Occupy New Canaan
Protesters show up at the New Canaan home of General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt to voice their displeasure over perceived corporate greed, job cuts.
Nearly 100 protesters gathered in New Canaan Saturday afternoon to voice their displeasure over what they're calling corporate greed and job cuts.
Cries of "No jobs, no peace! No jobs, no peace!" arose from the crowd whose anger was directed at Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, a West Road resident. Most protesters were members of the Connecticut Working Families Party, but they also got backing from the larger Occupy Wall Street movement.
"It's time that corporate titans like Jeff Immelt know how tough it is for those of us without multi-million dollar bonuses," said Jon Green, executive director of Hartford-based Connecticut Working Families Party. On its website, the group says it "stands up for the every day families that make Connecticut what it is — not the Wall Street banks, the lobbyists and the CEOs."
Said Green: "Immelt needs to understand how eliminating thousands of jobs and not paying taxes is hurting ordinary Americans."
Daisy Franklin said she considers herself an ordinary American. The Norwalk resident was laid-off after working for nearly 15 years with the Harrel manufacturing company. She's been unemployed for more than year and has to support herself and two kids on less than the $200 per week she receives from the state.
"When you always have, you never know what it's like to be without," Franklin said. "I want to work. Mr. Immelt should take a walk down our streets and see what it's like out there. It's tough."
Immelt, who reportedly earned more than $20 million in compensation from General Electric in 2010, has seen his company cut a reported 19,000-plus jobs in the United States since 2008, according to ABC News. Fairfield-based GE, a company that netted more than a $14 billion in global profits in 2010, reportedly did not pay federal income taxes in 2009 or 2010.
"We want to send a message to Immelt," said Carmen Sargent of Connecticut Working Families. "They need to do their part the same way we do, and pay taxes. They make billions and billions of dollars and pay nothing in taxes. They also destroy thousands of jobs and that's not right."
Protestors didn't know if Immelt, who was recently named by President Obama to lead his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, was even home, but they wanted to make sure their voices were heard throughout Connecticut.
"People are really suffering in this economy," Green said. "We really need help. We need jobs, we need services, and financial aid. We need Immelt to understand as an advisor to the president, that when you eliminate 19,000 jobs for Americans, you are causing a lot of hardships for a lot of people, while your company is profiting from outsourcing of jobs to other countries."
Andrew Williams, media relations director for General Electric, responded by stating, "The protesters certainly have a right to share their opinion, but they don’t have a right to their own set of facts. The fact is that GE is investing in
America. Since 2009 alone, GE has announced more than 10,000 new U.S.
manufacturing jobs and this week, GE announced that it will build its 16th new factory in the U.S. since 2009."
Occupy Wall Street already had hit the Nutmeg State, including in Hartford and New Haven.
According to an unscientific poll of New Canaan Patch readers, out of 500 people asked “What do you think about the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement?”—53 percent said “I don't think they know what they're protesting for” while 42 percent said “I'm only surprised it's taken this long.”
(Editor's note: This story was edited to include a statement from General Electric.)
Tom
3:58 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011
honestly who cares what these mind numbed robots are saying. They obviously don't understand anything about economics. If they want to walk around toting there idiot flags then let them. They have the constitutional right to voice their opinions. Regardless of how misinformed they really are.
heavens sake
6:07 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011
Don't confuse elitism with understanding economics. Most economists agree our spending and deficits are out of control . Most also agree income disparity is at historic highs and usually is a sign of economic decay. Most agree that banks and financial institutions like GE are too big to fail and in fact has led to bailouts, nationalization or bankruptcy in truly market economies. There are many other issues economist agree have caused problems such as lax mortgage lending, college loans and trade imbalances leading to unemployment and social unrest. But who cares as long as I have my big screen TV daddys trust fund --- everyone else is misinformed
Xomfort
7:18 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011
Call the American People names all day long.
The plutocrats own both parties and icky can't fool us anymore.
Get ready.
#occupy
Xomfort
7:19 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011
You are not "the smartest guys in the room" anymore.
The American People are.
Prepare.
#Occupy
heavens sake
7:48 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011
Tom will understamd ecomomics when his trust fund tanks or his hedge fund collapses and he can not pay for his cable TV or food bill. Thats when he joins OWS and learns humility
Stan
11:31 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011
I saw quite a few UAW signs out there today. Didn't they benefit from the government bailout of GM & Chrysler? Why don't they protest George Soros or Apple, Inc.? It's no wonder they haven't found work, they think it's someone else's fault...While these people were standing on the side of the road Immelt was probably at work. Do the protesters realize that their beloved Democrats passed a bill that banned incandescent light bulbs which resulted in GE having to close a factory? It's no wonder alot of people think this "movement" is a joke - the protesters are completely unprincipled, attacking businesses they don't like while giving a pass to those they do. What a bunch of jokers. And showing up where someone lives? That's really tasteless. Go protest at GE's hq, not someone's house. Procedurally and substantively they're wrong.
Tom
10:49 am on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sure. Whatever you say. The only problem is that I don't have a trust fund, I paid my own way through college and made my own way. My only comment left is f the poor. I don't have any compassion for them and as far as I an concerned they can eat cake. Hahahahaha.
The poor need to pay their fair share. I don't suffer afluenza!
heavens sake
1:12 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011
Whatever you say. Read your own post of Oct 11. I guess your influenced by the friends you keep. Poor people are not all slaggards---illness , loss of jobs in a declining jobs market, failing marrages, children with disabilities, mortgage swindlers, etc can cause economic hardship., Talk to Warren Buffet about paying fair tax share and top executives getting huge bonuses as a result of bailouts and improper mortgages.. Most people with Afluenza are not wealthy---they only pretend to be rich. Apparently its a communicable desease spread by the friends you keep
Kevin sampson
11:29 am on Sunday, October 23, 2011
THE US GOVERMENT SHOULD DEMAND THAT WHAT THEY BUY WITH TAX DOLLARS IS MADE 100% here... States and local governments also.. Then the people will follow .. SAMPSON ELECTRIC LLC.
mary parker
1:17 am on Monday, October 24, 2011
Maybe if we stop going to war with every country and stop giving citizenship and money to illegal imigrants and stop buying over seas it would create job openings for people. Offer training programs to re-educate people who need it to learn a different field for employment for free instead of charging them for training. Offer a tax break to big companies who hire more out of work people per year and offer training programs. Stop letting foriegners from buying up foreclosed homes in the U.S. Stop blaming the rich for the governments failure to the people.
heavens sake
9:21 am on Monday, October 24, 2011
Sure, all we need is a magic wand . Could also point the wand towards K Street and
" Poof "-- all the lobbyists dissapear and we can live happily ever after. All good points by Mary that deserve consideration, but too many vested interests without any national priorities in a global economy that drives decisions by polititians. That is why we are seeing OWS.
Mary Anne
8:56 pm on Sunday, October 30, 2011
And what exactly are these people protesting? Success? Hard work? Risk taking? Creativity? I am glad I live in a country where there is freedom and opportunity (although it seems to be changing now). Thank you POTUS for dividing this country now along class lines. The 1% are the job creators. These "occupiers" should go protest in Washington where these anti-business laws are passed. They should protest the hypocritical politicans and celebrities. Seriously, outside someones house...Stop being haters! I always believed if you work hard even if you start poor, you will get into the middle class at least. I don't want anything from anyone that I did not earn! Immelt and Buffet, maybe these two are the exception, and Buffet can go ahead and write a check to IRS if he feels he hasn't paid enough, but the 1% are paying there fair share. How much should they be paying - 100% of their salaries? will they be satisfied with that?! I can't stand this entitlement mentality. Get a job! and protest politicans who, I believe by design, are bringing this economy down. Please go read the Federalist papers. This protesting success is anti-American.
S Tadik
12:07 am on Monday, November 7, 2011
VETERANS PROTEST
Some of the protesters are veterans who came back to bad times. Here is one voice:
“Well, ever since Viet-Nam it has been shown to us veterans that they (the politicians and the bureaucrats) do not want to spend the money for veteran’s health care and everything else concerning veterans. While we were over there in the war zone, inside the kill zones there; shooting at the enemy and getting shot at we were an asset to the system. But when you get shot or blown up and permanently maimed for the rest of your life and need to be taken care of; that's when they determine that you're nothing but a liability to them. And that is how they treat you for the rest of your life”
Veterans Day is coming soon. Call up the VA or a VA hospital or whatever turns you on. Let’s help those who have sacrificed so much for us.
Glen K Dunbar
9:13 am on Monday, November 7, 2011
I sort of agree w/all the posts. Most recent I do 100%+ feel we need to take care of our Vets. They deserve it. Very sad they lost lives and are seriously injured because the USA sticks their nose in other Countries business instead of taking care of OUR OWN.
We still do it too. Like Iraq. Who care??? I mean it is sad and nice to help out. But, they or nobody really helps us. All the taxes we pay get wasted on wars when we could feed and tend our own
As for the rich. UGH! Tom is wrong respectfully speaking. It is NOT the poor who should pay it is the rich. It is the poor turn to taste the good life and time for the rich to stop playing the parent who scolds the child not to smoke while they smoke away.
Glen
Glen K Dunbar
11:52 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I support the Occuppy movement ALL the way. BUT, they need to change strategy. It is not working the way them keep doing the same thing. I know they (we) are limited in how we protest and keep it legal. That is how the sytem keeps us in check I think. But, there has to be a way to not only make our point but get what we want
GLEN