Category Archives: Business/Economics

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 05 April 2013.

Stems, a major flower supplier to grocery stores and other retailers in Florida, Texas and Georgia, now bankrupt.

In Illinois, U.S. Cellular announced that as many as 600 people will lose their jobs!  It’s part of the takeover by Sprint.   Also, heavy equipment maker, Caterpillar, will layoff at least 460 people in June!  Company officials blame declining sales.

What automotive recovery?  California based hybrid car maker Fisker Automotive laid off about 175 people!  Company officials blame the Obama administration for cancelling a $529 million USD loan last year.

In Florida, United Space Alliance laid off 68 people.  The final layoffs as a result of the retirement of the Space Shuttle.  Also, hundreds of government contractors were laid off with little or no notice, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base: “I just bought a new house in October thinking I had a pretty secure job. And that’s not the case. Just got my lay off notice.”-Dustin Rhoades, contracted firefighter

The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware, laid off 25% of employees.  Ticket sales have been down, as well as corporate donations.  Main Street Sliders restaurant closed down in Newark.  The owner blames the bad economy and credit cards: “My fixed costs have started to outweigh my income.  This used to be a cash heavy business.  Today as much as 80% of my business is in credit cards.”-Jason Voit

In Tennessee, 32 people lost their jobs with cell phone insurer Asurion.

Front Street Books in Marathon, Texas, closed.

In Alabama, Books-A-Million closed its Tuscaloosa store.  The Books-A-Million chain lost $2.8 million at the end of their last fiscal year!  Also, the Gap clothing store closed their University Mall location.

Italian-American restaurant, Serafina, closed their Concord, Massachusetts operation.  The owners were done in by the bad economy: “It has been an up and down ride for the last seven years….We worked 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week. We thought it was time for us to move on.”-Sam Cannarozzi

In Maryland, Kids Consignments closed in Edgewater.

Language software company, Rosetta Stone, announced they will close 56 kiosk locations, and layoff 245 people!  This is after they laid off 70 people back in March.

What automotive recovery?  In Indiana, Hy-Matic Manufacturing shut down after 50 years of operations.  The owners of the automotive parts supplier say they lost their two biggest contracts.

In Potsdam, New York, the Sugar Creek/Wilson Farms store closed down.  It might be connected to the 2011 takeover by 7-Eleven.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 04 April 2013.

In Kentucky, Seven Counties Services bankrupt.  Company officials blame mandatory payments into the Kentucky Employees Retirement System.  According to local news reports, if the mental health/developmental services/addiction treatment center shuts down it will affect 32000 people!

Too Big to Jail, Bank of America, laying off hundreds more employees, this time in New Jersey.   469 people lost their jobs in Newark!

Nebraska State Bank & Trust closed two branch offices, in Oconto and Mason City.  Bank officials blamed declining customers.

Allstate Insurance laying off an undisclosed number of employees in Virginia.

In Florida, U.S. Navy contractor East Coast Repair and Fabrication laid off 25 people.  Company officials blame contract cancellations by the USN.

Price Chopper lays off 34 more employees in New York. Company officials blame it on skyrocketing health care costs.  In West Village, The Lively Set antique shop closed down.  The owner says sales are no longer high enough to pay the rent.

In Kansas, Bunge North America is suspending soybean crushing and laid off one third of its employees. Company officials blame “depleted supplies” of soybeans.

The Higley Unified School District, in Arizona, cut 11 administration jobs.  The school district is short $1.8 million USD!

In Massachusetts, the 40 years old J&N Joke Shop closed down.  The owner is shifting to internet sales.  And the family owned West Concord SuperMarket closed down.  The brother owners want to retire, and no one else in the family wants to take over.

In California, My Baby News baby store closed in Santa Rosa.  The owners blamed crashing sales on internet competition.  Amylin Pharmaceuticals announced they are ending their San Diego operations in 2014.  420 employees will be affected!

After 90 years in business, Savrud Paint Shop closed in Kalispell, Montana.  They blamed the bad housing construction market: “The construction downturn has been very long. Very, very long. We don’t have nearly as much contractor business as we had.”-Dale Saverud

In Michigan, Michigan Steel has died.  The company was seized by creditors.  Last year company officials outright lied to local news media, telling them that business was so good they were expanding operations.  Then news that employee paychecks were bouncing, then checks to their creditors started bouncing.  State and federal tax liens were placed against the company.  At the beginning of this year company officials admitted they were in trouble but would not give details.  At one point the company had 200 employees.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 03 April 2013. Obama/Romney Care takes out more health care providers! New York hit hard!

In California, Japanese video game maker, Square Enix, will layoff an undisclosed number of employees in Los Angeles.  Also, evil Disney killed video game maker LucasArts.  Unnamed sources said 150 LucasArts employees will lose their jobs!

In Texas, the La Paz Community Health Care Center now bankrupt.  The for profit mental health care center said it experienced a $3 million USD drop in revenue in 2012, blamed on Obama/Romney Care!

Also in Texas, the La Marque Independent School District is laying off 54 employees.

In Maine, the Brewer School System will layoff 30 employees.  Officials blame a $1.5 million shortfall.

The Waukesha School District, in Wisconsin, canceled a school bus contract with Dairyland Buses. 155 people out-o-work!  The dumb school officials switched to a company that uses buses that run on non-renewable inefficient propane.  Dairyland Buses use efficient diesel, and could be run on renewable bio-diesel.

In New York, the Chappaqua Central School District wants to cut 12 jobs.  After 34 years, the Good Food grocery store closed in Carroll Gardens.  The owner blames competition and an confidential offer from his bank.  In Corning, the Berger’s Ski & Snowboard Shop shut down.  The owner blames global warming.  Saratoga Beads closed down in Saratoga Springs.  The owner says it’s time to retire.  Too Big to Jail Bank of America announced that 1320 people will lose their jobs in Getzville!

The Roma Bank will layoff 57 employees in New Jersey. It’s the result of their merger with Investors Bank.

Flower & Craft Warehouse in Pennsylvania, shutting down.   Interestingly, the East Earl Township requires businesses that are going out of business to get a license to do so (apparently it’s also a state law)!  Before the township approved the going out of business sale, the store owners called it a “customer appreciation sale”.   This is an example of what’s wrong with local government vs local businesses.

In Florida, Duke Energy’s Crystal River CR3 nuclear powered electricity maker laying off 31employees.  It was also revealed that the nuke plant operators have plans to cut the nearly 600 employees down to about 80, over the long haul.

In Maryland, Famous Footwear closed down their Riva store.

Christian book store, LAOS Interfaith Bookstore in Amherst, Massachusetts, closing down.

In Connecticut, clothing maker Warnaco closing down its Milford factory.  208 people out-o-work!  They blame being taken over by New York based PVH.  In Cheshire, Willow’s Motorsports went out-o-business after 35 years in operation.  The owner wanted to retire, ten employees out-o-work.

Business/Economics

Employee owned WinCo expanding big into Arizona! Delays caused by Arizona aesthetics cops!

01 June 2013 (23:26 UTC-07 Tango 31 May 2013)/22 Rajab 1434/11 Khordad 1391/23 Wu-Wu (4th month) 4711

Since 2010 news out of Arizona talked of Idaho based WinCo opening a store in Gilbert, and a second one in Glendale.

The latest news says WinCo is also opening a massive warehouse near Phoenix, creating as many as 300 good paying jobs, with great benefits!   WinCo has already spent $12 million USD cash for the warehouse property.

The warehouse will be located on 74 acres, and employee owned WinCo has $78 million in cash to spend on the project (although it’s expected actual costs could go over $90 million).  It’s hoped it will be completed in 12 months.  According to my contacts at WinCo it is company policy to try and fund all their new projects with cash.  I’ve also been told that not one WinCo store is losing money!

It’s also company policy not to talk too much about future plans.  That’s because WinCo is an employee owned company, and publicly held crony corporations hate employee owned operations (and so do unions).

WinCo already has Arizona stores in Phoenix (a former Walmart), Mesa and Glendale (both former Costcos).  A new store is under construction for Gilbert (located where a former Dodge dealer was), and another in Glendale.

It was revealed that the Gilbert store was delayed last year when the Gilbert Design Review Board rejected WinCo’s architectural plans, on aesthetic grounds.  The new design was only recently approved by the Gilbert aesthetics cops.

Some advise for WinCo employees:  Don’t be tricked into taking the company public, it’ll be chopped up by Romney style vulture capitalists!

Washington Unions & city officials opposed to employee owned WinCo!

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 01-02 April 2013. Decreased student enrollment continues hitting schools hard!

In Pennsylvania, biotech company PolyMedix went bankrupt.  The Mountain Gate Family Restaurant closed down in Waynesboro.  A new restaurant will take its place.  In Plymouth Meeting, the Jewelbilee women’s accessory store closed down. The owners blame the bad economy.  The Bricks 4 Kidz creativity center, in The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, closed without notice.  One report says employees stopping by to get their paychecks found a pottery store in its place.

In Ohio, the Owens Community College wants to layoff as many as 60 employees, including teachers and administrators.

In Michigan, the Milan Area Schools will layoff up to 25 people. School officials blame it on a sudden decrease of $1.4 million USD in funding, connected to decreased student enrollment.  In Dearborn, 1-800 Flowers out-o-business, with out notice.  The store owner blames lack of business on lack of customer parking.

The Pomona School District, in California, announced it will have to layoff even more employees.  100 people were already planned to be laid off, now they want to add another 27.  Nanosolar wants to layoff 170 employees in San Jose!  SoloPower, also in San Jose, wants to layoff 61 employees.   Video game maker Activision forced High Moon Studios to layoff at least 40 employees.

The Maribu clothing accessory store in Massachusetts closed down.  The Webster Five Cents Savings Bank is closing a branch in Worcester.  Bank officials said “deposits” had not “grown enough” to justify keeping it open.

In Illinois, the Antique Emporium in Winnetka closed down after 40 years of operations.  The owner wants to retire.

In New York, Washington County will begin laying off employees, as it privatizes public services.   After 72 years in business the Rudnick’s Uniforms & Clothing service shut down in Schenectady.  The owners blamed low sales, increasing taxes and the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority: “….I’m not going to fight this city anymore. Metroplex hasn’t given me anything, and I’m not subservient to them!”-Linda Tolokonsky, co-owner

A major glove maker for the U.S. military is laying off at least 85 people in Mississippi.  Officials with Ansell Hawkeye say they are in the process of fulfilling their last government contract, and it looks like they aren’t going to be getting anymore contracts, so the layoffs might turn into a company shutdown.

Another Department of Defense contractor, AAR Mobility Systems in Colorado, will layoff 130 employees!  Company officials partially blamed government spending cuts.

Communications company, Briljent, said it will layoff as many as 130 people in Indiana.  Company officials blame it on losing a federal contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.

In Texas, the East Texas Medical Center will layoff 7% of employees.  Hospital officials blame Obama/Romney Care: “…Changes in the healthcare landscape are resulting in further cuts in reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers….”

Beer maker, Anheuser-Busch, laying off 30 people in Saint Louis, Missouri.  Some of the work is being transferred to Argentina.  In Maplewood, Saint Louis Cellars wine store shut down to make room for an entertainment service.   It was finally revealed that CPI was closing down portrait studios in Walmarts (although CPI still refuses to comment to news media). Some of us in Idaho noticed the portrait studios started disappearing from Idaho Walmarts back in January.

In Florida, the J. Alexander’s restaurant in Orlando closed down.  No reason given to the local news media.

Kind of good news from Wisconsin.  The Outagamie County juvi prison is closing down, due to a lack of child criminals!

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Massive layoffs announced in March 2013!

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) reported that U.S. corporations announced 1337 “mass layoff actions” in March!  At least 127939 people affected.  (a mass layoff involves 50 or more employees, so it doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each. it also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down)

The DoL also reported that total job openings dropped 4.3%.  For every job opening there were three people competing for it.

Business/Economics, Idaho, Opinion

Washington Unions & city officials opposed to employee owned WinCo! It’s not evil crony Walmart man, it’s employee owned WinCo!

31 May 2013 (14:51 UTC-07 Tango)/21 Rajab 1434/10 Khordad 1391/22 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“Bellingham will not win with the opening WinCo…..It is an unfortunate ‘race to the bottom’ for jobs, wages and benefits in Bellingham.”-Jack Weiss, an obviously ignorant Bellingham city council member

I’ve been shocked to learn of a growing anti-WinCo movement in Bellingham, Washington.  It involves unions and some city council members.

They claim WinCo will crash local wages, and hurt other businesses.  On the first count, WinCo actually pays well, damn good in fact.  And the benefits are considered some of the best in the whole U.S. of A.

My ex-wife worked for WinCo for at least a decade, she admitted to me many times that it was the best damn job she ever had (considering she never finished high school, at one point she was making more money than me).  She loved the medical benefits!  She also loved the employee ownership of WinCo stocks.

My eldest daughter is working for WinCo, nine years now, and she’s extremely happy with her income and benefits, especially since she sees what’s going on with the rest of the grocery industry.  She was started several dollars an hour above minimum wage (a WinCo policy. WinCo’s pay policy is also adjusted according to region) and gets periodic raises.  She’s now making more money than her mother did while she was working for WinCo.  She also loves the medical/retirement benefits and the employee ownership of the company through stocks.  That’s the real threat to unions, they don’t own the company.

As far as hurting other businesses, I know another Idaho based grocery store, Albertsons, went down, but not because of WinCo, but partly because of their unions!  The unions forced Albertsons to charge outrageous prices for food.  (There are cases of mom and pop stores going under because of competition from bigger stores, but not any case that could be specifically pinned on WinCo.)

Employee owned businesses threaten both the traditional ‘publicly’ held evil elitist corporations and unions (I think some unions have become a type of evil elitist club).

Employee owned businesses usually have tougher employee work policies, which are voted on by your fellow co-workers so it’s hard to challenge (WinCo employees don’t dare be late to work, and if you’re sick for more than one day better get a doctors note).  Isn’t that similar to a union, except, once again, the union doesn’t own the company.  Also, no outrageous union dues, in fact WinCo employees get back more in their medical/retirement/stock benefits than what the average union member gets from their union!

A weakness is that it is possible for the employee owned business to be tricked into becoming a publicly held company, which would open the door to Romney style vulture capitalists.

In Pocatello, the new WinCo 117 recently opened up across the street from the ‘new’ Fred Meyer, yet I don’t see any sign that Fred Meyer is being adversely affected by the new expanded WinCo.  Fred Meyer is still just as busy (my other daughter works for Fred Meyer and loves it, employee pay/benefits similar to WinCo but it’s not employee owned), as is the evil Chubbuck Walmart.   I have noticed a lot of out of county and out of state license plates on the vehicles parked in the WinCo 117 parking lot, so it seems the WinCo is actually bringing new customers into the area.

The manager of the Bellingham, Washington, Fred Meyer was asked about any concerns over the idea of a WinCo being built.  His response: “It’s just an additional competitor in town. I’m sure there will be some customers who are price sensitive and will go to WinCo for certain items. But we have the one-stop shopping concept, where WinCo is just the basic food store.”-Bill Pelan, Lakeway Fred Meyer store director

(if Bellingham has a publicly held Fred Meyer, then there’s no excuse for Bellingham not to have an employee owned WinCo!)

Construction/remodeling started on the new Bellingham WinCo on 09 May 2013.  It should be ready to go before the end of the year.

WinCo is proof that employee owners know how to run a company better than unions or corporate elites! 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3, Economic Front: Petraeus to head newly created government controlling financial institution!

31 May 2013 (19:34 UTC-07 Tango 30 May 2013)/21 Rajab 1434/10 Khordad 1391/22 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“With the addition of General Petraeus, we are building on the work we have done to understand the investment implications of public policy, macro-economic, regulatory and technology trends globally. We are pleased to bring all of this expertise together under one umbrella, the KKR Global Institute….”-Henry Kravis, co-founder KKR

Former U.S. Army General and deposed Central Intelligence Agency director, David Petraeus, has been hired to lead a new finance company called KKR Global Institute (created by 401K robbing [according to reports by Forbes and Bloomberg] Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co).

Main streamer news media say the purpose of KKR Global is to identify and address potential problems with international investments, including technology trends and government policies.  KKR Global’s website says their purpose is “Anticipating, understanding and knowing how to respond to emerging geopolitical and macro-economic trends as well as the impacts of revolutionary technological changes….”

 

 

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

False Flag op? Sears & Kmarts being closed down to be turned into data storage and domestic spy centers!!!

31 May 2013 (18:11 UTC-07 Tango 30 May 2013)/21 Rajab 1434/10 Khordad 1391/22 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“There are compelling reasons why this is a great model. The customer [law enforcement/spying agencies?] has evolved to the point where they want a sexier location, where they can have access to a Starbucks and other retail, because it’s possible they may be there for weeks or months…..There’s a desire to have multiple locations spread costs across multiple areas…….Having rooftop access to the cars and pedestrians around the malls is important. The Sears portfolio can capture that……I will put as many of the rooftops in play as I can.”-Sean Farney, of newly created Ubiquity Critical Environments

Several reports over the past week stating that many of the empty shut down Sears and Kmarts are being turned into data storage/wireless communication centers/disaster centers!

Since 2010 more than 333 Sears/Kmart stores have been vacated.  The plan to turn many of the empty stores into data centers is being headed by a newly created subsidiary of Sears Holdings, Ubiquity Critical Environments (UCE).

UCE is run by Sean Farney, a former boss of Microsoft’s Chicago data center.  UCE was revealed by trade publication Data Center Knowledge.

One of the first UCE multi-tenant data centers will be created out of the soon to be closed East 79th Street Chicago Sears store near the Chicago Skyway.  Once retrofitted into the new Chicago area social spying data center, it will use at least 5 megawatts of electricity!  (and they’ve already got an unnamed client signed up to operate it)

Most mall based vacated Sears stores will be used as “business continuity services”, to supposedly keep other businesses running in case of natural disasters or civil uprisings/unforeseen events.

Most vacated Kmarts will be used as data centers, because most Kmarts are not connected to malls or other stores, therefore (as Farney admits) it’s easier to hide just who is operating the data center.

Sears Holdings officials say the vacated Sears and Kmarts were chosen for such population monitoring/controlling operations because, according to UCE’s Sean Farney, 70% of the U.S. population live near a Sears or Kmart!

An retail analysts with Morningstar said this new move to offer Sears Holding’s property for use in social spying, shows how desperate the corporation is.   Or is it?  In the Data Center Knowledge interview, Farney stated that the new Sears Holdings subdivision, UCE, has the money to pay for the conversion to data centers, even to customize the centers to whatever requirements of the new tenants!

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

False Flag Bio-War? Corn syrup + GMO corn crops + Pesticides = Honey Bee Colony Collapse! Human collapse next!

26 May 2013 (19:54 UTC-07 Tango 25 May 2013)/16 Rajab 1434/05 Khordad 1391/17 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“This is the biggest general threat to our food supply!”-Kevin Hackett, USDA’s bee and pollination program

“There is no question that neonicotinoids put a huge stress on the survival of honey bees in the environment.  The evidence is clear that imidacloprid is likely the culprit for Colony Collapse Disorder via a very unique mechanism that has not been reported until our study.”-Chensheng Lu, HSPH

Several studies have revealed direct links between high fructose corn syrup, GMO (genetically modified organism) crops and increased pesticide use with the massive death and disappearance of honey bees.   On 24 May 2013 the European Union (EU) banned the use of three pesticides based on such studies.

The EU ban begins in December and will last two years, before being reviewed.

On 02 January 2013, Poland banned the use of Monsanto’s GMO MON 810 maize (corn) and BASF’s Amflora strain of potato, after Polish beekeepers claimed a direct link between the genetically enhanced pesticide laden seeds and the collapse of honey bees.

A report published in May 2013 concluded that GMO/pesticides are affecting other pollinators, not just bees.  The study indicated that the European Union was about to ban such pesticides based on their own studies.

In September 2012, another study says GMO/pesticides are destroying bees’ ability to navigate.

In April 2012, the Harvard School of Public Health proved that pesticide laced corn syrup is killing bees.  The unknowing culprits here are the beekeepers themselves.  Honey farmers want all the honey for sale, and feed the bees high fructose corn syrup in its place.  Here’s the rub; prior to 2004 the corn syrup did not contain pesticides.  How’d it get there?  In 2004-05 U.S. maize crops began being sprayed with a new pesticide. It turns out the pesticide stays in the corn even after harvest and is showing up in the corn syrup (this also means that we humans are eating it as well). The Harvard study concluded that it only takes 20 parts per billion of neonicotinoid pesticides to kill off a bee colony within six months!

A study published online in March 2012 revealed that the GMO crops use a neonicotinoid toxin that disables an insects homing abilities, which explains why so many bees never get back to their hives.

Another study showed that even low doses of neonicotinoid pesticides is harmful to bees.

In February 2012, a study said that even dust coming from the GMO seeds could kill bees.

There are dozens and dozens of studies around the World which say the GMO/pesticide corporations are responsible for declining crop production as well as killing off the insect pollinators necessary for food production, yet those very corporations continue to deny that such studies exist!

In 2007 USDA official, Kevin Hackett, said what those corporations are doing is the biggest threat to our survival that we face, but you won’t find those corporations on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s terrorist list!

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.”-Albert Einstein