Jon Green, executive director of Connecticut Working Families Party, signs his name to a giant letter left at the New Canaan home of General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt.
Posted on 10/22/2011 5:44:56 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
NEW CANAAN, Conn. – Daisy Franklin of Norwalk was among the nearly 100 protestors who came to the New Canaan home of General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt Saturday to take part in the first known Occupy Wall Street rally in Fairfield County.
"I worked in a small Norwalk manufacturing company for 15 years until it was forced to shut down a year ago," Franklin, 55, told the crowd, using a bullhorn.
"Now, I get by on less than $200 a week of unemployment for me and my daughter. When you run out of money, you run out of options. So, if you're hungry you just try and wait until the next check shows up.
"I want to work, but when companies like GE eliminate jobs and send them overseas, it hurts us all. It's disgusting that they don't even pay as much taxes as we do! We must end corporate welfare!"
The crowd, which included a busload of about 30 protestors from the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City, roared their approval.
"In this economy I'm too old to work and too young to die," said Mary VanDoren, of New Milford, who worked as a reporter and marketing writer for 25 years before being laid off six months ago. "I can't even get an interview."
Then, the chants started.
"We are the 99 percent, we are the 99 percent!" the protesters shouted, led by June Benjamin, a member of the Hartford-based Connecticut Working Families Party, which organized the rally.
She urged on the crowd, also aided by a bullhorn. "What do we want?" Benjamin asked. "Jobs!" shouted the protesters. "When do we want them," Benjamin screamed. "Now, now!" shouted the protesters, most of whom carried placards, too.
Slogans such as "Stop Exporting U.S. Jobs," "Fight the Attack on the Middle Class," and "We are Occupy Wall Street ... and We'll Be Back" were printed on signs.
Godfrey Ferguson, 48, of Hamden, a board member AFSCME Local 2663 in Lebanon, urged the crowd to chant loudly so Immelt could hear them if he were home.
"Hey, ho, corporate greed has got to go!" Godfrey shouted to the crowd. "Corporate greed is killing the American dream. We must raise awareness about how corporate greed is destroying the middle class," Godfrey told the protestors.
Tracy Horeis, 20, was among the Occupy Wall Street contingent who came up from New York City to take part in the rally.
"There is such a big gap between the rich and poor, and I felt it was important to be part of this here in Connecticut today," said Horeis, who said her family has been homeless in the past. "It's crazy that people like Jeff Immelt can live here like this, and people are starving and homeless. No child should have to go to bed at night hungry and without a bed to sleep in."
The independent political group held the protest at Immelt's home to draw attention to what it calls Fairfield-based GE's "corporate greed" and indifference to "ordinary working Americans" by eliminating 19,000 jobs during the past few years.
Numerous drivers passing by the protestors often honked their horns in approval during the two-hour rally, and frequently gave the thumbs up sign.
The protestors, surrounded by New Canaan police, tried ringing Immelt's doorbell bell outside his gated West Road mansion. There was no answer, but the protesters were ready.
"He won't answer, so we're leaving a little message for him," Jon Green, executive director of Connecticut Working Families, told the cheering crowd as he placed a large placard outside the gate with a letter asking, "Do you want to know what life is life for struggling families in Connecticut? Will you commit yourself to creating jobs, and not destroying them?
"We are the 99 percent. And no matter how hard you try to pretend we don't matter, we don't even exist, we will not be ignored," the letter concludes.
"While many Americans continue to struggle, Jeff Immelt exemplifies the growing divide between rich and powerful executives and everyone else," said Green. "Unemployment is stuck at over 9 percent, and GE has eliminated 19,000 U.S. jobs. As most Americans have seen their incomes decline, Jeff Immelt has seen his pay jump to over $21 million last year."
Jeff will bake them cookies, put on an apron and serve them.
I’m guessing they’re just covering the bases for show.
If the OWS figures out who the real villains are, look for the media to turn on them overnight.
OK, now we’re getting closer to the real culprits
Like showing up at one of Mr. Soros’ palatial estates?
So everybody, who's Jeff's buddy on Pennsylvania Avenue??
They all go through their goofy routines and then register to vote as DemocRATS. Geesh! Morons! You want jobs? You sure aren’t going to get them in Barry’s hopey/changey Socialist/Communist country. Capitalism = jobs. Learn it. Love it.
immelt and obama belong in jail.
Oops, OWS... wrong house! I’d like to be in on the call Immelt’s going to make to Obama.
Or is it just a put-on?
And, pray tell, why down here in DC are the Occupiers occupying Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square but NOT Lafayette Square Park in front of the White House with old Crazy Connie?
Gimme a break....Somehow, taxing everybody else is gonna result in jobs for YOU?
You need to get a grip, lady.
Jack Welch did most of the stuff they’re pissed off about and they’ll never get near him. Immelt will probably do a photo op with ‘em.
hate to admit this but i give these smelly hippies credit for going to Immelt’s house to protest...
GE owns 49% of MS/C/NBC.
If Brian Williams or the Star Wars lineup on prime time MSNBC didn’t report this, it didn’t happen.
</massive sarcasm>
If the OWS figures out who the real villains are, look for the media to turn on them overnight.
Jon Green, executive director of Connecticut Working Families Party, signs his name to a giant letter left at the New Canaan home of General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt.
Big money has bought our government - and not just one side of the aisle.
They send jobs overseas for bigger profits and bigger bonuses and our government makes this profitable. This whole siding with OWS is just a big charade on the part of the rats.
We need a real American - a non-politican - who won’t sell his/her soul- to be in charge. Until we get this the rape of the American taxpayer will continue.
The crowd, which included a busload of about 30 protestors from the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City... "We are the 99 percent, we are the 99 percent!"The reason they don't count is because they can't count. And, since they can't do math, so, they don't know economics.
“I want to work, but when companies like GE eliminate jobs and send them overseas, it hurts us all. It’s disgusting that they don’t even pay as much taxes as we do! We must end corporate welfare!”
Meanwhile Immelt of GE chairs Obama’s blue ribbon committee to save jobs from going overseas. Do you see something wrong with this picture?
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