staff.
2. The invitation stated that the event would occur from 12 noon to 2 p.m., but Webster ended it at around 12:30 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Mike Wright’s article in the Chronicle states that Webster left after 50 minutes. However, my photo of the ribbon cutting is clocked at 12:30:23 and my audio recording places his leavetaking at 12:33:33.) Please note that his audience did not become loud until it was clear that he would refuse to acknowledge any of us, including those who politely and silently held their hands up.
3. Those of us who continued to hold our own meeting in the wake of Webster’s departure were told to vacate the room at 1 p.m., to make room for a meeting scheduled for that evening. Yet Webster’s invitation stated that the event was not to end until 2 p.m.
In short, Webster’s “Meet-n-Greet” was a bait-n-switch. I did not have to travel far, but I overheard people who had traveled here from within the district but outside Citrus County, including a 40-minute one-way drive. These people spent their own time and gas money to come to an event that was not what it had advertised itself to be. Is it any wonder that people were upset, regardless of their political affiliation? Rep. Webster did not serve any of his constituents here but only monopolized their time and energy for his own personal recognition.
As far as the money he claims to have saved taxpayers is concerned, I refer you to spendingtracker.org, which receives its data from the Congressional Budget Office. Webster’s voting record has cost the taxpayer close to $2 TRILLION, a figure comparable to Sen. Nelson’s. Screen grabs of the figures for Webster, Rubio, and Nelson may be seen at https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2033/32924273062_f6bebd56b4_b.jpg. But don’t take my word for it. Go to spendingtracker.org and see for yourself.
Bonnie
February 24, 2017 at 8:19 am
Thank you for your information. People did not need to act the way they did and the way they are being guided to from outside organizations that are disrupting all over the country. While some might join in due to frustration the bulk of what is happening is not going to change the minds of those that voted in 2016, my observation from those I know is that they will come back in the next cycle and against the Republicans in office that don’t do their job either. It will be interesting to see what is left in our current government of both liberals, progressives, conservatives,independents,green party and and so called Republicans & Democrats. Thank you for your excellent and detailed response, interesting reading.
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