Demonstrators wave Ukrainian and American flags during a protest outside Rep. Keith Self’s town hall meeting at Collin College Wylie campus Saturday, March 1. Bob Wieland/The Wylie News
About two dozen demonstrators greeted 3rd District Congressman Keith Self at a town hall in the Collin College Conference Center in Wylie.
Waving U.S. and Ukrainian flags, the crowd carried signs including “Dump Musk,” Russia is Not Our Ally,” “Bullying Ukraine is UnAmerican,” “Congress Don’t Let Them Steal Your Job Too,” “Support Ukraine,” Musk Profits Off of Modern-Day Slavery,”
“Make America Good Again,” “Zelenskyy is My Hero” and “Trump Wants Money & Power Not Peace.”
Jeremy Sutka, chair of the Collin County Democratic Party, said, “We have waited here for a peaceful protest and let him know that he represents us too.”
Self, R-Texas, began the Saturday, March 1, town hall by talking about the budget resolution that narrowly passed the U.S. House.
He was often interrupted by boos from a raucous overflow audience of more than 300 people.
At seven minutes into his presentation, Self mentioned Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), bringing the audience to its feet booing, giving thumbs-down signs and chanting, “Do your job! Do Your Job!”
Self said DOGE was the new name for U.S. Digital Service, a program begun by President Barack Obama.
The congressman named some of the cuts that had been made to USAID programs in Serbia, China and Lesotho saying DOGE was being transparent in itemizing its cuts, but received more boos for each cut mentioned.
Over the next hour, the congressman took 19 questions from a line of constituents that stretched along an entire wall of the conference center. The speakers came from Wylie, Fairview, Frisco, Carrollton, Murphy, McKinney, Plano and other locations in Collin County.
The first question was from a Plano man who asked about inflation boosting the price of eggs and the price of home insurance.
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By Bob Wieland | [email protected]
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