Transcript of on-the-street interview in Kent, CT between Barkhamsted RTC Chair Juliana Simone and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5):
{Editor’s note: Video has been taken down off of YouTube, but because Esty spoke in such a whisper, it was mostly inaudible anyway, which is why the interview was transcribed.}
Barkhamsted RTC Chair Juliana Simone in an inclusive interview with U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty
Written by Juliana Simone
Kent, CT – Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-5) who took over this formerly held seat by her fellow party member Connecticut U.S. Senator Chris Murphy after the 2012 elections, was speaking to a small circle of constituents in Litchfield County about some of the issues that came up this Saturday afternoon on her “Congress in Your Corner” tour. A beautiful May afternoon allowed the United States Representative to stay and mingle with a handful of interested constituents who reside in one of the districts forty-one towns.
“I was delighted to see so many people show up today,” she told the group. Congresswoman Esty was pleased there were a variety of topics that were a mix of local, state, federal and environmental issues, among them Bulls Bridge and the Appalachian Trail which are pertinent to the area. In regards to the Appalachian Trail which runs 2,181 miles from Maine to Georgia, concerns about unsupervised swimming where there was a recent fatality, parking, safety and trash were discussed.
The Appalachian Trail is mostly maintained by the National Park Service, one Esty and a member of the circle concluded, but Esty asserted if the parking spaces were on a state road then this would be a state issue. A man told the Congresswoman the newly created parking spaces were for CL&P so she wondered if this then was deeded land or an easement and concluded that state, local, federal and non-profits will have to figure this out.
Before departing the group, she was asked about Statico, and whether this had been resolved, and U.S. Representative Esty replied she would have to get them an update and reminded them a couple of people had asked about this today in her appearance at the Kent Memorial Library.
With time constraints where the Congresswoman had scheduled to look at local artist paintings before leaving Kent, she excused herself and then gave Ameriborn News Network some of her time. Here is a transcription of the two questions asked of Representative Esty and her responses along with the accompanying video of the interview:
Juliana Simone: Congresswoman, can I ask you a couple of questions?
Rep. Esty: Well, it depends…
Juliana Simone: Well, they’re different subjects but I was just wondering…
Rep. Esty: I’m sorry. You’re with whom?
Juliana Simone: Ameriborn News.
Rep. Esty: Okay.
Juliana Simone: We endorsed you over Donovan in Campaign 2012…(Esty laughs)
Earlier this week, you had to return some campaign donations from Northeast Utilities involving you and your husband (because of him) being the DEEP commissioner in CT…Are you going to return the rest of the individual donations that Jon Lender mentioned in the Courant?
{A toddler rides his scooter between the interviewer and Esty and Esty asks him, “are you going through?” She says, “He’s enjoying his scooter,}
Rep. Esty: Um, No. The NU made a decision it was an (obstruction) but I have worked in the field of energy and environmental issues for a long time. I served well before my husband’s appointment. I served on the Energy and Technology Committee and the folks are aware of my work there…
Juliana Simone: At the House?
Rep. Esty: In the House of Representatives here in the state of Connecticut…and that’s firm support from people over the years in communities and around the country…and a lot of those folks are people elsewhere around the country who are very concerned about having knowledgeable people in Congress who are making national – {ed.: indiscernible} to address these national, and frankly, international concerns.
Juliana Simone: Okay. Thank you. (Rep. Esty nods.)
And, about the death penalty…I know that you’re against the death penalty, so I was wondering, you know, unfortunately, the Fifth Congressional district in Connecticut had two of our most heinous national stories about murder – with Cheshire and the home invasion, and then our Newtown Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy…Now, I know you voted against the death penalty when you were a state representative and that included the Cheshire home invasion gentlemen, and now, if the Sandy Hook shooter…
Rep. Esty: I’m not answering any hypothetical about that, you know?
Juliana Simone: But I was wondering if he didn’t commit suicide, and he was found and convicted would you have voted for the death penalty against him?
Rep. Esty: I gotta tell you I don’t answer any hypotheticals about that, you know…my job is focused at this point on representing Newtown and all of the citizens of (that) district…and trying to make sensible gun control laws and gun safety laws so that we minimize the risk of any other communities going through what happened in their communities…
and today we had a number of gun owners who came to speak to me and we also had a very good conversation – because there is so much misinformation. Part of the problem right now is there’s a lot of heat but not a lot of light about what’s happening…about we need to have real information about what the safety laws are and what those proposals would do…and I think if people look at them they’ll see how sensible they are and how important it is to get this done, to save the lives of children every day…
and police officers every day are just making sure that all of the law abiding gun owners are going through background checks, too…and so does everybody else…so they can’t choose to avoid going through a background check…which is what’s allowed right now…and that’s just bullsh*t…
The press liaison for Congresswoman Esty interjected there was no more time as she had to go view the paintings of the local artists.
The follow up question to Rep. Esty given more time would have asked about all of the gun owners who aren’t law abiding and do not go through background checks to acquire their weapons, but hopefully both our state and federal legislators will include this issue in their future discussions, proposals and legislation.