Mayor Joe Ganim on Monday joined Governor Dan Malloy and other state and city officials for the official deal to keep Sikorsky Aircraft in the state.
From the CT Post:
In an early afternoon visit to Housatonic Community College advance manufacturing program, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the bill that gives the helicopter manufacturer $220 million in state subsidies to maintain its headquarters in the state.
The action comes almost six weeks to the day after it was announced that Sikorsky, which had been considering relocating, had reached a deal with state officials to remain in Connecticut for the next 16 years.
Under the deal, the Lockheed Martin subsidiary has also agreed to build 200 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters for the U.S. Navy in Connecticut, retain and grow 8,000 jobs in the state and double its annual spending with in-state suppliers.
“Connecticut is known internationally as a worldwide aerospace leader, and that is because of the strong number of aerospace manufacturers who call our state home in addition to the talented and robust workforce that provide these companies with a skilled aptitude that is second to none,” Malloy said in a statement. “This is a bold, forward-thinking agreement that will not only impact thousands of jobs directly at Sikorsky’s worldwide headquarters, but also will have an impact on the hundreds of small businesses who employ thousands more throughout the state and serve as suppliers to the company.”
Full story here.
Corporate Welfare. What happened to Reagan’s welfare queens; single parents with multiple generations on welfare and who also happened to be African Americans? Today’s welfare queens are corporations with white CEOs who hold municipal governments as captives unless they get sweetheart deals.
A good choice of locations for the signing ceremony.
Is it my imagination or does Sikorsky own land and buildings in Bridgeport that is taxable? How does that fit into their longer-range plans now that they are staying? Isn’t that the Bridgeport minimum-objective interest in this news? Time will tell.