The radical Leftist is starting to make more and more people angry. It’ll be hard for her to win over more supporters at this point.
And Ocasio-Cortez was smacked in the face by her own constituents in humiliating fashion.
In the neighborhoods of Queens and the Bronx, a growing wave of discontent is sweeping through Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district. Residents, once energized by her fiery rhetoric, now feel sidelined by a congresswoman they say prioritizes her national profile over their local needs. From shuttered district offices to rare town halls, locals are voicing their exasperation with a representative they describe as more focused on fame than service.
District Offices: Open for Business… Barely
Ocasio-Cortez’s two district offices, funded by a hefty $1.9 million budget, are a source of particular frustration. The Astoria office, shared with Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Caban, operates just one day a week, often leaving Caban’s staff to handle messages for AOC. In the Bronx’s Hunts Point, the office closes on Fridays and takes extended lunch breaks, with phones frequently going unanswered. Signs demanding “by appointment only” or high-tech check-ins with cameras and iPads greet constituents, creating barriers for those seeking help.
According to the New York Post, one One Spanish-speaking resident, seeking immigration assistance at the Hunts Point office, waited outside for 30 minutes until the doors reopened at 1 p.m. “This woman has done nothing for the community she was once again elected to serve,” stated Lauro Vazquez of Woodside, Queens, echoing a common sentiment that local issues are ignored.
Town Halls: A Fading Connection
Town halls, once a monthly staple, have become scarce. When they do happen, residents say they’re tightly controlled, with limited opportunities to ask questions. At a recent Jackson Heights event, AOC spent less than an hour with a packed auditorium, taking only six questions before rushing to a waiting SUV. The meeting, already postponed due to her illness after a nationwide tour with Bernie Sanders, left many feeling shortchanged.
“Of course, it’s cancelled — too busy jet setting around on private jets screaming about ‘oligarchs’ and setting up her bid for a POTUS run,” Vazquez said. Tatiana Lacatus of Jackson Heights added, “It’s hard to find a private plane – it’s Easter weekend. She is too big for us.”
A National Stage Over Local Needs
Critics argue Ocasio-Cortez is more focused on national headlines than local concerns. Her “Fighting the Oligarchy” tour with Sanders, which included stops in places like Missoula, Montana, and Nampa, Idaho, has fueled perceptions she’s eyeing a presidential run. Campaign records show she spent $101,788 on flights across the U.S. in the past year, while raising a staggering $9.6 million in donations this quarter alone.
Residents point to her selective engagement. In 2021, she raised $5 million for Texas storm victims, yet locals say she offered little support for New Yorkers hit by Hurricane Ida that same year. More recently, she downplayed her role in a redistricting issue involving Citi Field Park, stating, “The Citi Field Park has been redistricted out of my district. I have respectfully made my position on this known to folks who are weighing in on it. I don’t really have anything to do on that besides making my position known.” Yet, she jumped to advocate for a Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil, who isn’t her constituent, boasting, “Mahmoud was a Columbia student — but our office has been able to take the lead on that case for the New York City delegation.”
Missed Opportunities and Broken Promises
The cancellation of $200 million in federal grants for climate-friendly “cloudburst projects” in flood-prone Queens drew only a muted response from AOC, critics say. Meanwhile, her opposition to Amazon’s planned headquarters in Queens, which would have created 25,000 jobs, remains a sore point. “We need to focus on good healthcare, living wages, affordable rent. Corporations that offer none of those things should be met w/ skepticism,” she said at the time via a post on X. But some like Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa see it differently: “She killed the Amazon deal, ghosted her district, and thinks viral TikToks make her a legislator.”
Even allies are growing weary. A longtime Queens progressive politician, speaking to the New York Post, lamented, “She’s always on TV trying to build up her profile – not to represent her neighbors and fight for funding for her constituents.” A recent survey sent to business owners about tariffs was seen as a ploy to criticize President Trump’s policies rather than address local economic needs. “Now you are digging for dirt?” asked retired nurse Jeanette Geary.
A Disconnect Felt Across the District
From Elmhurst to Jackson Heights, residents describe AOC as out of touch. Ramses Frias, a Republican City Council candidate, called her an “absentee landlord,” saying, “She’s flying around on private jets, talking about the oligarchy, which is not really resonating with the regular guy – the person going shopping over here at the supermarket. She’s a rock star.” Even campaign volunteer Aimee Rosato admitted, “I wish she did more. We don’t need a casino, it drives me a bit wild.”
Gloria Contreras of Jackson Heights summed it up: “She will help if it gets her name on national issues. She’s about her and getting worldwide attention while ignoring her constituents.” Councilman Robert Holden, a moderate Queens Democrat, added, “She can’t be bothered doing mundane constituent services like addressing quality of life issues in her district.”
AOC’s team insists she’s engaged, with chief of staff Mike Casca claiming to the New York Post, “She is a constant presence in the district and deeply engaged with the issues that matter to her constituents.” A Siena College poll from April named her the most popular NYC politician. Yet, for many in Queens and the Bronx, the reality feels different. As they navigate understaffed offices, rare public appearances, and a representative seemingly focused elsewhere, constituents are left wondering when their needs will take center stage.
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