Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Alabama: The Escambia County animal shelter in Flomaton shutting down in August. County officials say there’s no mo-money.
Arkansas: Springdale based Tyson Foods killing off three major chicken processing factories in Iowa, New Mexico and New York. The processing plants will close between September and sometime in 2015, at least 950 jobs lost! Tyson Foods officials blame the rising prices of chickens, and reduced demand from chicken eaters. However, the true reason could be because Tyson Foods is taking over Hillshire for $8.5-billion USD, by the end of September!
Georgia: After 16 years the Augusta Ice Sports Center announced it’s being forced to shutdown in August. It’s blamed on the greedy property owner who has gotten an $2-million offer for the property.
Illinois: Green Choice Bank failed, it’s assets seized by FDIC and spilt with Providence Bank.
Maryland: Pel-Bern Electric Corporation now chapter 7 bankrupt busted. Apparently it was an involuntary bankruptcy brought by the people who are owed money.
Massachusetts: The Boston School Department suddenly killed 126 jobs! The school district is trying to save $9.5-million! For years critics accused the Boston Strong school system of being out-a-shape and overweight with redundant administrative jobs. In Andover, Abbey’s Bridal Shoppe shutting down in August. Also, after 36 years Andover Photo shutdown. The Andover Bookstore is threatening to shutdown, the owner says they can no longer afford to pay the rent.
Michigan: After 125 years the building housing the iconic and elitist Detroit Club now up for auction only seven months after the new owner spent more than a million dollars buying and renovating the building. The starting bid is less than a million!
New Jersey: Obama Care killing 102 jobs at Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center! Hospital officials say the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has caused a 30% reduction in healthcare customers, just from May 2014 to June 2014!
New Mexico: Near the failed WIPP nuke waste storage site which has caused job losses, another Carlsbad operation killing jobs. Mosaic Potash announced they must reduce production and kill 185 jobs! Company officials blame it on the crashing demand for muriate of potash.
New York: In Fort Edward, after 73 years General Electric (GE) shutting down their iconic Broadway Street operation in 2015. In the 1970s GE employed 27-hundred people there, but now only 167! Company officials blame the bad economy: “It was a very difficult decision. We’ve been losing money at Fort Edward for years. This is in no way a reflection on the employees.”-Chris Horne
North Carolina: In New Bern, after 79 years the Maola Milk factory shutdown. Company officials are consolidating ops to save money, at least 70 jobs lost.
Ohio: The Middletown Fire Department eliminated 15 jobs. Fire Station 84 now shutdown.
Oklahoma: Freedom Bank failed, it’s assets seized by FDIC and spilt with Alva State Bank & Trust Company.
Rhode Island: Major problems continue in the Ocean State regarding child care. The state Department of Children Youth and Families tried to save taxpayers millions of dollars by contracting out services to two non-profits, Ocean State Network for Children and Families and the Rhode Island Care Management Network. Instead of saving money, they ended up costing tens of millions of dollars more, one state employee accuses contractors of incompetence: “These private agencies go in and promise all these things and get all this money and don’t realize how much work it really is. And ultimately it’s the state employees who end up doing all of the work.”-Philip Keefe, Rhode Island Alliance of Social Service Employees
Texas: Obama Care involved in University Medical Center’s (UMC) decision to kill 56 healthcare jobs at the two years old non-profit El Paso Children’s Hospital (which was built with local taxpayer funding). UMC officials say most of the patients at the Children’s Hospital cannot pay for their medical care, despite Obama Care, to the tune of $70-million in lost revenue for UMC! The UMC director was slightly perturbed: “It’s just plain shitty! There’s a lot of emotion, but that’s how I feel!”-Jim Valenti, UMC CEO for past ten years
Valenti says UMC must now borrow $20-million to float itself. He refused to directly blame Obama Care (Affordable Care Act) but said that because of the so called federal health care reforms “We are in no position to continue subsidizing Children’s Hospital through the coming years.”
Virginia: Chesapeake based Dollar Tree now owns Family Dollar Stores. Dollar Tree took over their competition for $9.2-billion! Family Dollar Stores has been losing money, and they’ve shutdown 370 stores. The Dollar Tree takeover will become official in 2015, and could mean more store shutdowns and layoffs. Dollar Tree is expanding into Canada, because the economy in the U.S. sucks: “The U.S. channel has clearly matured; there has been some poor performance and valuations have softened. In contrast, the Canadian channel still has six or seven years of growth….”-Perry Caicco, CIBC World Markets
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.
“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security…That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013