All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 24-28 July 2013. Obama Care blamed again!

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs:

California: In Escondido, San Diego and Poway, Palomar Health laid off a total of 77 employees.  This is after they laid off 84 people in July.  Hospital officials blamed the health care reforms of Obama Care.   In Mountain View, Randstad (Google) laid off 30 people.  Walt Disney Pictures reported they laid off one employee at their Burbank operations.

Texas: Ruth’s Chris Steak House in San Antonio closed.  86 people now unemployed.

Ohio: Diamond Crystal Brands closed in Perrysburg.  125 people out-o-work!

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 shut down.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: All former JCPenney outlet stores closing, in time for the holidays!

03 October 2013 (01:01 UTC-07 Tango)/28 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/11 Mehr 1391/29 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

“The closing of the outlets was necessitated by a precipitous decline of sales….we could no longer incur the losses….”-Glen Gammons, CEO, explaining how bad the economy really is

All 15 JC’s 5 Star Outlet stores will close between now and the beginning of 2014.  The outlet chain was originally known as JCPenney Outlet, but was sold to property speculator SB Capital Acquisition in 2011.

The closings will impact 14 eastern U.S. states.  A total of 1400 jobs lost!

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Yes Virginia, Kmart & Sears stores will be closing by Xmas! Store closing sale prices jacked up?

03 October 2013 (00:36 UTC-07 Tango)/28 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/11 Mehr 1391/29 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

“As a part of the ordinary course of business we close stores…..”-Howard Riefs, Sears Holdings

It’s been awhile since my last update, but in West Virginia the Morgantown Kmart will close in December: “It’s going to hurt a lot of people. It’s got a grocery store, clothing store, garden center, now where are we going to go?”-Charlie Scott, loyal Kmart shopper

In Wisconsin, the Brookfield Kmart to close in December.  The lease was not renewed.

The Homewood, Illinois, Kmart closing in December as well.  185 newly unemployed people from that one!

The last Kmart in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, closing down.  The 43 years old Collins Road Kmart will close in December.  Last year Sears Holdings closed the Kmart on 16th Avenue.

In the country of Canada, Sears Canada announced they are closing six of their Prince Edward Island (PEI) stores!  The outlet stores served mainly as catalog order pick up locations, but now Sears will use Canada Post to deliver right to their customer’s doors.

In Franklin, Tennessee, the Sears was sold to mall owners CBL & Associates, who announced they are shutting it down by December.  And in Memphis, after 32 years of business the Sears in the Hickory Ridge Mall Towne Centre (note the evil British empire spelling) will close in December.

“What do you see when you walk around that mall?”-WREG reporter questioning cookie shop owner

“A lot of people losing hope, they are losing faith.”-Raven Winton, owns cookie shop in the Hickory Ridge mall

At the Bend River Promenade, in Oregon, the local Sears will close in December.  The store opened in 1980.

In Coos Bay, Oregon, local TV news reports show that ‘liquidation’ store closing sale prices are actually higher than the original price: “I noticed there was two tags on it, and so, I peeled it up and they were $5 more than the original price! I don’t have that kind of money to spend….so I just left”-unnamed and angry Kmart shopper

A reporter with KCBY checked it out for themselves.  They bought some sunglasses that were supposed to be marked down 30%, and discovered the price was actually jacked up by $5!

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost).

California:   El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (at least 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart,  Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost),  Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!).

Colorado:  Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost),  Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40).

Connecticut:  Waterbury Big Kmart.

Georgia: Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost).

Guam:  Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost),  Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost),  Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost),  Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart.

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!!!),  Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost),  Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Vacant bedroom/bathroom section.

One corner of the half vacant Chubbuck, Idaho, Sears. No official closing announcement was made.

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost).  No official announcement, but it’s painfully obvious the Chubbuck Sears going’ down. Or, maybe it’s preps for Shop within a Shop, or one of those domestic spy data storage centers?

Ever since the Kmart bankruptcy, this pad site for sale sign has been seen in the Pocatello, Idaho, Big Kmart parking lot. The Kmart is the only building on the lot.

Ever since the Kmart bankruptcy, this pad site for sale sign has been seen in the Pocatello, Idaho, Big Kmart parking lot. The Kmart is the only building on the lot.

Indiana:  Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Sears (49 jobs lost).

Illinois:  Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), recently revealed Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost).  58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale.  By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state.  The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Iowa:  Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), recently revealed Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lexington Fayette Mall Sears (114 jobs lost!).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors.

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed.

Michigan: Novi Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials,  Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Flint Kmart (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost).

Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost).

Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line, Gautier Sears (71 jobs lost), Waveland Kmart (32 jobs lost), one of the Gulfport Kmarts (52 jobs lost).

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line, High Ridge Kmart (59 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials,  Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost).

North Carolina: High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost),  West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (58 jobs lost), South Ashville Kmart on Hendersonville Road.

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost).

New Jersey:  Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost).

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost).

Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard.   Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned, GGP wants a $2 million sales tax rebate, claiming it’s needed to offset capital investments needed to bring the space up to the standards for potential new tenants).

Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost), Coos Bay Kmart (25 jobs lost), recently revealed Bend Sears (48 jobs lost).

Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost), Shippensburg Kmart (46 jobs lost), Moon Kmart (143 jobs lost), Bethlehem Township Kmart (62 jobs lost).

South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Columbia Kmart on St Andrews Road (66 jobs lost), Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost),  both Greenville Kmarts (140 jobs lost between the two).

Tennessee: Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, recently revealed Franklin CoolSprings Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), recently revealed Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed).

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors.

Utah:  Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Virginia: Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost),  Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost).

Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost),  Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost), East Wenatchee Sears (59 jobs lost), Puyallup Kmart (51 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), recently revealed Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost), recently revealed Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost).

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall  (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center

Fukushima

More Fukushima Fallout: TEPCo revises radiation levels, upward! TEPCo tries Red Herring trick?

02 October 2013 (12:01 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/10 Mehr 1392/28 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

Tokyo Electric Power Company has revised leaked radiation levels, reported just yesterday.  TEPCo reported that in September at least four metric tons of highly contaminated rainwater overflowed from a storage tank, into the ocean.  They initially reported the radiation levels at 160 becquerels per liter, which is five times the government limits for discharging radioactive water into the Pacific.

Turns out that was the level of radiation outside the storage tank immediately after the rain storms hit.  TEPCo is now reporting that the storage tank itself contains 390 becquerels per liter of radiation, mostly strontium!    TEPCo officials say they don’t understand what caused the drastic increase in radiation levels.

This revelation comes after TEPCo asked Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority to approve the restart of reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Niigata Prefecture.  NRA officials responded by implying that TEPCo was trying a Red Herring tactic to distract from the ongoing disaster at Fukushima Daiichi.

TEPCo officials claimed they had “learned hard lessons” from Fukushima Daiichi, but government NRA officials think otherwise.  NRA Chairman Tanaka Shunichi said TEPCo demonstrated insufficient knowledge of radioactive materials, and was being irresponsible in asking for restart of its other nuke reactors.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: Japan demands written promise from United States, for war with China!

02 October 2013 (11:36 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/10 Mehr 1391/28 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

U.S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and Secretary of State John Kerry, will be in Japan on 03 October, for a war meeting regarding China (cloaked under the guise of maintaining “regional security”).

According to Japanese news media, the Japanese government will demand the U.S. give Japan a written guarantee of military support in case of war against China!  Japanese officials also want the guarantee to involve the Chinese, basically they want the U.S. to pressure China into promising it will back off of growing territorial disputes with Japan.

The Obama regime has repeatedly stated they support Japan’s claims to disputed islands.

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: U.S. & South Korea agree to preemptively strike North Korea! Excuse for war with China?

02 October 2013 (11:11 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/10 Mehr 1391/28 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

“Although Mr. Obama has cut military spending in various parts of the world, it has remained largely unchanged in Asia. By 2020 the Pentagon plans to deploy 60 percent of its warships in the Pacific and 40 percent in the Atlantic, compared with the current 50-50 split.”-New York Times, 02 October 2013

One day after officials from Democratic People’s Republic of Korea demanded that the United States stop making military threats against it, the U.S. and Republic of Korea announced they’ve agreed to a joint preemptive attack on North Korea!

U.S. Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, met South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, Hagel told the news media that North Korea was a threat to the whole World: “…..North Korea’s policies and provocations pose a serious threat to regional stability and global security.”

According to Japanese news media reports, the Obama regime of the United States, and its puppet government in South Korea, stated today that if they have any suspicions that the DPRK might attack the RoK, then a joint preemptive attack will be launched.

Hagel also told Korean news media that U.S. government spending cuts will not affect the U.S. occupation of Korea, or other East Asia countries: “No, there’s never been any consideration of changing our force protection or force presence here in Korea or anywhere else in this area…….specifically here in the Asia-Pacific….”

Just yesterday, the U.S. puppet RoK recently revealed new cruise missiles during a military parade (a parade in which U.S. Defense Secretary took part in: “…American Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel a front-row seat at the country’s massive military parade…”–The Daily Mail).  Their target is DPRK.

This news comes as a New York Times article reported that Hagel was “Back in Asia” to pursue a “Pivot” against China.

 

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 20-23 July 2013.

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs:

In Hamilton, New Jersey, Leading Edge laid off 82 employees for “unknown” reasons.  Masco Bath also laid off employees, 69, for “unknown” reasons. Masco Bath is owned by Delta Faucets, and has been laying off employees for years now.

CACI International-TechniGraphics ended operations in Wooster, Ohio.  142 people unemployed!

In San Marcos, California, John Deere Water closed down, laying off 78 people.  What automotive industry recovery?  In Los Angeles, Coda Automotive laid off 53 employees.  The electric car maker has been laying off employees since last year.  In Vernon, RM (Reynaldo’s Mexican) Foods laid off 166 people!

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 shut down.

Fukushima

More Fukushima Fallout: More radiation pours into the Pacific, decontamination begins more than two years later!

01 October 2013 (12:31 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/09 Mehr 1392/27 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

Government agencies have finally begun decontamination of areas around Fukushima Daiichi, more than two years after the melt downs began!

Japanese government officials said radiation levels were too high to begin decontamination efforts sooner!  Some areas of seven municipalities have been hit with so much radiation that nobody can live there.  Radiation levels are reported, by government agencies, to be at least 50 millisieverts per hour!

However, the decontamination efforts beginning now are considered a test, as officials don’t really know if decontamination of plants, soil and buildings will be successful.  A district leader in the city of Namie does not think decontamination will be successful.  He said radiation levels have remained unchanged in the no-go areas since April 2011.  He has been taking his own radiation readings every month since the melt downs began.

Tokyo Electric Power Company revealed that in September at least four metric tons of contaminated rainwater spilled into the ocean.  TEPCo says workers were pumping the contaminated rainwater into a storage tank when it overflowed.  It turns out the tank was already full.

The rainwater contained 160 becquerels per liter of radiation, which is five times the Japanese government safe limits for dumping contaminated water into the ocean!  Keep in mind there is no possible way for TEPCo to catch and store all the rain that hits the radioactive Fukushima Daiichi nuke facility, and it runs off into the Pacific Ocean.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: Japan accuses U.S. contractors of stealing hundreds of millions in cash! Scheme similar to what’s going on in Afghanistan!

01 October 2013 (02:08 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/09 Mehr 1391/27 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

Japan’s Board of Audit has discovered that U.S. military contractors have ripped off Japan’s Self Defense Forces (and thereby Japan’s taxpayers) to the tune of at least $520 million USD!

The investigation went all the way back to 1989 and involved the purchase of  aircraft, ships, missile equipment and required support from U.S. war mongering corporations.  At least 250 contracts are questionable because they have not been fulfilled even though the U.S. military contractors were paid in full in advance!

One official pointed out that some contracts were paid for ten years ago, with no oversight as to their completion.

By the way, U.S. contractors being paid in advance, and without oversight, is at the heart of the U.S. instigated corruption in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Special Investigator General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)!

The same thing happened in Iraq, according to the U.S. Special Investigator General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR).  In the case of Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s the U.S. taxpayer who’s being ripped off.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: U.S. companies stealing wages from employees! California called Golden State for a new reason!

01 October 2013 (01:22 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/09 Mehr 1391/27 Ren-Xu (8th month) 4711

“A phenomenon of the underground economy is the practice of employers who, when caught breaking the law, close down that business in name only and operate another phantom one under someone else’s name.  This practice is intended to avoid responsibilities to workers and undercuts honest employers.  We are conducting in-depth investigations to uncover and put a stop to these abusive practices.”-Julie Su, California Labor Commissioner

Think the wage theft war waged by employers upon their employees happens only in ‘developing’ countries?  It’s happening more and more in the United States despite increased court action against those companies.

The University of California Los Angeles (Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and the Center on Urban Economic Development) estimates that about 26% of employees are paid less than the legally required minimum wage, and 76% are cheated out of legally required overtime pay!

86% of employees are forced to work through legally required meal breaks!  The 2008 study was conducted in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City.

In August 2013, the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DSLE) revealed that low income wage earners in the Golden State have been earning 462% less than what they should have under the law!  On top of that, people who worked overtime have been ripped off by 642%!!!

The DLSE bases the claims on “record-breaking results for labor law enforcement in California” since 2010.

In June 2013, Los Angeles garment maker, 5 Plus 2, was fined for ripping off at least 19 employees.  The company owner had told those employees they were actually working for a company called Bultina Fashion, which turns out is a false front operation owned by the same person.  No records of employee pay were maintained.

In April 2013, a Los Angeles garment maker, O & K Apparel, was fined for ripping off 110 employees.  The office of California Labor Commissioner, Julie Su, said the company basically falsified its pay statements for its employees, who’re paid by each piece of clothing they complete.  The employees got paid far less than what they should have.

In January 2012, wage theft by employers had become so rampant in California that a new Wage Theft Prevention law was passed.  Then in February 2012, a new Criminal Investigation Unit was created to investigate such crimes, specifically.

According to the latest data, consumer spending (by we the people) accounts for 71% of the U.S. economy.  Economies grow only because we the people have enough money to buy more of the very products we manufacture while employed by the unAmerican corporate America.  Companies that steal their employees wages are enemies of the state (the true state being we the people)!