Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: What housing market recovery? In Alhambra, after 76 years Potts Plumbing Parts announced it will shutdown in June.  The owner blames crashing sales on the internet and ‘Big Box’ stores, as well as lazy people: “What we do is becoming obsolete. People don’t think to repair things anymore unless it’s something they can’t change without a remodel. If it’s something like a faucet or sink, they just take it out and replace it.”-Joe Potts

What was that about Obama Care increasing access to healthcare?  In San Pablo, Obama Care forced taxpayer funded Doctors Medical Center to shutdown at the end of April, and failing to find a new owner/operator it will be carved up and sold-off.  80% of the customers are on Medicare or Medicaid (Medical in California) and Obama Care drastically cut reimbursements, and even forces Medicare/Medicaid recipients to stop going to hospitals.  Local news reports said the loss of the hospital results in the residents of West Contra Costa County losing 79% of their access to healthcare: “The mortality rates will increase, we will have deaths related to the closure of Doctors Medical Center.”-Maria Sahagun, registered nurse

Obama Care forced Western Dental Services to stop taking low income patients at 13 California offices, a shutdown WARN indicated 237 jobs could be lost: “…the extremely low funding and reimbursement levels …..have finally proven impossible to bear.”-official Western Dental Services statement

In San Ramon, AT&T Global Customer Service issued a layoff WARN for July, 89 jobs lost.  In Oakland, Owens-Brockway Glass Container issued a layoff WARN saying 67 people will be laid off in July.  In Redwood City, EA owned video game maker Visceral Games “made a small staffing change in our Visceral studio today to support the needs of the studio’s two current development priorities”.  Monterey Peninsula Unified School District warned that at least 17 employees will be laid off, due to lack of money.  PTA leaders and parents are pissed off and called Bull-Shit on the money issue: “We already pay for half of these positions! In the PTA we pay for science lab, the PE teacher. When does this stop? What’s next, the office clerk? Recess, instruction? Is this all going to fall on the parents? Why don’t we go to a private school already?”-unnamed mom and PTA member

Florida: In Tampa, US Foods issued a shutdown WARN saying 206 people will become jobless by August! The company is consolidating ops and is trying to merge with rival Sysco. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is challenging the merger.   In Lake Mary, Obama Care medical device tax forced Access MediQuip to layoff 84 people and shutdown, without warning.

Indiana:  Packaging maker Essentra announced they’re consolidating to North Carolina in October, 150 employees will be abandoned in Evansville!  Basically the new owners of the factory said the economy is so bad in the “Americas” that they can’t justify their recently purchased Evansville ops.

Maryland: In Baltimore, after less than two years the Shoo-Fly Diner is about to shutdown, the owner is trying to work a deal to keep the place open during summer. Critics have written that the food isn’t that good.

Michigan: God refused to stop ‘his’ Calvin College from bribing seven employees to quit, and warning that outright layoffs are coming.  The Christian college has been relying on debt financing and is fighting to pay it down.  Christians have already donated $25-million USD to pay down the debt, and the school is trying to cut $4.5-million in costs by 2017.  News reports from 2013 said ‘Christian’ administrators overspent on new construction and made bad investments with donated money.  In one case, $5-million that was supposed to pay down the debt was used to buy real estate instead!  This is a clear case of Christians putting their faith into the money changers in the Temple (capitalist administrators) rather than in their God: “The former administration, the former president certainly had a reputation as someone who understood finances and business. He came from a banking background. And so I think there’s some bewilderment at the scope of the problem.”– David Diephouse, professor (who is obviously of ‘Blind Faith’)

Missouri: What housing market recovery?  After 25 years the Long Lighting Center shutting down.  The owners blame crashing sales, but they blame that on the internet and ‘Big Box’ home improvement stores.

New Jersey: Sears Holdings announced the Closter Kmart will shutdown in August, 102 jobs lost!

New York: Oneida Savings Bank issued a shutdown WARN for offices in Oneida and Rome, as least 63 jobs lost by July.  In Dewitt, after 29 years Daugherty’s Masquerade (aka The Masquerade Store) has ended full time operations and will be open seasonally.  The owners blame increasing competition.  In Amherst, after 40 years Boulevard Mall Bootery shutdown, the owner blames crashing sales on the internet and ‘Big Box’ shoe stores.

North Carolina: For profit student rip off artist Brookstone College of Business suddenly shutdown, administrators admit they can’t comply with new federal education rules that require higher education to prove its students can find jobs after they graduate!

Ohio: In Mansfield, after 59 years the owners of Weidle’s Meats and Delicatessen announced they will shutdown in June. It’s been up for sale since October 2014.  In Columbus, repair and logistics support company Decision One laid off 75 people due to losing their contract with Microsoft.

Oklahoma: Sears Holdings announced the Tulsa Kmart will shutdown in August, at least 51 jobs lost!

Pennsylvania: Russia owned pipe maker OAO TMK revealed it has laid off 115 U.S. citizens, and reduced working hours for the rest of their employees!  Company administrators originally planned to layoff 75 people, but they blame the U.S. oil industry for massively reducing orders for steel pipe.

Texas: In Houston, Obama Care medical device tax forced Access MediQuip to layoff at least 80 people and shutdown without warning.  Fort Worth based oil well operator FTS International said it is consolidating operations, resulting in layoffs in Louisiana and in Longview, Texas.  In Edinburg, Ignite Public Schools has been shutdown by the Texas Education Agency.  TEA administrators said the charter school failed at academics and managing their own budget.

Wisconsin: In East Tosa, after 29 years North Star Music store shutdown.  The property has been for sale for a while, yet nobody seems interested.

11 – 12 May 2015: “I didn’t see this coming….everything was really good…”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”