By Frank Scarpa
The featured speaker at the March 19th meeting of the Retired Men’s Association was Congressman Jim Himes, who provided his perspective on the current state of the federal government in a format which left ample time for audience questions. Congressman Himes was born in Peru and lived there and in Colombia while his father worked for the Ford Foundation and UNICEF.
Mr. Himes is a resident of Greenwich, having moved to the U.S. at the age of ten. After completing his undergraduate work at Harvard, he earned a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University. Jim began his professional career at Goldman Sachs, where he rose to the position of vice president over a 12-year career. He was first elected to Congress in 2008, and has been repeatedly reelected since then. He is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and is ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The U.S., he noted, spends 90 billion dollars a year on intelligence.
Addressing the economy, Himes pointed out that there has been a “radical shift” in its direction with the new administration. Almost everything we buy has involved the “global supply chain.” With the current tariffs (and threats of more) the S&P is down nine per cent. For the first 75 years of U.S. history, revenue indeed came from tariffs, but since the institution of the federal income tax, not so much. Hence, there has been an “upheaval.” Himes is confident that “the markets are going to speak” (to Trump). Himes agreed that government should be subjected to efficiency improvement. In fact, Al Gore did this in the Clinton era. But in his view DOGE has “overstepped.” For further reading in this vein, he recommended Michael Lewis’ “Who Is Government?” Meanwhile, the recent firings are causing an undesirable “brain drain.”
Addressing foreign policy, Himes stated that we are experiencing an “inversion of our values” that dates back to World War II. He cited the “treatment” of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office as a vivid example. He asserted that “Trump has a very visceral reaction to power and wealth” and “admires unconstrained power” as evidenced by the turn on Canada. But “we cannot bear the costs of having our allies doubt us for a very long time.” He pointed out that Trump is “allergic to kinetic conflict,” and that mind-set should diminish the possibility of war over Taiwan.
Addressing the health of our democracy, the Congressman first expressed his concern about new FBI director Kash Patel. Yet he disagreed with some of his friends in government who are “sounding apocalyptic.” Himes feels that Trump is “probing the edges” and that a “true constitutional crisis comes (only) when a president refuses to obey a court order” a la Andrew Jackson. The Alien and Sedition Act is predicated on a “declared war.” He said that the SAVE Act, which would require voters to show documentary proof of citizenship, is problematic, in that fewer than fifty per cent of Americans actually have a passport. He added firmly that “Voter fraud is not a thing.”
What to do? Himes insisted that all of us need to redouble our efforts to understand the truth. He decried media disinformation, and he lamented the morphing of information into “entertainment.”
RMA member Jerry Pollack then moderated a lively and respectful Q and A session. Topics included:
–Is there corruption at high levels? (“No.” “Unconfirmed.”)
–Can both parties work together to increase government efficiency? (DOGE is a “lost opportunity.” Read Ezra Klein’s “Abundance.”)
–Voter fraud? (That allegation is one that cowardly members of Congress use to make changes that improve their chances of winning. Firing the IRS examiners was a bad idea.)
–Universities and freedom of speech.
–The paradox (compared to Europe) of the U.S. not investing more in our children’s education.
–Israel and Netanyahu (Lamentable lack of an “end game.”)
The talk can be viewed by going to the RMA website at https://greenwichrma.org, and clicking on “Speakers.”
The RMA’s upcoming presentation, “American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built America’s Biggest Fortune” by Greg Steinmetz, is scheduled for 11 AM on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Note: This and all future RMA presentations will be held at Christ Church Greenwich, Parish Hall, 254 E. Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830.
Author Greg Steinmetz makes the argument that Jay Gould, now largely forgotten, deserves the same name recognition as the Big Three of the Gilded Age: Rockefeller, Carnegie and Vanderbilt. He was just as rich. And as the builder of more railroad track than anyone, he was just as important because he played a giant role in the development of the West. But he is overlooked by history. Why?
Gould had the misfortune of dying young, before he had a chance to give his money away and acquire a reputation as a philanthropist. He was cut down in his prime by tuberculosis at age 56. There is no equivalent of Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall or Vanderbilt University for Gould, only a dumpy basement auditorium on East 59th named for his daughter in law. For this reason, he is remembered—to the extent he is remembered at all—as a money-grubbing robber baron worthy only of scorn. Gould is only mentioned once a year, on Oct 16, the day in 1869 when his failed effort to corner gold crashed the stock market. Steinmetz will talk about his greatest financial coups and go into his motivations and methods, as well as his family, his mansions, and his yacht.
Greg Steinmetz spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter and editor before finishing up as the London Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal. In 2001, he switched careers and became an analyst and a partner at the New York money management firm of Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb. “American Rascal” appeared in 2022. His first book, “The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life & Times of Jacob Fugger” appeared in 2015. Greg grew up outside Cleveland, graduated from Colgate and has a master’s in journalism from Northwestern.
To stream the presentation by Greg Steinmetz at 11 AM on Wednesday, April 2, click on https://bit.ly/30IBj21. This presentation will also be available on local public access TV channels, Verizon FIOS channel 24 and Optimum (Cablevision) channel 79. The public is also invited to attend the presentation in person at Christ Church Greenwich, Parish Hall, 254 E. Putnam Avenue.
Note: The views expressed in these presentations are those of the speakers. They are not intended to represent the views of the RMA or its members.
RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to in-person or Zoom attendees, regardless of gender. Any member of the public who would like to receive a weekly email announcement of future speakers should send a request to members@greenwichrma.org. The RMA urges all eligible individuals to consider becoming a member of our great organization, and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship, volunteer, and community service opportunities which the RMA offers to its members. For further information, go to https://greenwichrma.org/, or contact info@greenwichrma.org.
