MetLife Leaving Hartford for Bloomfield

[Hartfordite]

The concern is Downtown Hartford, so it is a big deal. Nobody but Bloomfield benefits of a business moves to Bloomfield, the whole region benefits if a busines is in downtown. These towns would be nothing without the existance and health of Hartford.

[JayHass]

The state's already got Hartford fatigue from investing in a Convention Center--a dying industry! Why didn't we build a parking garage instead?!

[MadVlad]

They did, and it's a nice one....The morgan street garage.

You are putting words in my mouth that I never said.

I'm saying that Bloomfield is better than Birmingham. Understand? At least the company is staying in state. I agree we shouldn't forget about the center city but also we have to remember that the city isn't always the center. We have to think as a region and not so provincially as was done when they created 169 separate towns inside of our small state borders.

[Luca Brasi]

How can Perez be bothered with Met Life when he's busy putting together illegal parking lot deals for his supporters? Its obvious which he thinks takes priority.

[drc72]

How can Perez be bothered with Met Life when he's busy putting together illegal parking lot deals for his supporters? Its obvious which he thinks takes priority.

[ctman987]

A few things...

First Hartford needs someone to push for businesses to relocate and/or stay in Hartford. Hartford is not a major attractive center of business like Manhattan, Boston, Philadelphia, London, Bejing, etc. This being said Hartford is still a very well known center of business just not comparable to those of large cities like NYC. With this in mind Hartford needs someone to push for it...to help keep companies in the city and help attract new ones to the city. Whether this should be the mayors job or someone elses is all disputable but someone needs to do it. Hartford has something going for it because even though MetLife will probably leave Travelers is increasing its presence, AETNA is increasing its presence and the day after the MetLife story Prudential Retirement announced that it renewed its lease for 10 years and added an extra 25,000 more square feet to its downtown lease.

Also the fact that MetLife is moving to Bloomfield and not out of state definitly has something to do directly with Hartford. Even though it may be cheaper to run operations in Bloomfield it is definitly not cheaper then moving these Hartford jobs down south or to an already existing MetLife office complex (outside of CT). The costs of running businesses in the northeast are extremly high which makes all northeast cities and towns from Boston, NYC, Hartford and Providence to Bloomfield and West Hartford have to compete with southern cities like Charlotee, Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix where it is much cheaper to buy office space and buy new homes and everything.

Anyway we can only wish for the best.....at least Prudential Retirement will be expanding as well as Travelers and AETNA, GlobeOp's bringing 150 new jobs and the Travelers umbrella is back

[Whaler0718]

Well, there is a good Republican candidate running. I'll have to look up his name. I think he currently runs Hartford Public Access TV or something. I know the republicans in West Hartford are trying to get him in there. He has a chance. No soap opera primary to deal with, he'll be clean and relaxed when all of the dems are already exhausted and dirty from the muck of primary politics. I'm not sure who I'm supporting yet either, though.

Neither do I. That's why I do feel like it's time for a change. A great Mayor is certainly a possibility.

edit: J. Stan McCauley - a Black conservative is the sole Republican in the race currently. If it's him vs. Perez, he has a chance. Him vs. Feltman or Mathews probably won't end up so good for him, but who knows. Only time will tell. He is the head of Hartford Public Access TV.

[drc72]

Here is Stan McCauley's website. I had the pleasure of chatting with him about his candidacy at great length and he's a thoughtful and articulate man. I think his approach is good, but--like all of the candidates--he'll need to provide some specific ideas before election day. I urge Hartford voters to take a look at McCauley.

http://www.jstanmccauleyformayor.us/index.html

[Afro Saxon]

I think he would make a great Mayor, but I doubt a Republican will ever get into city hall.

[Whaler0718]

I think he can win, I recently watched an interview with him on channel 19, he isn't a Bill O'Reilly type or Southern styled conservative, he's probaly best describe as right of center from what I gathered in his interview.

[blackstone]

From what I've gathered, he is sociall progressive. Frankly, most northeastern Republicans are; it's a shame the national party has been hijacked by the far-right.

I think what McCauley offers is a conservative approach to getting the city's financial act in order, being more business friendly, and taking a more creative approach toward helping our troubled youth. He realizes that throwing money at the problem isn't the solution, and I think he also recognizes that Hartford has few friends at the capitol because of Eddie's arrogance and the sense of most legislators that the money they channel toward the city isn't efficiently or effectively employed. The question is, while he knows what needs to be done, whether he can get it done.

[htfdtimeforchange]

I've heard McCauley speak at meetings and have spoken with him personally. He seems like a breath of fresh air. Although he is running as a Republican, he's not a "politician" and makes it clear that he is not running to beat Perez, he is running for the people of Hartford. He doesn't have a lot of political experience, but he seems eager to listen, learn and work for what's best for the City , and right about now I think the people of Hartford are ready for an ethical , honest leader who can bring people together, and rebuild the bridges that Perez has burned. I for one could care less whether he has a "D" or an "R" after his name,as long as i feel he is right for the job, the time is right for change. Enough politics and election year promises and stunts from City Hall.

[drc72]

I think he can win, I recently watched an interview with him on channel 19, he isn't a Bill O'Reilly type or Southern styled conservative, he's probaly best describe as right of center from what I gathered in his interview.

[Afro Saxon]

i agree that it is a shame that the republican party has been hijacked by the far right and i think it is a shame that the democrats have been hijacked by the far left. since, i believe, 2/3 of the people are neither liberal nor conservative to a far degree, why do we have to choose between the two? this country needs a third party so bad.