SCHENECTADY Occupiers turn focus to GE Small group decries company as example of corporate greed BY DAVID LOMBARDO Gazette Reporter
The relatively unknown Schenectady spinoff of Occupy Albany made itself known Saturday afternoon with a march through downtown that ended at the boundary of General Electric’s property on Erie Boulevard. Promoted as part of a Global Day of Action, the small and merry band of protesters drew honked horns, a few stares, the attention of multiple media outlets and a rebuttal from a GE spokeswoman. During their march, the protesters waved signs attacking corporate greed and announcing Occupy Schenectady, as they continuously chanted refrains that have been common in the Capital Region since state budget protests last spring. About 10 strong — just a small portion of those who met around noon at the Moon and River Cafe in the Stockade neighborhood — the activists targeted General Electric, citing allegations that the company takes advantage of American citizens by not paying its fair share of taxes and shipping jobs out of the country. “They’re sending our jobs overseas, and it’s outrageous,” said Anthony Hadden, a 19-year-old senior at Schenectady High School. “They only talk about the good and not about how they’re sending jobs to China.” Members of the group took turns denouncing the corporate greed they attribute to Gen- eral Electric. But GE spokeswoman Christine Horne suggested the protesters had picked the wrong target. “It’s disappointing that they’re not recognizing what we’re doing to grow jobs in the U.S.,” she said. “We’ve created 12,000 jobs in the U.S. over the last three years and 1,400 have been right here in the Capital Region.” Regarding taxes, Horne noted that the company pays $18 million in local property levies and paid more than $1 billion in total federal, state and local taxes for 2010. As to the federal tax burden — which was erroneously reported last spring as nothing for 2010, which was repeated on Saturday by protesters — another spokesman has said the company would have a “small” liability for the year. But General Electric was just one of the focuses for the Occupy Schenectady movement, which typically meets about once a week. Speaking for himself and not the movement, as is the case with all Occupy movements because they don’t have leaders, Hadden said, “I want to end this capitalist government. I want to have a democracy and fair government.” He hopes the Occupy movements will result in more taxation of the rich, an end to American wars and a halt on all hydrofracking, the gas drilling technique under review by the state over questions of environmental safety. On a personal level, his push for more equity in the country revolved around making college more accessible. Currently living on food stamps and residing at the city’s YMCA, he is considering options with his high school guidance counselor. “It’s hard to get a plan ready for college because I’m going to face all that student debt,” he said. ..............................>>>>....................>>>>.......................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00102&AppName=1
Always wondered who had the money and the means to 'occupy' anything. If this 19 year old is any indication (um...a 'super senior' as they were called in my day), here is a kid, receiving government money for food, living at the YMCA and afraid of the debt he'll have in student loans?
Instead of occupying, I have a tiny suggestion for this young man. GET A JOB!!!
Yes, these 'jobs' can be found at job corp down on Albany Street. Stop occupying and start working for your food!
He's probably eating free breakfast and lunch at school anyway.
PS: Not that I don't agree of the GE greed, because I do think they are blood sucking leaches stealing taxpayers money - but this occupier is the flip side of the coin. He's sucking taxpayers money too. Oh, the irony!
Always wondered who had the money and the means to 'occupy' anything. If this 19 year old is any indication (um...a 'super senior' as they were called in my day), here is a kid, receiving government money for food, living at the YMCA and afraid of the debt he'll have in student loans?
Instead of occupying, I have a tiny suggestion for this young man. GET A JOB!!!
Yes, these 'jobs' can be found at job corp down on Albany Street. Stop occupying and start working for your food!
He's probably eating free breakfast and lunch at school anyway.
PS: Not that I don't agree of the GE greed, because I do think they are blood sucking leaches stealing taxpayers money - but this occupier is the flip side of the coin. He's sucking taxpayers money too. Oh, the irony!
GE is a hidden arm of the government along with halliburton and the rest
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Always wondered who had the money and the means to 'occupy' anything. If this 19 year old is any indication (um...a 'super senior' as they were called in my day), here is a kid, receiving government money for food, living at the YMCA and afraid of the debt he'll have in student loans?
Instead of occupying, I have a tiny suggestion for this young man. GET A JOB!!!
Yes, these 'jobs' can be found at job corp down on Albany Street. Stop occupying and start working for your food!
He's probably eating free breakfast and lunch at school anyway.
PS: Not that I don't agree of the GE greed, because I do think they are blood sucking leaches stealing taxpayers money - but this occupier is the flip side of the coin. He's sucking taxpayers money too. Oh, the irony!
GET A JOB???
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Yeah Box, it's called working for your food instead of relying upon the gov't to feed you.
Also, if these folks honestly believe that getting food stamps, free health care and free room and board courtesy of the the government is the 'American Way'...well, they have a distorted view of this country.
What ever happened to pride in a hard days work? Shame in taking what is not yours?
Yeah Box, it's called working for your food instead of relying upon the gov't to feed you.
Also, if these folks honestly believe that getting food stamps, free health care and free room and board courtesy of the the government is the 'American Way'...well, they have a distorted view of this country.
What ever happened to pride in a hard days work? Shame in taking what is not yours?
Guess this is lost....
If you honestly believe that getting food stamps, free health care and free room and board courtesy of the the government is the goal of Occupy'...well, you have a distorted view of this movement.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Quite frankly, this 'movement' has so many different goals, it's hard to keep up.
Do I oppose GE getting $15 million from NYS and another $5 million from Metroplex....yes.
Do I oppose the Federal Gov't giving $500 million to a now defunct solar panel company Solyar....yes.
Do I oppose the mentality that people come to Schenectady County for the easy food stamp, rent subsidies and welfare money...yes.
I don't appreciate paying my tax dollars for ANYONE getting money for nothing. The welfare system needs as much of an overhaul as does the Feds and Metroplex.
Quite frankly, this 'movement' has so many different goals, it's hard to keep up.
Do I oppose GE getting $15 million from NYS and another $5 million from Metroplex....yes.
Do I oppose the Federal Gov't giving $500 million to a now defunct solar panel company Solyar....yes.
Do I oppose the mentality that people come to Schenectady County for the easy food stamp, rent subsidies and welfare money...yes.
I don't appreciate paying my tax dollars for ANYONE getting money for nothing. The welfare system needs as much of an overhaul as does the Feds and Metroplex.
CHA-CHING!!!
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Apparently the Tea-Party/NNTP Republicans (I am going to start calling them the KNOW NOTHINGS) are saying that if they had their way .... they would like to see Schenectady County lose the few General Electric jobs that remain in the county. That fits their track record since it was under these Know Nothings who ran the county for decades before 2004 -- that the county lost 50,000 jobs.
This is why we can NEVER let the Republicans regain control of the County Legislature again.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
In the 37 years that the DEMS ruined the City-GE lost 30,000 jobs. In the last six years the COUNTY lost 1,700 jobs {according to State Labor not the sock puppets} although the DEMS lied about creating 3,500, 4,000 and then 5,000 jobs. The occupy movement is a total joke. They should occupy City Hall but no one wants to live in Schenectady. Only the local rags would give front page coverage to these idiots. The TU went further pleading with Mayor Jennings to allow them to freeze to death after Dec 22.
CORRECTIONS Published 12:06 a.m., Monday, December 12, 2011
In a story Sunday about nine Occupy protesters outside General Electric's Schenectady campus, the number of employees who currently work at the facility was incorrect. GE says about 4,000 employees work at the campus off Erie Boulevard.
Instead of protesting, they could do something constructive like volunteer their time to help Habitat for Humanity build a house or offer to help fix up the home of a senior citizen who can't do those chores anymore.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Logged
In the 37 years that the DEMS ruined the City-GE lost 30,000 jobs. In the last six years the COUNTY lost 1,700 jobs {according to State Labor not the sock puppets} although the DEMS lied about creating 3,500, 4,000 and then 5,000 jobs. The occupy movement is a total joke. They should occupy City Hall but no one wants to live in Schenectady. Only the local rags would give front page coverage to these idiots. The TU went further pleading with Mayor Jennings to allow them to freeze to death after Dec 22. 
