Category Archives: Idaho

Boise : “Explosions” of Fire

30 June 2016 (02:24 UTC-07 Tango 01) 10 Tir 1395/24 Ramadan 1437/26 Jia-Wu 4714

Possibly lightning started fire east of Boise, Idaho, along the city boundaries where East Table Rock Road turns into East Wild Horse Lane.  Local news reports say at least 202 hectares (5-hundred acres) burned, at this point.  Voluntary evacuations of homes in the area underway.

Pics by Aryssa May Hutchins, who reports witnessing a “large building” going up in flames.  In the pic below you can see a white crucifix on the left, that’s the Table Rock Cross statue near the fire.  Aryssa May Hutchins also reports large “explosions” of fire near the top of the foothills.

 

 

Idaho Economic Destruction June 2016 : “risen from the ashes”? We struck oil!

Incomplete list of economic woes in the U.S. state of Idaho, June 2016.

Germany based Volkswagen agrees to pay Idaho state government $2.6-million USD for the supposed diesel software scam, plus VW owners get $5,100 in cash for each eligible diesel vehicle.   Diesel owners in Idaho love diesels! My own research suggests this whole thing is a False Flag instigated by the Rockefellers who openly stated at the end of 2014 they were going to shift the ‘industry’ towards electric vehicles! 

National Insurance Crime Bureau reports a 16% increase in reported vehicle thefts from 2014 to 2015.  The city of Lewiston was number 1, Pocatello number 2, Coeur d’Alene 3, Boise 4 and Idaho Falls number 5.  Interestingly KIFI reported that Pocatello administrators denied the insurance industry report.

ObamaCare insurance providers are demanding premium increases from anywhere between 27% and an insane 122% for Blue Cross’s ObamaCare Gold Plan!  And its been revealed that Your Health Idaho have been delaying the issuance of special tax forms needed for some Idahoans to avoid paying the ObamaCare tax fine. The forms are supposed to be issued by 31 January, but Your Health Idaho administrators recently admitted they weren’t issued until April!

Idaho Falls police arrested a man for stealing his employer’s bank deposit.  The manager of Pretzelmaker, in Grand Teton Mall, discovered that just over $1-thousand USD went missing on Friday.

An Idaho Falls woman pled guilty in federal court to tax fraud. She and her employes at Carillo’s Tax Service intentionally created 2-thousand 5-hundred false tax returns for her clients, such as claiming child tax credits when the clients didn’t have children.

The Idaho Public Charter School Commission warning Syringa Mountain School of financial peril because state funding can’t come close to covering the charter school’s outrageous operating costs: “SMS’s financial position is extremely perilous. While fundraising efforts have met current cash flow needs, SMS has struggled with lack of funds periodically throughout its years in operation.”

In Bannock County, corrupt School District 25 jacked up fees for lunches, despite getting an increase in their budget! In response, a federal lawsuit has been filed on the grounds that charging additional out-of-pocket school fees violates the state constitution. I reported last November that an Ada County court ruled school fees were unconstitutional, and some school administrators actually admitted it was!

The Fire Chief of Chubbuck resigned in connection to the planned merger of the city of Chubbuck’s fire department with the city of Pocatello (both cities are dealing with cash problems despite continually telling the taxpayers the economy is good): “Whether the consolidation goes forward or not it’s not going to be affected by whom the chief is at the time.”-Joshua Ellis, Chubbuck city councilman

The city of Pocatello admitted a recent closed door meeting violated the state’s Open Meeting Law.   The closed meeting involved labor negotiations with the firefighter’s union.  The city voided the results of the meeting, saying they “cured” their violation of state law.  I’ve lived in the area for twenty years and both Pocatello and chubbuck are notorious for hold ing closed meetings, regardless of who the ‘christian elected’ officials are.

The governments of Kuwait and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia threatened to suspend scholarships for up to 1-thousand 2-hundred of their citizens who’re attending Idaho State University in Pocatello, over reports of attacks by Idahoans against those students.  Students from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have become Idaho State University’s bread and butter.

Speaking of Chubbuck and Pocatello, the county of Bannock made an appeal to property owners to pay their property taxes, warning of fines and interest charges. It sounded like the county is having problems with property tax collections, which would not be happening if the economy was good. I gotta message for Bannock County: “You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.”

Bannock County also revealed that their prison operations are over budget, and facing record overcrowding! The majority of people being arrested are from out-o-state. The county sheriff said that since last year 90% of the prison budget is now due to overcrowding and is the result of housing prisoners in other counties. He demands that cash strapped Bannock County taxpayers build a bigger county jail (despite voters recently rejecting the proposal) warning that the increased prion population is going to be a “long-term” issue!

Bannock County canceled long term/monthly rental of horse stalls at the county fairgrounds. It’s connected to the recent shutdown after the contractor caring for horses was arrested for mistreatment of animals. Overnight rentals are still available.  And next door at the new privately created Wellness Complex, Bannock County revealed that current maintenance costs are paid for by a privately funded trust and current concert bookings, however, that money will run out by the start of 2018 meaning taxpayers could be raped, although most taxpayers ignorantly think they’re already paying for the Wellness Complex: “Funding the park most people think that tax dollars are being used. These monies have come directly from the Portneuf Health Trust. No tax dollars have been used so far.”-Robert Poleki, Bannock County

15 years after shutting down their Power County phosphorus operations FMC declared their EPA superfund site is now ready to be the new home to Rupert based Valley Agronomics‘ new fertilizer plant (Valley Agronomics is owned by Minnesota based Land O’Lakes). The arrogant ‘christian’ governor of Idaho, Butch Otter, proudly boasted that this was a sign the area’s economy has “risen from the ashes” and then flat lied by saying “…when somebody says we’re gonna return, we’re gonna come back! You can trust us that we will keep our promise in coming back. I want you to remember this day Valley Agronomics and FMC because they told us that! They told us that we can trust them…” This is a lie because it’s not FMC “coming back”, and Valley Agronomics never operated out of the site before! The so called Phoenix Site (as declared by Otter) will employ a measly 50 people once it’s up and running in 2017 (incompetent local TV stations have been reporting 70 jobs created, but those are the temporary construction jobs). I don’t think that qualifies as a local economy that’s “risen from the ashes”.

Otter also quietly revealed to local news media that the once touted Solar Farm project at the Pocatello Airport is dead.

The federal government shutdown popular Skinny Dipper Hot Springs, citing possible health concerns after multiple illegal pipes and pools were discovered.  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) thinks it will take five years to remove the illegal construction.  BLM also says that since 2004 there have been skyrocketing cases of intoxication and even sex crimes at the hot springs.

Bonneville County screwed over its smaller communities when it convinced voters to consolidate ambulance service to the city of Idaho Falls, under the guise of saving money for taxpayers.  As a result of the consolidation the ‘christian’ led state government is now suing the town of Swan Valley for repayment of grant money that was used to buy an ambulance back in 2012.  Because the town was forced to consolidate service to Idaho Falls the ambulance is not being used, which apparently violates the conditions of the grant.

It’s been revealed that a major buyer of Idaho potatoes, Japan, has banned the ‘fresh’ version of the iconic food product since 2006. That’s the year that the pale cyst nematode showed up in east Idaho farms. Japan has imported fresh potatoes from other U.S. states since then.

A sure sign of a failed state; Jefferson County jacked up taxes for farmers.  Under a new property value assessment plan, co-created by the ‘christian’ dominated state government, property values for farmland in Jefferson County have skyrocketed by as much as 72%!  Farmers say the property assessments were done by an ‘outside’ group and will appeal the assessments.  The county is giving them until 11 July to make an appeal, in person, not on paper.

Mining companies from Canada and China have signed a $700-million USD deal to open a molybdenum mine near Boise. Administrators with American CuMo Mining and MCC8 Group say Idaho has the largest moly-b deposits in the world! $100-million of the $700-million deal will be used to study the viability of the mining ops before any mining takes place.

In Boise, an Oregon woman pled guilty to stealing $850-thousand USD from corrupt ‘christian’ run Saint Luke’s Health System. The woman ran the scam through her Boise employer Pinnacle Pension Services. Saint Luke’s itself has been caught ‘stealing’ local tax dollars.

The economy is so bad that there is an official teacher “famine” in eastern Idaho schools. According to numbers presented by east Idaho school districts, between 2009 and 2014 at least 9-thousand 569 teachers fled eastern Idaho schools! Statewide only 11 of Idaho’s 70 school districts were able to fill vacant positions, at the same time there is and exodus of education students as well. Between 2009 and 2013 there was a 35% drop in college students entering a teacher training program (what happened to Idaho’s free tuition if somebody became a teacher in Idaho?). Idaho Education News revealed that the state Department of Education does not keep track of such data, it’s coming from local districts and the universities themselves, implying that exalted state ‘lawmakers’ are ignoring the situation. Local school district administrators admit low pay for teachers is the main reason for the exodus, but say ObamaCare has jacked up the cost of employee benefits so high that they can’t afford to pay teachers mo-money: “I would not say it’s a teacher shortage we are experiencing, it’s a teacher famine!”-Randy Lords, Madison School District

Due to a lawsuit, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing its approval for the way Idaho measures toxic arsenic levels in water (the EPA’s decision to let Idaho ‘christian lawmakers’ ignore arsenic limit regulations seems to coincide with state ‘officials’ quietly allowing natural gas fracking operations). It sounds similar to what happened in Flint, Michigan: “EPA violated the Clean Water Act when it allowed arsenic levels in Idaho waters that are up to 1,000 times greater than the agency has determined are acceptable for this toxic chemical. EPA placed political expediency over human health protection.“– Nina Bell, Northwest Environmental Advocates

The state Department of Health and Welfare confirmed seven ‘refugees’ infected with tuberculosis, but at the same time says they are not “infectious”.   The Idaho Statesman reports that in the past five years 4-thousand 5-hundred ‘refugees’ have been quietly settled in The Gem State, at taxpayer expense. 

For several years Idaho has been pumping natural gas no thanks to fracking (which was secretly approved by your ‘christian elected’ officials), but now Alta Mesa Idaho reports they’ve struck oil in the Willow Creek area: “Only one completion of 10 thus far has produced primarily oil. This area is in the early stages of exploration….”-John foster, Alta Mesa Idaho

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

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.”

My Immigrant Idaho : Crimes skyrocket partly due to domestic and foreign migration!

23 June 2016 / 18:26 UTC-07 Tango 01 (04 Tir 1395/18 Ramadan 1437/20 Jia-Wu 4714)

I’ve lived in The Gem State for 20 years and since 2013 there’s been a crime wave like never seen before in Idaho (current official Idaho State Police records go up to 2013-14), yet most of our local news media won’t talk about it.  The crime wave coincides with skyrocketing immigration, from both domestic (from within the U.S.) and foreign (outside the U.S.) sources.

Between 2011 and 2013 immigration into the U.S. was actually declining (UNITED STATES IS NO LONGER THE PREFERED DESTINATION FOR IMMIGRANTS and MIGRANTS SEAKING WORK IN THE U.S. AT RECORD LOWS!).  2013 was the year the massive waves of economic migrants and war refugees began pouring out of North Africa and the Middle East, due to new U.S. and European Union instigated regime change wars.

As far as domestic migration into Idaho, 2011 is the year the U.S. Census Bureau first noticed U.S. citizens fleeing, literally in the hundreds of thousands, from metro areas on the east and west coasts of the country (CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ TURNED INTO HOTEL CALIFORNIA NIGHTMARE and NEW YORK & OBAMA’S HOMIE TOWN TOP CREATORS OF U.S. REFUGEES!), supposedly their destinations are more rural states like Idaho.

Idaho’s ‘christian’ lawmakers secretly welcome domestic and foreign migrants, mainly for the fact that since 2012 thousands of Idahoans fled The Gem State (IDAHO’S YOUTH GET THE HELL OUTTA DODGE! and THE UNEMPLOYED ARE LEAVING THE GEM STATE!  and 1400 PEOPLE LEAVE THE GEM STATE IN MARCH 2013!)  So many foreign migrants are being allowed into Idaho that the state Department of Education has created a special Migrant Education Program, which is at the insistence of the federal Department of Education and includes taxpayer funded grant money for college (ILLEGALS GET FREE U.S. COLLEGE! 43% U.S. CITIZENS CAN’T PAY STUDENT LOANS! and Community Council of Idaho provides education and federally funded healthcare to migrant workers while ‘yours truly’ taxpaying citizen since 1982 has been repeatedly denied free education and healthcare, even under Idaho’s version of ObamaCare, and not because my income wasn’t low enough, but because I’m a ‘white’ male [I was literally told that by an Idaho Department of Health & Welfare worker in 2001, and by an Arizona Department of Economic Security worker in 1996]!).  Idaho has even established a contractor (Jannus) run Office for Refugees. 

This mirrors the mass exodus of U.S. citizens from the United States (In 2015, ANOTHER RECORD RENOUNCE U.S. CITIZENSHIP! and ANOTHER 1.18 MILLION CITIZENS HAVE LEFT THE U.S. in 2013!), which is the true reason your ‘elected’ lawmakers don’t do anything about illegal immigration.

It starting to look like My Private Idaho heaven is becoming My Immigrant Idaho hell!

Incomplete list of recent news reports involving migrants in Idaho:

WFAA, Texas: Texas teen charged in Idaho locker room sexual assault

KIFI, Idaho Falls: Illegal alien sentenced to 30 months for threatening people with gun

Three people from New York caught in cell phone scam

KPVI, Pocatello: Bannock County requesting $300k to handle increase in murder cases

Bannock County warns of prison overcrowding after cash strapped taxpayers refuse to build a new county jail  (I must point out that it seems Bannock County is apparently [according to Idaho State Police] the only county dealing with prison overcrowding)

Court officials tell KPVI in the month of March, 162 people were issued arrest warrants….. Since January of 2016 the county has issued more than 400 arrests warrants

Female prisoners in Bannock County jail at max levels: “Women have really started committing a lot more violent crimes.”-Sheriff Lorin Nielsen

KIVI, Twin Falls: Witness claims five-year-old girl was covered in urine pleading for help

Families of boys involved in assault of 5-year-old served eviction notice

Alleged rape committed by boys of Iraqi/Sudanese descent

The Economist: In their report Twin Falls, a conservative city in Idaho, likes refugees, the LDS (Mormon) church is implicated in a massive immigrant/refugee operation going back to the 1970s, mainly to benefit Mormon farmers with cheap labor

Magicvalley.com: Saudi man runs over Twin Falls man

and from April 2015, College of Southern Idaho’s Refugee Center is expecting an influx of Syrian refugees

Idaho Statesman, Boise: Uzbek migrant convicted of supporting terrorists drops his appeal

Charles Carroll Society: Patriots in Sandpoint, Idaho defeat muslim migration resolution

The Common Sense Show: “…Idaho has been seeking to hire an ebola coordinator…In part, the recent floods of immigrants into Idaho, are from West Africa!” 

American Immigration Council:  The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in the Gem State, in 2013 more than 95-thousand people in Idaho were immigrants, and Idaho’s official population is only 1.5-million

The Washington Times: Barack Obama spares nearly 5 million living in the U.S. illegally, senator from Idaho Mike Crapo complained saying “The unilateral legal protections provided lawlessly to millions of illegal immigrants by the President…..pose a profound threat to our immigration system and rule of law.”

From December 2014, Boise State Public Radio: 46% of Idaho’s undocumented residents eligible for deportation protection under Obama’s executive action. A higher rate than any other state.

From March 2012, National Public Radio:  More than 4,000 refugees have found their way to Idaho….   “Three years ago, we were just seeing a few extreme cases of refugees that had consistent difficulty with integration, and then it really happened very suddenly, where there were 50, 60, 100 families really struggling.”-Marcia Munden, Catholic Charities of Idaho 

Assorted Blind Bat News reports going back to 2011: “IT’S NOT LIKE THEY’RE TAKING JOBS FROM AMERICANS” 5-MILLION MIGRANTS REFUSE TO LEAVE! 

DENMARK REPORTS 50,000 MIGRANTS “DISAPPEARING”!

APOCALYPTIC AUM SHINRIKYO BACK FROM THE DEAD! AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THEY’RE APPEARING ALL OVER THE WORLD!

SAUDI ARABIA CUTS FUNDING FOR IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS!

CRY ME A RIVER: CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT REFUGEES & MIGRANTS FLOODING INTO EUROPE!

“IT’S PART OF OUR NEW BUSINESS MODEL…” IDAHO HIT WITH SKYROCKETING POOR U.S. MIGRANTS!

CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS OFFICIAL SAFE HOUSES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!

SKYROCKETING RAPE IN DENMARK, BLAME IMMIGRANTS!

ANTI-GUN LAWS & EVEN ANTI-KNIFE LAWS FAIL TO STOP MURDER AT UPPER CLASS SCHOOL IN SCOTLAND! BLAME IMMIGRANTS?

BANKS & ILLEGAL DRUGS CAUSE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION TO U.S.!

IDAHO BURDENED BY $187-MILLION WORTH OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!

IDAHO LOSES JOBS, RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN WORKFORCE, YET UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS THE SAME? BLAME IMMIGRANTS!

HISTORY SHOWS IMMIGRANTS ARE GREATEST SELF-INFLICTED THREAT TO EMPIRES!

‘HOW TO’ GUIDES FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS!

790% INCREASE IN FEDERAL PRISONS POPULATION!!! IMMIGRANTS, DRUGS & GUNS MAIN TARGETS!!!

ARGENTINA MOVES TO DISCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS FROM THE UNITED STATES

TRY MOVING TO TINY BELGIUM!

Memorial Day vs Veterans Day, it’s not a “happy” day!

30 May 2016 (12:51 UTC-07 Tango 01) 10 Khordad 1395/22 Sha-ban 1437/24 Giu-Si 4714

Privately funded memorial in Pocatello to those killed (and still being killed) in Afghanistan & Iraq. 6,868 U.S. dead and counting!

While driving down Yellowstone Avenue in Pocatello, Idaho, I saw a business sign that said Happy Memorial Day”.  Memorial Day is about people who died during wars, it is not a ‘happy’ day, it is a solemn day.

I also notice that a lot of people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day.  Memorial Day is about dead people, Veterans Day is about people who served in the military and are alive to talk about it.

By the way, the U.S. occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq never ended, despite several main stream news sources actually saying those ‘wars’ (Congress never legally declared war) were “technically over”!

“We’ve lost a lot…since 2007.” : Idaho Economic Decline 2014

Incomplete list of economic related events in The Gem State of Idaho, Gregorian year 2014.

JANUARY:  In Gooding, Glanbia Foods officials warned of layoffs saying “….we are actively pursuing a number of strategic growth opportunities, the current milk supply situation in Idaho is extremely tight.” Glanbia Foods claims to be the number one manufacturer of American Style Cheese, with four factories in Idaho and the world’s largest cheese factory in New Mexico!

In Garden City, after 54 years The Stagecoach Inn shutdown. The owners blame “not enough business” for their failure to pay taxes and the loss of their booze license.

In Boise, the Saint Luke’s affiliated non-profit Elk’s Rehab Hospital laid off “…less than 20 positions, all licensed practical nurses within the inpatient unit…” in an effort to adjust to reduced funding caused by ObamaCare. Elk’s Rehab Hospital began in 1947 to help victims of polio.

In Pocatello, the short lived Marhaba restaurant shutdown. The building auctioned off at the end of the month.  It’s now one of them-there vapor joints.

Also in Pocatello, the property that acted as construction storage for Sunbelt Broadcasting (a previous owner of NBC affiliate KPVI Channel 6) was abandoned and put up for sale.  It’s been replaced with a medical clinic.

FEBRUARY: In Boise, ObamaCare call center operator Maximus announced it will kill 1-thousand 6-hundred jobs by the end of April! Retail businesses located around the call center say they will be directly impacted. Employees are suing because they have not been paid for overtime that they’ve worked, and they were told the jobs were permanent full time positions. Company officials now say the positions were officially temporary! Company officials directly blame ObamaCare: “The reduction in staffing is based on the nature of the contract and the reduced volume of calls, both of which are directly related to the enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act.”

Boise based computer chip maker Micron reported profits at the end of January, but it was revealed that they also killed 419 jobs in Italy! It’s blamed on Micron’s take over of Italian chip maker Numonyx. Layoffs could be coming for Idaho.

In Meridian, cement/minerals engineering company FLSmidth laid off 46 employees.

Also in Meridian, Utah based First National Bank of Layton killed 56 jobs.

In Coeur d’Alene, Office Depot announced it will shutdown in May. It’s blamed on the merger with Office Max.

In Twin Falls, upscale home decor store Inspired Living shutdown. The owner said she wanted to retire.

Presbiterian/Agnostic Warren Buffet owned Heinz Frozen Food made it official and notified Idaho that it will shutter its Pocatello plant, killing at least 4-hundred jobs! State Department of Labor analysts said the frozen food factory shutdown will have a domino effect and kill an additional 2-hundred ‘support’ jobs in Pocatello/Chubbuck!

In Aberdeen, food and agriculture giant Simplot announced they will kill 309 food processing jobs by April!

MARCH: In Nampa, food producer Simplot announced they will shutdown operations at the end of May, 206 jobs lost! It’s part of their ongoing consolidations of food processing.

In Idaho Falls, according to an official WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Center Partners laid off 4-hundred call center employees!

APRIL: Sandpoint based women’s clothing retailer Coldwater Creek now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and shutting down all 365 stores. More than 1-thousand jobs will be lost across the U.S.! Idaho will lose 490 of those jobs by June!

In Boise, Pennsylvania based diesel-electric locomotive maker Motive Power announced it will kill 162 jobs in June!

JUNE:  In Twin Falls after only two years of production at the world’s largest yogurt factory, Chobani laid off an undisclosed number of employees. Officials say the layoffs are because production quotas were reached (in other words the former employees did their jobs well)! But wait, more layoffs could be in the planning! Chobani officials told local news media that the factory was still using hundreds more employees than they really need. The new factory was designed for 4-hundred employees, but state employment officials estimate there are between 5-hundred and 1-thousand people working the successful operation.

Also in Twin Falls, after 47 years the Twin 12 Cinema movie theater shutdown.

Timberline already up for auction!  Note that their Grand Opening sign is still up!

Timberline already up for auction! Note that their Grand Opening sign is still up!

In Pocatello, After less than three months Timberline Home Furnishings-3G Used Car Sales is already busted! The location used to be the Ashley Furniture Liquidation store, which went away in March.

JULY: In Boise, Italy owned highway and airport food service company HMS Host (Host Marriott Services Corporation-Autogrill S.p.A.) issued a WARN saying they will kill 79 jobs by the end of September.

Also in Boise, the Elk’s Rehab Center shutting down, 516 jobs lost as Saint Luke’s Health System takes over in September! Reports say Saint Luke’s claims it needs only 4-hundred employees to do the same job, so a net job loss of 116!

In Nampa, Macy’s Clearance Center shutdown, eight jobs lost. Local news reports indicated that the lease on the property was still in effect.

What housing market recovery? RealtyTrac’s top ten list says at the end of the 2nd quarter the Boise-Nampa area had 765 properties in foreclosure, and 237 homes abandoned!

What housing market recovery? In Naples, it was revealed that Washington based Alta Forest Products (whose main product is fencing for homes) laid off at least 25 employees. Hours for other mill employees were reduced. Salesman Jeff Cook kinda blamed the housing market saying “We’ve lost a lot of sawmills and building products companies since 2007.” However, it’s probably due to the May 2014 merger of TMI Forest Products and Welco Lumber, which created Alta Forest Products. What’s (not) funny is company officials promised that job security was the goal of the merger: “This agreement will help secure employment to the local communities and strengthen the regional economy built on the growing lumber industry.”-company statement

In Pocatello, the U.S. Postal Service Gateway Processing Center made the shutdown list for 2015, about 50 jobs lost through transfers, early retirements or outright layoffs.

AUGUST:  In Chubbuck, Sears Holdings finally decided to put their dying Sears store, at the Pine Ridge Mall, to death. The store will close in October.

Also in Chubbuck, the 24 years old Carmike Cinema 7 was sold off to property developers and will be torn down. Word is that the owner does not think it’s worth it to convert the theater over to digital, especially when he already spent boo-koo bucks building a new digital theater on the north side of the Pine Ridge Mall property.

In Blackfoot, after 15 years Tweedy’s Music shutdown. The owners revealed there are two speculators competing to buy their property.

SEPTEMBER:  The fact that so many former employees of recently created Scientech (a division of nuclear industry Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Company) are applying for unemployment assistance reveals a layoff of at least 25 people in Idaho Falls. Local news reports say company administrators refuse to talk. At the end of 2013, Scientech announced they were to set up business in Idaho Falls by the summer of 2014, meaning the company had just barely started ops before killing jobs already.

NOVEMBER: In Boise, after 73 years Molenaar Jewelers announced a going out of business sale, the owner was unable to find a buyer for the business which will shutdown in Janaury 2015.

Also in Boise, a year after taking over Boise Paper (aka Boise Inc) for $1.27-billion USD, Packaging Corporation of America issued a WARN saying they will shutdown the Boise location by March 2015, at least 152 jobs lost!

After 66 years Blackfoot Appliance & Furniture announced they will shutdown by the end of January 2015, “everything must go!”

The mayor of American Falls reported that the local ALCO store was shutting down, he was alerted when he saw employees putting up the going out of business signs. It’s one of five Idaho ALCO stores being shutdown. The American Falls mayor says his small city can’t afford more job losses: “Any worker who loses their income will have an impact on the city!”-Marc Beitia

In Challis, Colorado based Thompson Creek Mining (aka Thompson Creek Metals) issued a WARN saying they will layoff 160 people and shutdown their molybdenum mine in December. Administrators blame the crashing price of moly-B.

School District 25, in Bannock County, warned they could be $1.5-million USD in the hole, with the ending of current levies. But wait, there’s more bull-shit! District 25 administrators want new levies valued at $10-million! This despite decades of levy and bond issues burdening tax payers, as well as decades of lottery payments which school district administrators can’t seem to account for! It’s interesting the school levies and bonds always pass ‘elections’ no matter how many people publicly oppose them.

In Chubbuck, after 23 years the iconic local Dapco Hobbies now up for sale. The current owner (not the friendly family owners that moved the shop to Chubbuck, Corey & Melia) is selling everything off and wants out of the hobby business. Dapco Hobbies was originally located on Garrett Way in Pocatello (according to the BBB that was beginning in 1991), then, after Corey & Melia took over Dapco relocated to Chubbuck around 2007-08. For a very brief time Dapco Hobbies had a shop in Ammon, then moved that one to Idaho Falls (apparently they left about the same time the ‘big box’ Hobby Town left Idaho Falls), and they even had an internet website. They started out focused on trains, then shifted to RC when that got big.

DECEMBER: In Chubbuck, Mario’s Pizza and Orange Julius announced they will shutdown their Pine Ridge Mall stores in 2015. Local TV station KPVI said company administrators told them the economy was so bad in the Pocatello/Chubbuck area that it wasn’t worth keeping the decades old pizza joint and juice blender open any longer.

Also in Chubbuck, the demolition of the 24 years old Carmike Cinema 7 is slowly underway. It will be replaced with yet more redundant chain restaurants.

In Post Falls, office furniture maker Kimbal International issued a WARN saying they will shutdown beginning in February 2015, at least 251 jobs lost!

What housing market recovery? Administrators with “the nation’s largest supplier of building materials for home building” ProBuild announced they’re shutting down their Sandpoint ops due to crashing sales.

“We’re going to go down.”: Idaho’s Economic Decline 2015 

“It was a blow, cut us off at the knees.”: Idaho, Economic Decline 2013 

“It was a blow, cut us off at the knees.” : Idaho, Economic Decline 2013

Incomplete list of economic shenanigans in The Gem State, Gregorian year 2013

January: In Chubbuck, both Eddie’s Bakery and car cruise gathering spot Johnny B Goode’s restaurant shutdown. Eddie’s was killed off by the sudden collapse of parent company Hostess (the original Hostess, the Hostess snacks you see in the grocery stores now are phony).

Johnny B Goode’s had been declining in food quality, cleanliness and popularity (I know, I had been eating there since 1997).

With almost no notice, Boise based Honk’s $1.00 filed chapter 11 bankruptcy around 16 January 2013.

However, and despite what Boise media reported, they started closing down stores weeks earlier, like the one in Pocatello (the pic was actually taken a week before the Boise news media reported the bankruptcy). It’s reported that the dollar store corporation just can’t sell enough of the crap they have, and in Utah they owe tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid sales taxes and rent!

The Ann Taylor women’s clothing store in the Boise Towne Square mall, gone for good. 14 employees out-o-work.  And California based See Jane Run women’s sports wear closed their only store outside of The Golden State, in Boise.

Famous Rhodes Bake-N-Serv shutdown its Caldwell bread factory and moved to Wisconsin, leaving 49 Idahoans out-o-work. The Caldwell factory had been in operation since 1962.

February: In Emmett, the Emerald Forest Products lumber mill shutdown without notice, and some reports said without paying employees final paychecks (I experienced that back in September 2012, when Metro Couriers went bust without notice, and no help from Idaho Job Service). According to signs on the company’s gate Emerald Forest Products was getting money from U.S. taxpayers ($4 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). Media reports did not explain why the mill closed, but gave the impression lumber mills in Idaho could only operate profitably with tax payer subsidies. (so much for Idaho being a Republican Right Wing Conservative state)

Wholesale Sports shutdown its Coeur d’Alene store. Blame it on California based real estate investment company Alamo Group.

As I’ve reported before, the Heinz frozen food factory in Pocatello ending production of T.G.I. Friday’s frozen entrees, 80 jobs lost. Shortly afterwards Presbyterian/Agnostic Warren Buffett announced he was investing big into Heinz. Investors from Brazil, known as 3G Capital, joined Buffett in the Heinz take over because they also own Burger King, which uses a lot of Heinz ketchup. 3G Capital is known for “cutting up” companies (typical Romneyite vulture capitalists) so it’s expected Heinz will layoff more people. Also, there are now reports of an inside trader investigation.

Also in Pocatello, the Wesco Paint store shutdown.  A note was on the door instructing loyal customers to drive about 112.7km (70 miles) to the nearest Wesco store!

Simplot shutdown its Heyburn potato processing factory. 56 employees affected. The company spent big bucks building a new more efficient potato factory in Caldwell. What’s interesting is that the Heyburn employees say the news was a surprise to them, however I’ve been reading about the planned move since November 2011!!! According to Capital Press, the November 2011 announcement said the new Caldwell factory would be so efficient that J.R. Simplot would shut down three older factories in Idaho (including Heyburn), resulting in 8-hundred Idahoans losing their jobs! (in fact I warned about it in a 10 November 2011 posting)

March: The Idaho National Laboratory laid off 101 people in eastern Idaho, that’s after 114 employees voluntarily quit and 60 positions were eliminated! As many as 450 layoffs are planned: “We will be watching the budget situation closely in the coming months and hope to have a clearer picture of any additional actions that will be necessary.”-Mark Holubar, INL human resources

May:  Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance laid off 55 people across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Utah (some reports said 56). Regence is outsourcing claims processing to a company in New Jersey.

In Pocatello, after five years of delays the now failed local taxpayer funded polysilicon project Hoku Materials sits idle and unfinished, no thanks to Obama regime’s anti-China sanctions and commodity markets. 

June: Utility company Idaho Power blames its rate increases on the failure of Hoku Materials’ $700-million USD polysilicon factory. It turns out that Idaho Power invested $23-million into the failed factory, but not only that Hoku Materials repeatedly refused to pay their massive electric bill! 

The Cactus Grill, in Twin Falls, closed despite seven years of booming business. The eatery operation located on the property of Home Depot was shutdown by the very same Home Depot corporation (the Home Depot manager was unaware of the corporate decision). It was part of Home Depot’s plan to end eatery operations just outside their store exits. Cactus Grill owner, Billy Elser said “It was a blow, cut us off at the knees. That’s how I make a living!”

In Caldwell, Caldwell Pawn shutdown. The owner said he dealt in micro-loans years before they were called micro-loans (some as small as $20) to help people out, but after 22 years of business he wants to retire. He also stated that sales dropped since 2009.

July: The Galena silver mine laid off 126 employees! Company officials are taking a 10% to 20% pay cut. They blame declining silver prices: “The ongoing decline in the price of silver required us to look for further cost savings in order to be profitable and protect our balance sheet going forward.”-Darren Blasutti, CEO

August: In Boise, Micron Technologies (the World’s 2nd largest DRAM maker) announced it will fire 1-thousand 5-hundred employees! It’s the result of Micron taking over Japanese competitor Elpida. Micron officials say the layoffs will be spread around the World, but a Boise financial consultant, Dave Pesto, said “It appears to be pretty heavy here.” Micron laid off 2-thousand people in Boise back in 2009!

In Pocatello, the Computer Medical Center died, and Discount Cosmetic Boutique, with its “Amazing Makeup” and “Amazing Prices”, began an ‘amazing going out of business sale.

In Caldwell, the Canyon County Animal Shelter warned of layoffs due to county budget concerns and crashing donations!

September: In Boise, Affinion Group kills 226 jobs!

In Wallace, U.S. Silver & Gold mine laid off 130 people! The company calls itself “…the second largest primary silver producer in the United States.” Company officials blamed the layoffs on falling silver prices.

October: Sandpoint based women’s clothing retailer, Coldwater Creek, warned it will layoff at least 20% of its employees in 2014.

In Nampa, Farm and City Supply shutdown. “There’s not enough sales to make it work right now. It’s been a struggle the whole time!”-Carl Woodburn, owner

November: It’s official, Heinz is shutting down their long time Pocatello food factory, 410 Heinz employees to become unemployed in 2014! That’s another huge impact on the Chubbuck/Pocatello area. The Idaho Department of Labor estimates the shutdown will also kill 2-hundred additional local jobs! The city of Pocatello currently has the highest unemployment rate in the Gem State.

Also in Pocatello, in what would be the first of two auctions, Hoku Materials was bought by the unpaid contractor that did most of the construction on the polysilicon factory.  JH Kelly submitted the winning bid of $5.273-million USD, for a factory worth $700-million!    But like I said, this would turn out to be the first of two auctions.  Just a couple of weeks later a federal court blocked JH Kelly’s winning bid and ordered another auction! 

In Chubbuck, the GGP owned (and dying) Pine Ridge Mall sells for a paltry $9-million USD.  

In Idaho Falls, Mattress Country “Calls it Quits!”, and shutdown.

December: In Pocatello, Hallmark Coach House Gifts shutdown with little notice, and no explanation. Employees were told just four days before the shutdown. At least 11 jobs lost. Coach House Gifts is a Iowa based franchise, the shutdown could be part of Hallmark’s ongoing restructuring because of the bad economy.

And in the second auction for Pocatello’s failed Hoku Materials factory, unpaid contractor JH Kelly won again with a bid of $8.3-million.  Optimism was so high in eastern Idaho that local TV news reports claimed 1-thousand jobs were on their way!  However, as I reported, attorneys for JH Kelly said they knew nothing about any deal to bring jobs and they were going to chop it up and sell it off.

In Meridian, tax-sucking pistol holster maker ATK/Blackhawk! laid off 75 employees. Their biggest customers were the U.S. military and law enforcement.

In Caldwell, food company Simplot shutdown, 262 jobs lost!

“We’re going to go down.” : Idaho’s Economic Decline 2015 

More Economic Decline: Who is the new owner of Chubbuck’s Pine Ridge Mall? It’s not the “family” company you think it is! GGP connection? 

Kroger joins other employers in using Obama Care as excuse to cut employee hours and benefits, including at Fred Meyer in Idaho & Washington! 

A History Lesson in Economic Decline: Pocatello’s Old Fred Meyer & Albertsons on Yellowstone Ave, did not close down in the 1990s

Occupy America: Some facts about Revolutions the leaderless Wall Street occupiers, and Tea Partiers, need to know

Mormon Mitt Romney co-founded Bain Capital destroyed jobs in Chubbuck, Idaho. 

Fracking Food Crisis: Idaho, Oregon, Washington hit by contaminated water, coincides with oil industry Fracking!

10 April 2016 (15:21 UTC-07 Tango 01) 22 Farvardin 1395/02 Rajab 1437/04 Ren-Chen 4714

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed that ever since oil industry Fracking ops have been allowed to take place in the Pacific northwest (about 2004) water quality has suffered.  More than 60 public water sources in Idaho, Oregon and Washington have exceeded federal safe levels of lead contamination in the past three years!

The majority of contaminated water systems are in Oregon with 37, followed by Idaho with 22.  Washington has eight contaminated systems.

The majority of those water sources supply local grade schools.  Some Oregon school administrators admitted they were informed of the lead contamination in 2013, and have been buying bottled water ever since.   In Idaho, several school directors blamed lead contamination on old plumbing and claim that lead levels went down after the plumbing was replaced.  In Washington the first reported case of lead contamination was at the State Patrol Academy, in 2012.  Directors say they’ve been on bottled water since then, but are working to hook up to ‘city’ supplied water.

Most of the contaminated water sources involve systems using well water.  Across the U.S. the EPA found at least 1-thousand 4-hundred public water systems contaminated with lead, affecting 3.6-million people!

I find it interesting that here in Idaho the lead contamination (even though blamed on old plumbing) begins just after ‘test Fracking’ began in 2011.  In 2012 Gem State ‘law makers’ officially allowed Fracking, and also banned city and county governments from banning Fracking!  Isn’t it possible the chemicals (solvents) used in Fracking caused the built up contaminants in the old plumbing to come loose?  Current unconfirmed reports indicate Fracking ops have halted.

In Oregon there are reports that Fracking stopped by 2015.  Fracking for Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) began as early as 2004.  Apparently Fracking for LNG in Washington was supposed to start in 2012, however, recent reports say no Fracking is taking place. It is difficult to find reliable sources of public info on Fracking because the industry, and even state governments, are tight lipped about the controversial operation.

Blind Bat News: Another study proves Fracking destroys your drinking water, main stream news ignores it! 

Blind Bat News: Michigan violence skyrockets, is it the water? Lead poisoning causes violent behavior! 

The Oregonian: Lead-tainted Oregon armories remain open to public despite dangers

Blind Bat News: “Re-fracking” 39-thousand + oil jobs gone, as companies hoard Black Gold! 

Blind Bat News: 2013 Duke University study says Fracking poisons drinking water!

Blind Bat News: Ohio & Arkansas suffering mass earthquakes in 2012, officials blame Fracking.

Five Years Later: Contamination of Japanese rivers skyrocket! INL admits its radiation detectors don’t work! More WIPP problems!

31 March 2016 /19:16 UTC-07 Tango 01 (13 Farvardin 1395/22 Jumada t-Tania 1437/24 Xin Mao 4714)

Idaho: The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) recently revealed their onsite radiation detectors don’t work!  They discovered this a month after an ‘incident’ contaminated several employees!

INL glove box

Local eastern Idaho newspapers got copy of a 43 page internal document detailing what happened.  The INL report was actually completed in December 2015, and concerns an accident that happened in August 2014.  In the Fuel Manufacturing Facility (under management of contractor Battelle Energy Alliance) the seal on a ‘glove box’ failed causing radiation to leak out, however, the radiation detectors never sounded the alarm.  The leak was accidentally discovered a month later during a routine test of the detectors.  Nine of 15 employees in the room suffered internal radiation contamination.  It should be noted that it wasn’t until January this year that the specific room where the incident took place was deemed OK to resume work!  The internal report suggested better safety procedures must be undertaken by contractor Battelle Energy Alliance.

Newspaper Post Register suggested the incident would never have been made public if it weren’t for their first reporting the incident back in September 2015, a year after the incident.  The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) only alluded to the INL incident in random postings on its website starting in October 2014, but failed to mention that employees had been exposed!

New Mexico: It’s been revealed that work at the failed Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP, with direct connections to INL) was halted for a month when detection devices picked up  carbon monoxide and ‘volatile organic compounds’ in the underground air.

Work is ongoing to install new ventilation systems as a result of the 2014 explosion of a mixed waste drum from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Despite the ongoing problems at WIPP, the U.S. DoE has decided to ship six tonnes of ‘surplus’ nuclear bomb making plutonium to WIPP, under the guise of reducing any chance that terrorists might get their hands on it.   All that weapons grade plutonium is supposedly coming from South Carolina’s Savannah River Site.

Japan: The prefecture of Fukushima concluded testing on the 72 rivers flowing through the area and was shocked at the results.

After five years of supposed effort to contain and clean up the ongoing meltdowns at the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi, radiation contamination levels have skyrocketed!

The worst offenders are:  Maeda River in Futaba Town (location of Fukushima Daiichi)=54-thousand 5-hundred becquerels per kilogram of radioactive substances

Hiru River in Fukushima City=39-thousand 6-hundred becquerels

Five other rivers=more than 10-thousand bq

When prefectural administrators approached the national government about the situation the Ministry of Environment said under current Japanese nuclear regulations “decontamination is not required for areas outside of residential zones”!

It should be noted that Japan recently shipped several tonnes worth of weapons grade plutonium to the United States and United Kingdom, under the guise of reducing any chance that terrorists might get their hands on it.  Here’s the thing; according to signed agreements Japan is not supposed to have weapons grade plutonium to begin with.  These shipments back up claims by China that Japan is hoarding plutonium for the secret purpose of making nuclear weapons.  What was that about Donald Trump wanting Japan to make it’s own nukes?

Imperialist Japan to make 6,000 nuclear bombs! Blind Bat News revealed in 2013, new damning evidence!

False Flag: Belgian nuke plant security guard assassinated, ID stolen!

Five Years Later: Myth busted, nuke plants shutting down, they cost too much to operate!

INL admits “nobody really knows what’s going on.”

INL VIOLATES OWN RULES!

“We have not paid our employees in over a month!” Shooting forces business owners to choose family over money! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 31 March 2016

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Today is U.S. federal commemorative holiday Cesar Chavez Day.

Industry analysts Challenger, Gray & Christmas report that publicly announced corporate layoffs for the past 12 months are at a 4 years high.

California: In Berkeley, The Bone Room curiosity shop (selling preserved bones of animals, etc) shutting down their brick-n-mortar shop by June, blaming rent and utilities.  They’ll continue on the internet and at local events.  After only two months “high-priced” restaurant Antoinette shutdown due to disagreements with the Claremont Club & Spa hotel.

Colorado: In Steamboat Springs, after 34 years La Montana shutdown today, after being sold off. It’s hoped the new owner will keep the 38 workers employed with a new establishment.

Florida: Yet more medical school shutdowns!  The first victim of non-profit Zenith Education Groups massive cutbacks; Everest University announced it must shutdown campuses in Lakeland, Brandon and two in Tampa Bay, affecting at least 343 medical students: “It’s a slap in the face for everybody really!”-Angela Adams, medical billing student

Idaho: Evil Blue Cross of Idaho ended its ObamaCare exchange coverage of dialysis, resulting in many Idahoans with no way to pay for treatment. The Idaho Statesman newspaper says Blue Cross is refusing to cover any medical service provider that is not willing to take Blue Cross’ cutthroat rates. The Idaho Department of Insurance refuses to comment about the issue, claiming they’re investigating it.  Dozens more Idahoans could die.: “…we were with Blue Cross last year, when I was diagnosed with kidney failure…started…hemodialysis…..then we got a bill for $115,000…..  Blue Cross of Idaho did not re-up our contract…”-Debbie Birch

The Post Register reporting that a yet another newbie to The Gem State (who moved here from a more ‘socialist’ state) got a big shock when he enrolled with Blue Cross through Idaho’s ObamaCare exchange (Your Health Idaho).  The man is suffering from cancer but recently was told by the pharmacy that his prescriptions would not longer be filled because of Blue Cross.  Let me explain how evil Blue Cross of Idaho is; the cancer patient’s treatment is so expensive that he’s getting financial help from charities on top of his Affordable Care Act insurance, however, Blue Cross told him ObamaCare does not allow “third party funding” of medical treatments!  But get this, in a follow up interview with Blue Cross the Post register said that suddenly everything is fine and they will go ahead and pay for the man’s prescriptions! 

Iowa: Chain restaurant Village Inn shutdown its Lindale Mall location without warning, administrators blamed it on high rent.  What automotive industry recovery?  Eaton Corporation revealed it will shutdown its Shenandoah transmission factory by mid-April.  I’m not sure if this is part of the 250 layoffs announced back in February.  Local news reports say employees are already listing their homes for sale.  An unnamed employee says the factory shutdown will kill the community: “There’s no rhyme or reason to much anymore. Shenandoah is already seeing a hit. It will kill this small town.”  

Louisiana: In Lafayette, after 42 years Doucet Heritage Hardware shutting down by mid-May. Despite having the reputation for carrying stuff people can’t find at ‘big box stores’ the owners blame competition with the big box, as well as increasing costs of operations and decreased sales.  But the final straw was when they witnessed people being shot that caused them to realize that family time was more important than trying to make money: “I just never had that kind of panic, never in my life. It just made me realize how fast something can happen. My family is so important to me…….It was a really big eye opener.”-Laura Leblanc, co-owner

Massachusetts: Southcoast Health System laying off at least 95 employees in its hospital chain due to crashing revenues caused by ObamaCare.  It should be noted that Southcoast Health System is trying to merge with another hospital chain that’s also eliminating jobs; Care New England of Rhode Island.  After 32 years Au Bon Pain  shutdown their Harvard Square restaurant apparently because of property remodeling by Harvard University.  Administrators say “We continue to search for a location in this area.”

Michigan: Feeding America shutting down its warehouses in Ishpeming and Sault Set Marie, claiming they’re moving to a larger operation.  However, several food banks are reporting that the move by Feeding America is actually forcing them to shutdown.   The Ishpeming Food Bank and Tom’s Pantry in Quinnesec both point out that even though Feeding America’s is moving to a larger location the delivery times aren’t compensating for the further distance, meaning food banks will have to expanded refrigerated storage and/or hire delivery trucks to make extra food runs: “Because they only come up twice a month, you’re going to have to have a lot more refrigeration space than what I have. You’re going to have to have pickups and trailers in order to pick up your food. This is going to cause us to have to close.”-Mary Dixon, Tom’s Pantry

New York: Too Big to Jail NYC based ‘asset manager’ BlackRock reportedly will eliminate 4-hundred jobs in the next two weeks!  The news comes from unnamed insiders, who pointed out that the company also plans to continue hiring new employees while they layoff old employees.  After more than 30 years of school bus service, Carrier Coach issued a shutdown WARN for multiple locations, 224 jobs lost by the end of June due to “economic” reasons!  In Montauk, the Sloppy Tuna restaurant shutdown due to the co-owners filing lawsuits against each other.

North Carolina: After ten years and without warning the Park West Barber School shutdown four of its campuses.  The school’s website had the following message: “IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS AND REGRET THAT WE MUST INFORM YOU THAT EFFECTIVE TUESDAY MARCH 29, 2016 PARK WEST HAS MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO CLOSE…..THINGS SEEMED PROMISING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY AT THE FINAL HOUR, OUR ONLY OPTION WAS TO CLOSE.”   

Pennsylvania: In Richland, the Planet Ice ice rink shutting down July, it’s blamed on competition and will be re-purposed.

Vermont: In Stowe, after 25 years dog themed restaurant Gracie’s shutting down so the owners can retire.

Virginia: Just short of a year Shoryuken Ramen shutting down its noodle eatery on Virginia Commonwealth University campus in May.

Washington: Socialist yet ‘wants everything for free’ Seattle city leaders are upset that a major homeless shelter is shutting down, even threaten them if they do.  But SHARE/WELL (Seattle Housing Resource Effort, Women’s Housing Equality Enhancement League) says they can’t pay the bills due to drastic cuts in county level funding and the high cost of living in Seattle, so they’re forced to close 15 shelters: “So we can’t pay the money out if we don’t have it, and we’ve fallen behind $75,000 right now, so we can no longer operate. We have not paid our employees and they’re all minimum wage employees. We have not paid our employees in over a month!”-Clint Wade

Wisconsin: In Middleton, Max’s Farm Table shutdown. The pissed-off owner revealed he recently spent $1-thousand USD for one week of advertising, yet still his restaurant went several hours per day without a customer: “Sales aren’t even close to where they need to be to justify continuing to invest. Not even close!”-Max Harn, who also said the rent was too high for the unpredictable location

Wyoming: In Casper, what I call Ripple Effect layoffs (REL) as oil industry equipment supplier Power Service laid off at least 50 people.  And Wyoming Machinery is begging employees at its five locations to retire early.  Missouri based Peabody Energy handed out new layoff notices at its North Antelope Rochelle mine, employees say actual number of layoffs won’t be revealed until Friday.  Earlier this week I revealed that Peabody Energy is threatening bankruptcy as one way to get out of paying for mine waste cleanup in Illinois.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

30 March 2016: Too Big to Jail kills 7,000 additional jobs! Major insurance company admits ObamaCare is a Major Failure! New Obama sanctions against Iran kills Boeing! 

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.”

“This worked for many years but times have changed” Bose revealed secretly offshoring hundreds of U.S. jobs! British empire abandons Texas! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 29 March 2016

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

A study by ValuePenguin says 80% of High-Deductible Health Insurance Plans don’t qualify for the ObamaCare Health Savings Account tax break!

California: An investment company with way too many cooks in the kitchen (their website lists 10 ‘presidents’) Cetera Financial Group now chapter 11 bankrupt but not busted, it’s all part of their plan to go private in connection with RCS Capital.  At Camp Pendleton, tax sucker TransitAmerica Services eliminating 30 jobs by the end of June. 40 years old industrial metal fabricator Paris Precision issued a layoff WARN for their Paso Robles ops, 130 jobs lost by mid-May!  What housing construction industry recovery?  Home builder ZETA Communities suddenly shutdown their McClellan Park operations, 122 jobs lost, no explanation!  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech for your demise; British empire United Kingdom based software solutions company (according to Bloomberg) nobody heard of, Mycom North America, revealed it suddenly shutdown their Santa Fe Springs ops, two weeks ago.  138 jobs lost, no explanation!  Boeing issued more layoff WARNs, this time 49 jobs in El Segundo and Huntington Beach gone by mid-May.

Florida: In Tampa, distribution company Hapag-Lloyd America eliminating 55 jobs by the end of May.

Georgia: In Atlanta, employees of Thirteen Pies pizza joint reporting they’ve been told they will become unemployed within 60 days.  The company that owns Thirteen Pies, Raised Palate Restaurants, says no final decision has been made, however local news reported that Raised Palate Restaurants shutdown another food joint in the same plaza back in January.

Idaho: What timing! After ‘christian lawmakers’ shit-canned a bill to close the ObamaCare healthcare gap for at least 78-thousand people (also attributed to killing 1-thousand Idahoans) a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report shows Idaho is the second worst state for lack of healthcare for low-income people with mental problems or addictions.    Interestingly the top two offenders, Utah (ranked at 40% of low-income disabled residents uninsured) and Idaho (ranked 39% uninsured), are both densely packed with Mormons/Christians (U.S. Census Bureau data), who also dominate their government services.

Illinois: In Bradely, after six years Impact Fitness shutting down on Thursday because the owner can’t afford to make the facility accessible to disabled people: “…due to circumstances out of our control stemming from complaints filed against Impact Fitness with the Illinois AG office for violations and anti-business practices of the city of Bradley…”-Charles Navarro

Iowa: After more than 1-hundred years (surviving The Great depression and numerous recessions) Kingston Hill old folks home shutting down in May, administrators say that after all this time ObamaCare reimbursement reductions render Kingston Hill  “financial unsustainable”.

Maryland: Meritus Health shutting down their 30 years old Hagerstown child Learning Center in June. 125 children affected.  Local news did not indicate a reason saying only that the decision to shut it down was made suddenly.

Massachusetts: Non-profit Mayo Clinic shutting down its 20 years old Andover lab, 105 jobs lost by the end of 2016!  Work is being shifted to labs in Minnesota.  Without warning audio equipment maker Bose began layoffs at their Framingham call center.  Local news reports say Bose administrators claim it’s because more customers are using the internet to complain rather than the phone, but employees revealed that at least 2-hundred call center jobs are actually being offshored: “They have the Philippines up and running now. They will be letting more of the call center go in waves after May 6, as they bring more people online in the Philippines. They are sending our own people to train them, three months at a time.”-unnamed Bose employee

Minnesota: In Minneapolis, Maison Darras sandwich shop and the U.S. Postal Service extension office being forced to shutdown on Thursday, due to massive $20-million USD remodeling of Baker Center.  News reports say the sandwich and postal operations will not resume because the ‘Skyway’ is being eliminated by the remodel work.

Montana: In Great Falls, the Teton County Nursing Home shutting down in May, 34 jobs lost.  ObamaCare reimbursement reductions forced the county to beg the cash-strapped voters to approve a levy to fund the home, but it was rejected.

New York: Manhattan Beauty Supply shutting down at the end of April. No explanation, but locals who shop in that area lamented that most of the kitschy shops that lined the street in the 1990s are gone.   In Rochester, Corner Bakery Cafe suddenly shutdown after the owner posted a sign that said “will be closing early tonight.”  Local news reports blame it on property developers.   The Broome Developmental Center for disabled people shutting down on Thursday, 6-hundred jobs lost! Officially it’s blamed on federal rules changes and ObamaCare reduction in reimbursements, however, I should point out that last year at least one employee was arrested for sexually abusing the tenants.

North Dakota: Dickinson State University shutting down their Strom Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation due to the loss of $1-million USD in grants and taxpayer funding.

Oklahoma: Main stream news media is confused about unemployment data.  They know tens of thousands of Okies have been laid off due to the oil industry BS, but state unemployment numbers are showing unemployment going down.  Here’s what I’ve been saying for the past few years at the end of every Job Losses report; if an employee gets laid off but gets severance they are not counted as unemployed. The overwhelming majority of oil industry workers are getting severance, therefore their unemployment is not being counted!  While I don’t advocate for Donald Trump as president (he’s just a salesman, will say whatever he has-to to close the deal, then files bankruptcy, study his history) he’s correct when he estimates true unemployment around 50%!

Texas: In Dallas, after 16 years Monica’s Hallmark gift store shutting down.  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech for your demise; British empire United Kingdom based software solutions company (according to Bloomberg) nobody heard of, Mycom North America, revealed it suddenly shutdown their Dallas office, two weeks ago.  At least 22 jobs lost, no explanation.  British empire’s Too Big to Jail bank-investment company Barclays issued a shutdown WARN for their McKinney operations, 196 jobs lost by mid-May! British Petroleum (BP) issued three layoff WARNs, 5-hundred jobs in Houston and Coppell lost by the end of May! Rotary Drilling eliminating 65 jobs in Beasley by mid-May.  Boeing revealed it laid off 15 people in Houston.

Washington: After 39 years Kathy’s Studio of Dance shutting down: “This was a very difficult decision for me to make but the dance world is changing and I am no longer up for the challenge. I started my studio with the idea that anyone should be able to dance – no matter their size, talent or ability to pay…….This worked for many years but times have changed….”-Kathryn Lahey

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

27-28 March 2016: “tiny 4-inch fish” killing economy?

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.”