Republicans Mourn Passing Of GE Plant–What Will The Future Bring?

GE building
The General Electric plant on Boston Avenue.

City Republicans will host a vigil tonight at 6 p.m. “to mourn the passing of GE and manufacturing in Bridgeport.” They are inviting folks to join them in front of the GE deconstruction site on Boston Avenue as we await word from GE about official plans www.gebridgeportproject.com for what was once the city’s largest manufacturer. “Come down and show your disappointment with yet another loss of jobs in Bridgeport,” Republicans are urging. See the GE obituary below crafted by Francisco “The Cisco Kid” Borres, the city’s deputy Republican registrar of voters.

General Electric of Bridgeport, CT – 1920-2012 Widely regarded as the champion of the poor and middle class has passed away and will be razed throughout the course of the next few months. GE is predeceased by much its Bridgeport Manufacturing kin such as Bassick Casters, Singer, Remington Arms, Sprague Meters, Bridgeport Metal Goods, Carpenter Steel, Bridgeport Machines, Acme Shear, Bryant Electric, Dictaphone, Bead Chain, Harvey Hubbell, American Fabrics, Castco, etc. …

GE is survived by the 15% of Bridgeport’s citizens who are currently unemployed, the 22 percent of citizens currently struggling to survive under the poverty level and much of the rest of the Bridgeporters paying the high taxes in the United States of America.

At its height General Electric employed over 20,000 people. This deconstruction clearly represents the neglect that Bridgeport’s current and past leaders have displayed towards manufacturing in a city that was built on factory floors. It further displays the problem with our leadership’s priorities, such as emphasizing green economy jobs which have not materialized and the building of pocket parks which are currently unused by citizens and do nothing to address the poverty of Bridgeport citizens. They should instead have been negotiating in good faith with GE or encouraging a resurrection of Bridgeport’s manufacturing infrastructure. Encouraging manufacturing in Bridgeport should be the top priority as it would then transform lives in a measurable way. Bridgeport’s elected leaders should be raising the people’s median income of $34,000 a year per household instead of razing a building that highlights their failures.

Services will be held at the deconstruction site on Boston Avenue at 6:00pm on Monday, March 19th. In lieu of flowers Bridgeporters are encouraged to make a donation to any candidate who supports bringing manufacturing back to Bridgeport as a priority.

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6 comments

  1. *** I can think of better things to do besides mourning the passing of GE and Bpt’s manufacturing, which has been gone for quite some time now, no? *** TOO LITTLE TOO LATE, GOP ***

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  2. It is a little too late for the protest. Where has the Republican party been all these years? I do commend Francisco Borres for doing something, albeit a little late.
    Mr. Borres’ premise is right on the money. Past administrations, which have been mostly Democratic, have done next to nothing when it comes to bringing in jobs to Bridgeport.
    Past administration have dangled Steal Point in front of us for at least 15 years and the only thing growing over there is the grass. They cleaned this area out and took many properties off the tax rolls. I wonder how much in taxes could have been collected over these past years?
    Green jobs are just a bunch of bullshit pushed by this airhead we have for a mayor. It has been proven this green technology works in theory but not in a practical or an affordable way.
    Hey Bill, maybe you or your cabinet can hold some of your meetings at the new park you are constructing on Knowlton Street. You took 7 acres that are zoned for industrial use and built a park no one will use. Smart move. Things change but really stay the same.

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  3. As we type, General Electric is the largest employer in Fairfield County. The Cisco Kid’s obituary is incorrect and premature. I hope his misunderstanding of our current situation leads to a dismal turnout at tonight’s rally and his outmoded ideas clearly identify him as Bridgeport’s leading DoomFreak. Here’s why: manufacturing is making a comeback in Bridgeport but it won’t happen on Boston Avenue or under the auspices of an S&P 500 company.

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