[BicoastalAnn]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

They shouldn't give a dime to Aetna. That company has encouraged remote employees so 3/4 their workforce lives in CT but never comes to the office. So we're going to beg them to stay just so their building can remain in Hartford, mostly empty? Let them go, it won't hurt CT's unemployment. Put the money toward attracting a new business.

Highly, highly doubt 3/4 of their employees even live in CT. They're in all 50 states so I'd bet the majority are outside it.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

They shouldn't give a dime to Aetna. That company has encouraged remote employees so 3/4 their workforce lives in CT but never comes to the office. So we're going to beg them to stay just so their building can remain in Hartford, mostly empty? Let them go, it won't hurt CT's unemployment. Put the money toward attracting a new business.

I agree - not on thin dime should be given to Aetna. They closed their Middletown office and cosolodated those jobs to the Hartford office. They also encourage people to work from home 2-3 days per week. They have actually noted this in some of their job postings.

Also, their net income for 2015 was 2.39 billion dollars. They are also part of the healthcare oligopoly that the congress and President Obama basically handed them thru the Affordable health care act. They even have noted this in their 2015 financial statements. (although they don't acknowledge that they are part of the oligopoly).

The Fed Govt basically handed them a perpetual income stream. They have a lot of audacity to ask for handouts after that.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

I hope any package also includes requirements to hire in CT otherwise it may not be worth it. A company like that can easily decide to hire and invest in XYZ cheap area for most of its jobs, while taking CT's money and letting HQ grow smaller.

I agree, it should be tied to FTEs, and unlike UBS, AETNA should not be rewarded for a guarantee starting at the outrageous 29% cut UBS's deal was based at. UBS got $ at 2,000 employees and they had 2,800 at deal-signing time.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

I agree - not on thin dime should be given to Aetna. .

So you would welcome losing those valuable jobs? Interesting.

[JayCT]

I know we talked a little about this, the state is giving Westport based Bridgewater Associates $22 million in loans (possibly forgivable) to stay and expand here in Connecticut. Bridgewater is the world's largest hedge fund and has about 1,400 employees here and plans to add 750 more. The state had previously given them a package of $162 million when they were planning to build a $500 million headquarters in Stamford. That deal fell through but the fact they are ready to renovate their current building in Westport and expand in other facilities in the town giving a potential for over 2,000 well paying jobs, it seems to me that $22 million is a small price to pay when you consider the $162 million that Boston and Massachusetts is giving GE to move 200 jobs there. If Bridgewater left wouldn't the same people so up in arms about GE be screaming? I think so. No one likes the fact that we have to do this but this is the way businesses currently operate. They try to squeeze every last penny they can out of us and do less and less to improve the world. Sad but true. Jay

Controversial hedge fund aid passes with little opposition | HartfordBusiness.com

[JayCT]

On a sad note, Hallmark's Enfield warehouse will be closed by June laying off more than 500 workers. That is not good but there have been a few additions in the area that hopefully off set that loss including Amazon's massive new fulfillment center in Windsor. Still it is a big loss. Jay

Hallmark will lay off 534 by June | HartfordBusiness.com

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by JayCT

On a sad note, Hallmark's Enfield warehouse will be closed by June laying off more than 500 workers. That is not good but there have been a few additions in the area that hopefully off set that loss including Amazon's massive new fulfillment center in Windsor. Still it is a big loss. Jay

Hallmark will lay off 534 by June | HartfordBusiness.com

Maybe Malloy should offer them 22 million to stay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

Highly, highly doubt 3/4 of their employees even live in CT. They're in all 50 states so I'd bet the majority are outside it.

The majority are not outside CT, I can assure you.

[BicoastalAnn]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I know we talked a little about this, the state is giving Westport based Bridgewater Associates $22 million in loans (possibly forgivable) to stay and expand here in Connecticut. Bridgewater is the world's largest hedge fund and has about 1,400 employees here and plans to add 750 more. The state had previously given them a package of $162 million when they were planning to build a $500 million headquarters in Stamford. That deal fell through but the fact they are ready to renovate their current building in Westport and expand in other facilities in the town giving a potential for over 2,000 well paying jobs, it seems to me that $22 million is a small price to pay when you consider the $162 million that Boston and Massachusetts is giving GE to move 200 jobs there. If Bridgewater left wouldn't the same people so up in arms about GE be screaming? I think so. No one likes the fact that we have to do this but this is the way businesses currently operate. They try to squeeze every last penny they can out of us and do less and less to improve the world. Sad but true. Jay

Controversial hedge fund aid passes with little opposition | HartfordBusiness.com

Hard to say if it's a small/large price without crunching the numbers but... to be fair, MA didn't give GE $162 million to move 200 jobs. It gave them $162 million to relocate their HQ and invest $80-100 million into building their new campus, which will bring in a lot more value in income and property taxes than 200 heads alone. I do think the Bridgewater deal seems promising since at least we know they will be middle to high income folks.

[BicoastalAnn]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

The majority are not outside CT, I can assure you.

"Of Aetna’s 50,000 employees company-wide, 6,000 work in Connecticut." Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/bl...tition-to.html

"That's not just stability for a venerable corporate citizen; it raises the hope that the company's 6,100-person workforce in Connecticut will survive more or less intact." Source: Hope, Worry Over Aetna's Hometown Workforce - Hartford Courant

I used to work at Aetna. Source: me.