Posted on 01/18/2016 4:12:15 AM PST by Jim Noble
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - General Electric will leave its mark on this town beyond more than four decades of supplying hundreds of steady, high-paying jobs, and millions of dollars in property tax revenue. But it also leaves residents with many tough questions.
The giant industrial conglomerate has made significant donations to local nonprofits, while its employees shop at local businesses and volunteer their time coaching youth sports teams and working at local charities. Workers, raising families near the company's 68-acre campus in the town's Stratfield neighborhood, are active members of civic and community organizations.
The company "has always been a part of our image, our identity," said Fairfield’s highest-ranking town official, First Selectman Michael C. Tetreau. "We've always taken great pride and prestige for being the hometown for the world headquarters of GE."
But GE's announcement last week that it will pack up its central office and move to Boston leaves residents wondering who will buy the property, and whether this is the start of an exodus of companies from the area.
"Why are they leaving, what's the advantage they saw to go somewhere else?" Kristina Zalfa, an unemployed mother of two, asked over coffee at Las Vetas Lounge. "Is Fairfield, and Connecticut in general, not an advantageous enough place to have businesses stay?"
And if that's the case, "how does that affect my future and my kids' future?" she added...
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonglobe.com ...
Voting morons into high office has consequences.
>> “Is Fairfield, and Connecticut in general, not an advantageous enough place to have businesses stay?”
May you reflect again and again on that very valid question — and may the answer guide you the next time you’re in the voting booth.
Great point. If you have to ask, you’re part of the problem.
When your city and state lose a large business to Boston, MA...your city and state are totally screwed up.
“Fairfield’s median household income is more than $120,000, and its median home value is nearly $590,000. Its downtown area has a row of upscale clothing boutiques and independent coffee shops, bookstores, and restaurants. Two major highways and a popular commuter rail cut through the town, which is located about an hour drive from New York City. The town has reputation for good schools and little crime.”
The people in Fairfield County are not that dumb, and vote GOP. The real problem with Connecticut is the huge masses of blue-collar workers and poor people who are traditionally Democrats. That would change if the GOP could manage to find good candidates.
Says;
“Kristina Zalfa, an unemployed mother of two, asked over coffee at Las Vetas Lounge.”
You just can’t make this stuff up.
It is just like that liberal woman living in Austin complaining about her impending move out of the downtown area she has lived in for so long because the taxes are now too high. Not having any idea of the consequences as she was citing her constant voting for every ballot initiative to spend more of other people’s money to make it a better place.
What did think would happen. Morons elect morons. Universal suffrage is a very bad thing.
Fairfield gets to experience what Schenectady, NY did back in the 50’s. Schenectady used to be known as the city that lights and hauls the world. Ralph Cordiner changed all that.
**....this is the start of an exodus of companies from the area...**
Start? This is just a start?
Reaping the rewards of a Demon-cratic state government. Malloy’s solution to raise the sales tax and install tolls on the roads. There. *Fixed* the problem he created. Moron.
Akron, Altoona, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, etc.
Those are just ones I thought of off the top of my head.
Losing GE in Fairfield is huge. If that southern Fairfield County area is losing its economic base, what's left?
But wait who will we feed of of? We cannot survive without capitolism, industry, tax payers, jobs...........funny, sanders and clinton heading the trough feeders in 2016
Boston is an expensive city. Why not move some place cheaper?
How strange that not a single word about taxes was mentioned in the entire article.
Exactly. The gimmedats of Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven, along with copious amounts of New England white leftists now rule the roost. Malloy is a joke, but the CT GOP has no viable answer. The state is in a sharp decline and everyone is talking about it.
From the article it sounds like one of the reasons for moving is that GE wants to be based in a technology-rich environment, and with MIT and a ton of other universities and tech start-ups etc. they probably feel that it is geographically better for them. That said, one wonders whether they were given specific tax incentives, despite the high taxes in MA.
ah. probably
It only takes one CEO or POTUS with "a pen and a phone" to cause the goose to get up off the nest and lay those golden eggs elsewhere.
"Why are they leaving, what's the advantage they saw to go somewhere else?" Kristina Zalfa, an unemployed mother of two, asked over coffee at Las Vetas Lounge. "Is Fairfield, and Connecticut in general, not an advantageous enough place to have businesses stay?"
And if that's the case, "how does that affect my future and my kids' future?" she added
Welcome to flyover country, Kristina.
Mr. niteowl77
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