Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arkansas: In Pine Bluff, after 36 years Fashion Wigs shutting down by the end of the year.  The owner blames never ending Main Street construction work (called Main Street Clean Up Project by city A-Holes, I mean administrators) for blocking customer access and killing her sales: “Many of my customers don’t want to deal with the maze it takes to get to my store…..there is nothing I can do about it.”-Young Lee

California: In Pacoima, after 50 years (and surviving several robberies) Laurel Pharmacy shutting down.  Owner Barry Wise was hoping somebody could takeover the business, “But I couldn’t find a buyer, so it’s sad.”

Connecticut:  In Fairfield, after 66 years the Angus Steakhouse shutting down, supposedly it’s being replaced with a new thing called Little Pub.

Florida:  Brown Distributing issued a WARN, 84 jobs in Orlando gone by the end of June.

Idaho:  The Gem State’s version of ObamaCare is in trouble, news reports reveal that at the end of March a warning letter was sent out to Your Health Idaho employees telling them what to do if a healthcare provider is dealing with a person with life threatening issues, yet doesn’t qualify for Idaho’s version of ObamaCare: “Please be sure to include MEDICAL URGENT in the subject line as well as a detailed description of the client’s situation in the message body.”  (this is probably due to the claims by hospital directors that at least 1-thousand Idahoans have died as a direct result of not qualifying for ObamaCare through Your Health idaho)  However, an insurance agent in McCall said he deals with insuring people in five other states and compared to them Idahoans have it good: “It’s just an absolute train wreck! I’m licensed in six states, and believe me, in the other five states, it’s even worse.”-Stanley Dean

Illinois:  Edwardsville School District 7 warning of mass layoffs, fee increases and local tax hikes due to the economy failing to recover, contrary to what U.S. ‘leadership’ and main stream news media falsely claim.  Local news reports explained that the school district was flush with “reserve” cash when the official recession started, but the economy never recovered and now the district is not only out of money, but is $4.5-million USD in the hole!  Read the Belleville News-Democrat for the sobering truth (and a long list of drastic school district changes).  In Obama’s homie town, after 20 years Harpo Studios (owned by elitist Oprah Winfry) finally shutdown.  Its new home is in California.

Kansas: In Topeka, God powerless to stop the shutdown and sell-off of ‘his’ 130 years old (surviving The Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Central Congregational United Church Of Christ.   Church leaders say the costs to maintain the old biddy, I mean building far exceeds revenues (yep, hypocritical Christians can only live off money, despite what Jesus of Nazareth said).

Maine: The city of Auburn eliminating four salaried administrative positions, due to lack of taxpayer funds.  One of the administrators had recently moved to Maine, from Texas, in 2012.  In Farmington, after three years Upcountry Artist Gallery shutting down by the end of the month due to lack of sales.

Michigan: Consumers Energy shutting down their 64 years old Luna Pier coal fired electricity factory, local news media forgot to ask how many jobs would be negatively impacted.

Minnesota: The largest health insurance company in the United States is getting the hell away from ObamaCare!  Minnetonka based UnitedHealth joins BlueCross-BlueShield is declaring the Affordable Care Act Dead on Arrival!   UnitedHealth will begin exiting ObamaCare plans beginning with the states of Arkansas and Georgia.  In 2014 UnitedHealth entered the ObamaCare market, but is getting out while it can still live to tell about it: “It was for us a bad decision. In retrospect, we should have stayed out….”-Stephen Hemsley, CEO

Missouri: In Bridgeton, SchnuckS Markets shutting down their grocery distribution center as work is being consolidated into a new larger facility in Saint Louis.  But don’t think the SchnuckS’ employees will be transferred, local news media discovered the employees at the new facility will be cheap-o contractors, meaning 190 good paying jobs in Bridgeton gone between July and September!   In Springfield, after 43 years Marylin’s Fine Jewelry shutting down.  The co-owners are retiring due to their age, but they admitted the local economy has been going down for a long time: “We moved here in ’73 and every store in the square was filled up…….Now there’s not very many retail stores on the square…”-Marilyn Scott, co-owner

Pennsylvania:  Meadowbrook Meat issued a layoff WARN, 76 jobs in Lancaster gone by mid-June.  In York, Durham School Services announced it will eliminate 88 jobs by the beginning of June.

Vermont: For the third year in a row the Burlington School District is prepping employees for mass layoffs, and for the second time is jacking up local taxes, and will eliminate classes because “…the decline in overall enrollment has resulted in numerous under-enrolled classes that can be consolidated.”  Teacher Bob Abbey bemoaned “…Burlington has become a second-tier educational system. We are going in the wrong direction.”  Read the sobering Burlington Free Press article which gives a list of drastic changes coming for the school district.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

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.”