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."
if they would have called the tea party on this before they went....probably would have got around 100,000 instead of 30
Glenn Beck recently sold his home in New Caanan, Connecticut. He’s in the process of moving to Texas. Can’t say that I blame him one bit.
“I worked in a small Norwalk manufacturing company for 15 years until it was forced to shut down a year ago,” Daisy Franklin told the crowd, using a bullhorn.
Well, geez Louise, Daisy. Let me guess.....liberal politicians in Connecticut raised the taxes on your employer repeatedly until the point your employer had trouble making a profit? Left-wing environmentalist wackos imposed burdersome regulations and fines on your employer? Liberal attorneys harassed your company with frivilous lawsuits so they and their corrupt clients could win the lawsuit lottery? You and your union pals demanded more and more pay and benefits while doing less and less work, making it next to impossible for the manufacturing company you worked for to turn a profit?
Am I getting warm, Daisy?
The people living there are very protective of everything to do with their community, even their playgrounds. . . if you're not a resident, stay away.
It's a pleasure to just imagine how they are reacting to these people. : )
From the article:
The independent political group... As reported by the Daily New Caanan News ... Connecticut Working Families Party, which organized the rally.
Probably no one noticed that the WFP is a socialist/communist party dedicated to state control of everything.
http://www.ct-housing.org/wordpress/about-us/board-of-directors
“Daisy Franklin – Vice President, Public Housing Resident Network”
Hmmm ... Commies wouldn't lie to advance their agenda, would they?
Seems they are planning even more organized protests, Move on initiated.
Today, MoveOn.org is holding a planning meeting in Manhattan to discuss ways to take on Wall Street in coordination with Occupy Wall Street.
..."How is this connected to Occupy Wall Street? Our goal is to launch targeted local campaigns to complement the amazing work being done by brave Occupy Wall Street protesters –something MoveOn members around the country have been asking for.
Yes, and to add to that, New Canaan is a very conservative / Republican town. Can’t remember the last democrat voted into office.
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