By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was met with applause at town hall meeting Sunday when she touted the job growth spurred by the stimulus package and investment in projects such as the Second Avenue Subway.
But when Maloney tried to argue that the $700 billion bank bailout was also vital to the economic recovery, she had to deal with scattered boos at the Hunter College auditorium.
"Consider the alternative," she said. "It would've been worse."
Along with a panel of speakers from government agencies, non-profits and the chamber of commerce, the congresswoman argued for continued federal investment into large projects and lending to small businesses to create jobs.
"We're getting stimulus money for two of the largest construction projects in the country," Maloney said of the Second Avenue and Manhattan and Queens Connector projects.
Although the dozens of residents gathered approved of many of Maloney's measures, including passage of her Credit Cardholder's Bill of Rights in February, things got confrontational during the question and answer period.
Maloney tried to answer a question about preparing students for global economic competition when an audience member's outburst prevented her from finishing her response.
"If you leave 20 minutes for questions, people are going to be angry," said Dan Greenhaus, who voted for Maloney in the last election but questioned the direction of the health care bill.
