Himes pledges support for Bridgeport
Connecticut Post, Friday, November 07, 2008
By BILL CUMMINGS
BRIDGEPORT -- Congressman-elect Jim Himes on Friday pledged to do what he can to help the Park City, while warning the nation faces "severe" economic problems.
"Make no mistake that the challenges we face are severe and there will be few resources in the next few years," the Greenwich Democrat said after meeting with Mayor Bill Finch to discuss the city's needs.
"Hopefully, we will be able to make progress despite the state of the economy," he said.
Three days after he upset long-time Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays in the state's 4th Congressional District, Himes tried to roll back expectations and gave only very general remarks about what he specifically might be able to do for the city since he doesn't take office until Jan. 3.
Still, Himes acknowledged Bridgeport "was important to my election," along with Stamford and Norwalk. In Tuesday's election, Himes scored a landslide in Bridgeport with a margin of about 20,000 votes and posted healthy victories in the other two cities, enough to overcome Shays' support in traditionally Republican towns like Greenwich and Darien.
Finch, also a Democrat, beamed as he introduced the congressman-elect, saying the city finally has a "member of our own" in Congress. He was careful to also thank Shays, who lives in Bridgeport, for his support over the years, but it was obvious Finch was pleased Himes will be part of the Democratic-controlled White House and Congress next year.
"Working with [President elect] Obama, Himes will make a world of difference for the city," Finch predicted. "We saw right away his level of commitment to making Bridgeport part of the solution and not part of the problem."
The mayor, approaching the anniversary of his first year in office, faces tremendous challenges, most notably a growing budget deficit fueled by recent foreclosures and the collapse of the housing market.
Himes said he supports making Bridgeport into a housing hub for the region, which includes more affordable housing.
He also said the long-closed Congress Street bridge must be rebuilt, although he stopped short of guaranteeing immediate funding. "A bridge that separates two communities is not tolerable and needs to be fixed. I'm going to work on that, absolutely," he said.
Finch said the city is developing plans to repair the bridge that connects the East Side with downtown. The bridge has been stuck in the upright position for years.
