U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross Meets Resident Wrath At Lutz Town Hall Meeting

By Matt Wiley

As the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election begins to kick into high gear, many controversial issues are afloat in Washington, DC, and several local residents voiced their concerns about them during a recent town hall meeting in Lutz with Dist. 15 U.S. Representative Dennis Ross (R-Lakeland), who represents the New Tampa area in Congress.

Rep. Ross was met with few allies in cafeteria at Lutz Elementary on the evening of August 4, as roughly 40 residents from the surrounding areas filled his ear with concerns about issues from the Iranian nuclear agreement, to immigration, to President Obama’s recently released climate change legislation proposal.

“(The Iranian Nuclear deal) is the most important decision I may ever make in Congress,” Rep. Ross said, explaining that the deal, which reportedly will keep Iran from ever having the capability of developing nuclear weapons in its nuclear plants, but doesn’t allow for proper inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

“More importantly, we’re lifting sanctions that allows for $150 billion in frozen assets to be utilized to fund the largest state form of terrorism known to man,” Ross said. “Tehran is truly the central bank of terrorism.”

Ross told the audience that Iran has to agree to a nuclear inspection by the IAEA and then has a 24-day waiting period before the inspection can take place, during which time the request goes through the United Nations and a potential appeal process.

“What do we get out of this?,” Ross asked. “We get a handshake.”

Shortly after, Ross opened the floor for questions, many of which, were not friendly.

Stewart Collins, who lives near the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, just a few miles south of Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. expressed disdain with the Iran nuclear deal.

“Someone needs to grow a spine and stand up to the president,” Collins said. “Stop going to the courts to figure things out. Use the power of impeachment, use your legislative power.”  

Another resident also was concerned with the actions of the current Congress.

“You guys are constantly giving up your power to the Executive Branch and the Supreme Court,” he said. “These guys are acting outside the bounds of the Constitution and you guys just sit by and let them go.”

Ross rebutted, “This president has done so much to make Congress irrelevant through his Executive Orders that he would have done this Iran deal (anyway) and there would never have been an up or down vote in Congress.”

Other constituents complained that although they repeatedly call Ross’s office, votes still go a different way than what they request, expressing feelings of defeat at the meeting. Ross urged those attendees not to give up and to come out to the polls whenever there’s an election to affect change.

New Tampa resident Joe Gesumaria said he also was not pleased with what’s happening in our nation’s capitol. 

“I’m 77 years old and I’m mad as hell,” Gesumaria told Ross. “In my opinion, politicians have ruined my America. We’re $19 trillion in debt. We will never, ever pay off that debt and in 18 more years, every cent this government confiscates from us will go to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and (still pay) only the interest on that debt. We are broke.”

Gesumaria said that he wanted to see a consumption tax (or a tax on services used) to replace the current Internal Revenue Service tax code. Rep. Ross said he was in favor of the idea two years ago, but that the timing wasn’t right to pursue it, adding that when we elect a new president in 2016, it will be a better time to pursue such a measure. Ross said that he’s worried someone might try to implement a consumption tax in addition to current tax codes.

Another resident brought up the issue of illegal immigration, which dominated the conversation when Ross held a town hall meeting in July of 2013, right after the president’s immigration reform bill was proposed.

“We should have done something with (immigration) years ago,” Rep. Ross said. “There are multiple steps.” Ross said that if a bigger fence is built along the Mexican border, “people will bring a bigger ladder.” He also mentioned a measure put in place by the Obama administration that prevents local law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws, before explaining that 40 percent of illegal immigrants are in the country on expired work visas.

“We need a visa program that works,” Ross said. “We can’t keep track of (people) with work visas, but we can track a package anywhere?… Our system is broken.”

When questioned about the president’s recent plan for climate change that aims to cut back on carbon emissions and the country’s reliance on fossil fuels, Ross said he’s not a fan. 

“I will do everything possible to prevent these regulations from going into place,” he said. “Look at this way, if (Obama) shuts down every coal-producing plant in the country, what are we going to do in Kentucky and West Virginia where we’re producing all of this coal? Do you think they’re going to stop? They’re going to produce it, export it to China, where they’ll use it. What are we going to do about our environment then?”

Lutz Citizens Coalition president Mike White pointed out the elephant in the room.

“Many of us were at your last meeting (in July 2013),” White said. “There is a distinctive difference in tone at this meeting, which I’m sure you’re well aware of.” 

White said that he, too, used to be in public service as a former fireman.

“If I had done my job the way many of you are doing yours in DC, I’d lose my job,” White explained. “My job required the trust of these people to enter their homes and treat their families. You don’t have that.”

Ross thanked White for his comments.

“If I didn’t care, if I didn’t want to earn your trust, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “I firmly believe that the path to a solution is an open dialogue.”

The Aug. 4 meeting could be the last Ross holds in our district, as preliminary Congressional redistricting maps that were ordered by the Florida Supreme Court show that the New Tampa area could be shifting into District 14, which currently is represented by Rep. Kathy Castor. Look for a story about redistricting in a future issue.

For more information about U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, please visit DennisRoss.house.gov.